12 Foods To Gain Muscle Mass At Home

Muscle: Now that you can take more care of your diet, be sure to include the right amount of protein. These are 12 foods that cannot be missing from your menus if you want to increase muscle.

1. Spinach

This vegetable contains a remarkable glutamine source, an amino acid important for the development of lean muscle mass. It also helps increase endurance and muscle tone.

You can prepare it raw in a salad. If you add carrot, fresh cheese, and some walnuts, the result is a light and, at the same time, protein first course.

2. Low-fat dairy

A valuable source of animal protein is found in milk and its derivatives (yogurts and cheeses). The important thing is that you choose their skimmed or low-fat versions.

If you take them at night and recover the muscle, you will be promoting rest, thanks to its content of tryptophan, an essential amino acid that helps control insomnia.

The cottage cheese -very like cottage cheese without pressure- is a real treat for the musculature that contains casein, a protein that is digested slowly.

3. Eggs

This food is considered one of the most complete that exists. It highlights a large number of nutrients it contains, its bioavailability (about the nutrients present in other foods), and the balance of amino acids in its protein.

Most of the proteins are found in the white, while the fats are concentrated in the yolk.

4. Turkey and Chicken

Taking advantage of the proteins in white meats such as chicken, turkey, or rabbit means that in addition to gaining muscle, we will be avoiding the saturated fats of red meat such as beef or lamb. For every 100 grams of chicken breast, you get 30 grams of protein.

Avoid cooking it in the batter. Ideally, you should prepare grilled breasts and avoid sauces and mayonnaise, unless they are low in fat.

5. Vegetables

Animal foods are an excellent source of protein. However, also some vegetables, especially legumes, provide this nutrient to the body.

When we consume protein foods of plant origin, it is important to combine them with other foods that complete the list of amino acids that we need. For example, a great mix is ​​a chickpea or lentil dish with rice.

Also, legumes provide you with a large amount of magnesium, which can help reduce cramps.
Its fiber also benefits you: some studies have shown that a low fiber diet promotes muscle contractions.

6. Tuna

It is one of the foods made up almost exclusively of protein; it is easily metabolized and is a perfect ally for increasing muscle mass. Tuna has more protein content of high biological value (23 grams per 100 grams) than meat.

Once inside the body, its omega 3 promotes the production of proteins that improve the recovery of injured muscles and reduce the risk of ramps.

Other oily fish, such as salmon or sardines, are also a good source of omega 3. A good way to prepare tuna is grilled with some garlic, a dash of lemon, and a handful of parsley.

7. Red Meat

Meat is one of the foods that provide the most protein. The richest in this nutrient is that of the horse, followed by beef, veal, and pork.

However, it is preferable to consume chicken meat, which, although it is not red meat, contains as much protein as horse meat and much less fat, making it a much healthier option.

York ham (18 g of protein per 100 grams), or Serrano ham (15 g / 100 g), are also important sources of protein.

8. Peanuts

They are not the best source of protein, but if we combine them with legumes or whole grains, we can achieve a complete protein. The nuts with the highest protein content are peanuts, walnuts, and almonds.

You can have a handful for breakfast or mid-morning as a snack. But don’t overdo it, since these foods provide a large number of calories. Peanuts contain 567 calories per 100 grams.

Also, nuts and some seeds (such as sunflower seeds) are very rich in magnesium, which is essential for maintaining good muscle tone and avoiding injuries.

9. Sweet Potato

The roasted sweet potato is a good way to obtain potassium, essential to gain muscle mass. Helps maintain the body’s water balance, nerve impulse, and muscle contraction.

Also, a small amount is enough to feel full, and its sweet taste will make you want something less healthy to a lesser extent.

10. Banana

In addition to being rich in carbohydrates, essential when doing some muscle training, it contains three essential nutrients for your muscles.

It is one of the foods rich in potassium and also gives you a good dose of magnesium and calcium.
Also, it can be of great help in preventing muscle spasms.

11. Avocado

Avocado gives you approximately 1,000 milligrams of potassium.

You can add it to your salads, eat it for dessert or spread it on toast in the morning to prepare your muscles from the first hour of the day.

12. Citrus

Any citrus fruit suits you because its vitamin C is necessary to manufacture collagen, which is present in muscle fibers and keeps them elastic.

To ensure that your body receives the necessary amount of this vitamin, take an orange (or two tangerines) and two kiwis every day.

Advantages of Increasing Muscle Mass

Eating consciously so that your muscles are fit and have all the nutrients they need brings you numerous benefits:

Helps prevent fractures. By strengthening connective tissues, bone density increases, and, incidentally, the risk of injury and the chances of developing osteoporosis are reduced.

Increase metabolic rate. The more muscle we have, the higher our resting metabolic rate. That is, without doing anything, you can burn calories.

You gain quality of life. Among other things, increasing muscle mass helps improve balance, regulates the amount of sugar in the blood, improves the quality of sleep, and relaxes the mind.

Improve posture. And it can save you from nonspecific back pain (for which the cause is often not discovered).

How Long Does It Take to Gain Muscle?

If, in addition to eating well, you have proposed to gain muscle by following a training routine, you should know that different aspects intervene in the results. First of all, genetics. In this matter, there is little we can do. The other three factors are:

• The type of training
• Feeding
• Rest

People who are new to muscle building notice changes in muscle volume in the first two months, but they are due to an increase in muscle glycogen stores, which in turn retain fluids.

In this matter, you have to think long term. Visible muscle gain takes time and perseverance. The first year of the gym is already beginning to notice the muscle gain, but it is from the second year when the changes start to be considerable.

The Importance of Taking Care of Muscles

If we have not been too constant and regular with physical exercise, after 40, we lose up to 8% of muscle mass in the next 10 years.

From that moment, everything accelerates: if we continue to lead a more sedentary rather than active life, upon entering the seventh decade of experience, this loss increases up to 15%.

Perhaps from the outset, these data may seem insubstantial, but the truth is that a muscular system in good shape (and delaying the “loss” we have mentioned as much as possible) helps -and a lot- to have a stronger, more resistant and healthy.