Proper intake of food and minerals is the basic necessity for muscle growth. By the term muscle growth we don’t mean lifting weights and working out in the gym to build muscles. If we observe the phenomenon closely we realize that we are not building muscle. We are in reality aiding muscle growth. Confused? Let me make it simple.
Our muscle mass is in a transient state. The size of our muscles varies from person to person. It basically depends on the amount of stress and exercise is applied to it.
In addition to exercise and external stress, there are certain foods that can help to determine muscle size. Proper nutrition can help maintain and increase muscle growth.
The most important nutrient that is vital for proper muscle functionality and its growth is protein. Protein consists of 20 amino acids which vary in their presence in different sources of protein. The intake of these amino acids which can be fulfilled directly by consuming protein is very important. Protein intake not only aids muscle growth, but helps to repair the muscle fiber that is lost while exercising. This is the key element to muscle growth.
Another important fact is when you exercise to enhance your muscle mass, a lot of energy is consumed. This energy is provided by burning the glycogen present in your body. In order to gain back the burned energy, carbohydrates are required. Carbohydrates can help to maintain the glycogen level to provide you with the extra energy required during your workout. In addition to the above mentioned benefits, carbohydrates also trigger insulin. Insulin is a hormone which helps to break down the proteins in your body. The breakdown of these proteins is necessary after their consumption. The earlier and faster they break, the better they provide their functionality.
Keeping in mind the nutritional necessities, exercise is also an important factor that contributes to muscle growth. A diet can only help to maintain the muscle mass and repair the damaged areas. Exercise is required for muscle growth. To get best results however, one should not depend on the following separately. The combination of both exercise and proper nutrition is the optimal key to success.
