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4Muscle Food - Top 10 Healthy Foods products
Tkacheva Natalia, phytotherapist, nutritionist
Eliseeva Tatyana, editor-in-chief of the EdaPlus.info project
E-mail: tkacheva.n@edaplus.info, eliseeva.t@edaplus.info
Abstract. The article discusses the main functions of muscles for normal human life and its relationship with the body. A systematic review of modern specialized literature and relevant scientific data was carried out. A list of foods useful for muscle work is indicated. Potentially unfavorable products for muscle activity are analyzed separately, general recommendations for maintaining their health are indicated.
Keywords: muscles , health, healthy foods, dangerous foods, recommendations
The path to the ideal figure with muscles without fat depends on genetic data, training and nutrition. Protein is the main macronutrient in the athlete's diet, but the role of carbohydrates, which replenish glycogen stores and help avoid overwork, cannot be underestimated. To succeed, you need to focus on the diet, because harmful foods negate all the work and move away from achieving the goal. We understand what food benefits muscles and health.
Diet for gaining muscle mass
The International Society for Sports Nutrition ISSN recommends 1.4-2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. In this case, the amount of carbohydrates should be 45-55% of daily calories. This is enough to build and maintain muscle for most trainees. However, with high-intensity resistance training, the need for nutrients increases.
A person should receive amino acids and nutrients with every meal, snack - you must give up empty calories, limit the use of alcohol, fried foods and sugar. This guarantees the replenishment of the nutrients the body needs to maintain health during intense exercise. To perform any training program and build muscle, the body needs to receive vitamins, minerals, healthy fats and at least 2-2.5 liters of clean water every day.
Mass gain and drying are integral parts of the training program of competing athletes. But ordinary people do not need such cycles. Creating an excess or deficit of calories can be very harmful to health.
During preparation for competitions, athletes reduce their calorie intake and percentage of body fat as much as possible: men - up to 5-10%, and women - up to 10-15%. This leads to sleep problems, negatively affects mood and weakens the immune system. Want to improve your fitness and strength without sacrificing? Information about healthy food will help you avoid mistakes and quickly recover from hard exercises.
Top 10 Healthy Muscle Foods
1. Eggs
Egg white is about 90% water. The remaining 10% contains the nine essential amino acids needed by the body to function at its best. Especially a lot in the composition of leucine, one of the components of BCAA. Cholesterol and fat are concentrated in the egg yolk. Studies show that this cholesterol is safe for most people. [12]
2. Meat
About 26 g of protein can be obtained from 85 g of chicken breast, 25 g from turkey breast, 21.6 g from lean beef, and 18 g from pork tenderloin. Chicken and turkey meat also have a rich composition of B vitamins, which help the body to build muscle, maintain the correct functioning of systems and organs during exercise. [3, 4 5]
3. Seafood
Shrimps and scallops remain the leaders among seafood in terms of the content of nutrients, pure protein - 18 and 20 g, respectively. They are not only rich in amino acids for gaining muscle mass, but also low in calories . [6]
4. Legumes
A half cup of boiled soybeans provides approximately 14 grams of protein (one of the highest quality plant sources), as well as healthy unsaturated fats, vitamin K, phosphorus, and iron for oxygen transport. Popular varieties of beans do not differ much from soybeans, but are richer in composition due to B vitamins, phosphorus, and insoluble fiber. Chickpeas are slightly inferior to their fellows in terms of usefulness. [7, 8]
5. Dairy products
Greek yogurt is a mixture of fast-digesting whey protein and slow-digesting casein protein. It has twice the nutritional content of regular yogurt and this combination of macronutrients helps build muscle. Fat-free cottage cheese has its own benefits - it provides the body with the essential amino acid leucine, which protects muscle tissue and is a good source of energy. [9, 10, 11]
6. Oily fish
The best choice for gaining muscle mass and improving health are mackerel, salmon, tuna. The optimal combination of amino acids and omega-3 slows down age-related loss of strength and muscle. Fish also improves performance, energy levels. An important role in this is played by vitamins B6 and B12, which are necessary for the health of blood cells and nerves. [12]
7. Olive oil
The monounsaturated fats in olive oil stimulate protein production and prevent muscle breakdown. Mediterranean Favorite increases insulin sensitivity in muscles, allowing them to make optimal use of glucose, amino acids and nutrients.
