Anybody who is even moderately serious about their personal health and fitness should be well versed in the role that the correct diet can play in helping to achieve your overall goals in the gym.
You can have the most high intensity workout plan imaginable but a lot of that will be wasted unless you are correctly replenishing your body with the correct fuel for it to recover and build muscle, something that in this world of ready-made microwave meals and pizza delivery can be increasingly difficult to maintain.
One of the best ways to adjust your diet, nutritionists maintain, is to develop a fuller understanding of what particular foods can do for you and how they affect what you are doing in the weight room
So what are the best foods for building muscle? Below are ten examples.
Eggs
Eggs contain the amino acid leucine, a very valuable nutrient when it comes to muscle recovery. It has also been proven that eating whole eggs following a workout can give a 40 percent boost when it comes to building muscle, according to Men’s Health.
Salmon
Salmon will give you around 20g of protein per 100g served as well as being high in omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA — nutrients which help reduce inflammation.
Soy Beans
Soy beans are wonderful sources of protein, particularly for people on a non-meat diet and are an invaluable source of all nine of the essential amino acids.
Greek Yoghurt
In addition to being loaded with whey protein, greek yoghurt also contains enough Vitamin D to to aid your body’s absorption of calcium and phosphorous — essential for both aiding muscle contraction and providing your body with energy.
Garlic
Believe it or not but garlic is a natural stress-reliever with studies showing that it can increase testosterone production and lower cortisol.
Turkey Breast
If you’re looking for bang for your buck when it comes to protein consumption, look no further than turkey breast. It contains around 29g per 100g served, as well as being high in zinc — crucial for protein retention and testosterone production.
Tuna
While you should be careful about adding too much tuna to your diet because of the risks of mercury poisoning (!), its 25g of protein for 100g served is a wonderful way to boost your protein intake. Just don’t overdo it.
Lean Beef
Red meat isn’t something you should consume too often but when you do it is another highly valuable source of protein, clocking in at about 29g per 100g. It also contains zinc necessary for testosterone production.
Broccoli
Broccoli are full of zinc, of which we have already stated the benefits, but also inhibits the production of estrogen which is something that is largely incompatible for the workout plans of men reading these words.
Almonds
The ideal snack, almonds are full of Vitamin E, a very important nutrient when it comes to post-workout recovery. They are also a wonderful substitute for snacking on chocolate after a long day.
