If your goal is to build muscle and you’re including strength training in your routine, here is how to eat to complement your training and build muscle without gaining fat, from a Registered Dietitian.
The Role of Nutrition for Muscle Growth
If you’re looking to gain lean muscle mass, you probably already know that strength training is a necessary addition to your routine, but what you may not know is that without the right diet, you won’t see much results. Your body is constantly recycling amino acids (building blocks of protein) in /your muscles, a process called muscle protein synthesis.
Your muscles will only grow (a.k.a. muscle hypertrophy) if your body receives more protein than it removes. Resistance training and consuming adequate protein (among other nutrients) is how your body will build new muscle tissue.
How Much Protein You Need to Gain Muscle?
In order to influence muscle protein synthesis you may need to consume about 300-500 calories above your maintenance calories in order to reach a caloric intake to build muscle mass. You can calculate your daily calorie goal by using an online calculator, and then add 300-500 additional calories, if your goal is to gain muscle mass.
Although all macronutrients are important for muscle gain and overall health and performance, protein should be a top priority in order to gain muscle. If you are training to gain muscle, you should plan to eat approximately 1.4-2 grams of protein per kg of body weight. For example, a 135 lb (61kg) female should eat about 85-122 g of protein per day.
Not all protein is created equal, there are animal and plant-based proteins and it’s important to get a variety to ensure you obtain all 9 essential amino acids that your body cannot make on its own. Branch chain amino acids (BCAAs) are especially important for muscle gains. BCAAs include leucine, isoleucine, and valine. Some examples of foods that contain BCAAs are poultry, salmon, milk, eggs, tuna, tofu, quinoa, and hemp seeds.
Meal Timing for Optimal Muscle Gains
Nutrition timing refers to when you eat at a specific time around your workouts to improve performance and recovery. In order to fuel your workout, especially if you are performing high intensity exercises or strength training for longer than 60 minutes, it’s important to consume a mix of complex carbs and protein ahead of time.
If you are eating 45-60 minutes before your workout, you may want to opt for a smaller meal with quicker digesting carbs, such as a piece of fruit or a protein bar. If you are able to eat 2-3 hours prior to your workout you can opt for a more filling, balanced meal such as a sweet potato with chicken and veggies or eggs with avocado toast.
After a strength workout, you should plan to eat 1g/kg of carbohydrates and 0.5g/kg of protein approximately 30 minutes after training. For a 135 lb individual, this would be about 60 g carbs and 30 g of protein. An example of a post-workout meal could be 2 slices of whole wheat toast with 2 Tbsp peanut butter and sliced banana, plus 1 cup of Greek yogurt. It’s important to note that your body can only absorb about 25-40g of protein in a sitting so be sure to space out protein intake throughout the day.
Protein-rich Foods
- 4 ounce beef or chicken (28g)
- 3 Eggs (21g)
- ½ cup peas (4g)
- 2 Tbsp. peanut butter (8g)
- ¾ cup Greek yogurt (16g)
- ½ cup cottage cheese (12g)
- 5 ounce salmon (28g)
- 5 ounce canned tuna (30g)
- 5 ounce cooked shrimp (35g)
- 1 cup chickpeas (15g)
- 1 ounce almonds (6g)
A Sample Full Day of Eating to Build Muscle
For a 135 lb (61kg) female who is actively training 3-4 days a week for muscle gain, they should eat about 85-122 g of protein per day. Here is an example of what a full day of eating may look like to achieve this protein intake:
Breakfast: 3 eggs (21g) with a slice of avocado toast and a ½ cup berries
Snack: Banana or apple with 2 Tbsp peanut butter (8g)
Lunch: Salad topped with 5 ounce canned tuna (30g)
Snack: ¾ cup Greek yogurt (16g) topped with berries and 1 ounce almonds (6g)
Dinner: 4 ounce beef tacos (28g)
Total protein: 109g
Including strength training into your routine has countless benefits, but if your goal is to gain muscle, it’s imperative that you consume enough calories and protein in your diet to effectively gain muscle mass.