8. Whole grains
100 g of green unroasted buckwheat contains 18% of the daily protein requirement. Low-calorie nutritious superfood has an impressive composition of useful compounds - B vitamins, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus. Brown (brown) rice, although it does not belong to protein boosters, but whole grains are as fat-free as possible and cover the need for slow carbohydrates. Its main competitor is gluten-free quinoa. Grains contain a lot of magnesium, which is useful for the functioning of muscles and the nervous system. [13]
9. Almond
/ cup of blanched almonds provides 16g of protein, plenty of phosphorus, magnesium, vitamin E. Phosphorus plays a special role in the family, helping the body use carbohydrates and fats for energy at rest and during exercise. Almonds are high in calories so should be consumed in moderation. [fourteen]
10. Beets
One study found that two medium-sized beets eaten 15 or 60 minutes before a workout increased performance by reducing perceived exertion. An inexpensive vegetable allows you to train longer and harder.
Supplements to Help Build Muscle
A good diet should focus on whole foods, but there are times when nutritional supplements are needed. If you find it difficult to get the protein norm from traditional food, then you should add protein shakes to the menu. The most popular types are casein, whey protein. These supplements make life easier during the work day or travel. [15, 16]
Expert comment
Tatyana Eliseeva, nutritionist, nutritionist
It is worth considering that many bodybuilders who advertise protein gain mass with the help of anabolic steroids. The ads are misleading and develop unrealistic expectations about what muscles can be built naturally. For the sake of a beautiful body, you will have to work hard, and not only in the gym, but also in the kitchen - you need to plan the menu in advance and fill the refrigerator with healthy dishes to make it easier to resist harmful snacks.
Literature
1. Egg Consumption and Human Cardio-Metabolic Health in People with and without Diabetes, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4586539/
2. Consumption of whole eggs promotes greater stimulation of postexercise muscle protein synthesis than consumption of isonitrogenous amounts of egg whites in young men, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28978542/
3. Frequent consumption of selenium-enriched chicken meat by adults causes weight loss and maintains their antioxidant status, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20809267/
4. Protein-enriched diet, with the use of lean red meat, combined with progressive resistance training enhances lean tissue mass and muscle strength and reduces circulating IL-6 concentrations in controlled elderly women: a cluster randomized trial, https://pubmed.ncbi. www.nlm.nih.gov/24477043/
5. B-vitamins and exercise: does exercise alter requirements?, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17240780/
6. Seafood consumption and components for health, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22980234/
7. The Skeletal Muscle Anabolic Response to Plant- versus Animal-Based Protein Consumption, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26224750/
8. Nutritional and health perspectives of beans ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.): an overview, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24261533/
9. Greek Yogurt and 12 Weeks of Exercise Training on Strength, Muscle Thickness and Body Composition in Lean, Untrained, University-Aged Males, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31114790/
10. Consumption of fluid skim milk promotes greater muscle protein accretion after resistance exercise than does consumption of an isonitrogenous and isoenergetic soy-protein beverage, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17413102/
11. Body composition and strength changes in women with milk and resistance exercise, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19997019/
12. Fish oil-derived n-3 PUFA therapy increases muscle mass and function in healthy older adults, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25994567/
13. The effects of 8 weeks of whey or rice protein supplementation on body composition and exercise performance, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3698202/
14. Almonds ( Prunus Dulcis Mill. DA Webb): A Source of Nutrients and Health-Promoting Compounds, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32121549/
15. The effects of protein and amino acid supplementation on performance and training adaptations during ten weeks of resistance training, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16937979/
16. Presleep dietary protein-derived amino acids are incorporated in myofibrillar protein during postexercise overnight recovery, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28536184/
An extended HTML version of this article is available on the edaplus.info website. Muscle Food - Top 10 Healthy Foods
Tkacheva Natalia, phytotherapist, nutritionist
Eliseeva Tatyana, editor-in-chief of the project EdaPlus.info
E-mail: tkacheva.n@edaplus.info, eliseeva.t@edaplus.info
Received 15.10.2021
Abstract. The article discusses the main functions of muscles for normal human life and its relationship with the body. A systematic review of modern specialized literature and relevant scientific data was carried out. A list of foods useful for muscle work is indicated. Potentially unfavorable products for muscle activity are analyzed separately, general recommendations for maintaining their health are indicated.
