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The diet to increase muscle mass includes some strategies such as consuming more calories than you burn, increasing the amount of protein ingested during the day and consuming more good fats. However, in addition to a reinforced diet, it is also very important to do regular strength training, which requires a lot of muscle mass, so that the hypertrophy stimulus is passed on to the body.
It is also important to remember that in order to gain lean mass and lose fat at the same time, you should avoid the consumption of sugar, white flour and industrialized products, as they are the main stimulators of fat production in the body.
The menu to increase muscle mass varies according to the intensity of physical exercise and the size, sex and age of each person, however the following table provides an example of a menu to gain muscle mass:
| Meal | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | 2 slices of wholemeal bread with egg and cheese + 1 cup of coffee with milk | 1 chicken and cheese tapioca + 1 cup of cocoa milk | 1 glass of unsweetened juice + 1 omelet with 2 eggs and chicken |
| Morning snack | 1 fruit + 10 nuts or peanuts | 1 plain yogurt with honey and chia seeds | 1 mashed banana with oatmeal and 1 tablespoon of peanut butter |
| Lunch/
Dinner |
4 tablespoons of rice + 3 tablespoons of beans + 150 g of grilled duckling + raw cabbage, carrot and pepper salad | 1 salmon fillet + boiled sweet potato + salad sautéed in olive oil | Minced beef noodles with wholemeal pasta and tomato sauce + 1 glass of juice |
| Afternoon Snack | 1 yogurt + 1 whole-grain chicken sandwich with cottage cheese | fruit smoothie with 1 spoon of peanut butter + 2 spoons of oatmeal | 1 cup of coffee with milk + 1 crepioca stuffed with 1/3 can of tuna |
It is important to remember that only after an evaluation with the nutritionist is it possible to know whether or not it is necessary to add a supplement to gain muscle mass, as the excessive use of these products can harm he alth. In addition, for this menu to help in gaining muscle mass, it is important that it is associated with the practice of regular and intense physical activities.
Watch the video below and learn how to include foods rich in protein in your diet:
How to increase muscle mass
To increase muscle mass, it is important to pay attention to the amount of calories that are ingested during the day, the type of food, the amount of water consumed and the frequency and intensity of physical activity. Here are 7 steps to increase your results:
1. Consume more calories than you expend
Consuming more calories than you burn is essential to gain muscle mass faster, as excess calories, along with training, will allow you to increase muscle.
To find out how many calories you need to consume to reach the weight you want, fill in the calculator below:
2. Do not skip meals
Avoiding skipping meals is important so that you can reach all the calories you need during the day, without stimulating possible loss of lean mass during a prolonged fast. The ideal is to have 5 to 6 meals a day, with extra attention at breakfast, pre and post-workout.
3. Consume more protein
Increasing protein consumption is necessary to allow muscle growth, and it is important that protein-rich foods are well distributed throughout the day, and not concentrated in just 2 or 3 meals. These foods are mainly of animal origin, such as meats, fish, chicken, cheeses, eggs and milk and dairy products, but proteins can also be found in good amounts in foods such as beans, peas, lentils, peanuts and chickpeas..
Also, it may sometimes be necessary to use protein supplements such as Whey Protein and Casein, especially used post-workout or to increase the nutritional value of protein-poor meals throughout the day. See the 10 best supplements to gain muscle mass.
4. Consume good fats
Contrary to popular belief, consuming good fats helps to reduce the accumulation of fat in the body and also facilitates the increase in calories in the diet to gain muscle mass. These fats are present in foods such as avocados, olive oil, olives, peanuts, peanut butter, flaxseeds, chestnuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, fish such as tuna, sardines and salmon.
Throughout the day, these foods can be added to snacks such as crepioca recipes, fit cookies, yogurts, vitamins and main meals.
5. Drink plenty of water
Drinking plenty of water is very important to stimulate hypertrophy, because for muscle cells to grow, more water is needed to fill their larger size. If there is not enough water intake, muscle mass gain will be slower and more difficult.
A he althy adult should consume at least 35 ml of water for every kg of weight. Thus, a person weighing 70 kg would need to consume at least 2450 ml of water per day, and it is important to remember that artificial or sugary drinks are not included in this account, such as soft drinks and alcoholic beverages.
6. Consume at least 2 fruits a day
Consuming at least 2 fruits a day is important to gain vitamins and minerals that favor muscle recovery after training, favoring a faster and more hypertrophied regeneration of muscle mass.
In addition, the vitamins and minerals present in fruits and vegetables are important for muscle contraction, reducing the feeling of fatigue during training and for strengthening the immune system.
7. Avoid sugar and processed foods
Avoiding sugary and highly processed foods is important so as not to stimulate fat gain in the body, especially since the diet to gain mass already has excess calories. Thus, to prevent weight gain from being made of fat, it is necessary to remove foods such as sweets, cookies, cakes, toast, fast food, sausage, sausage, bacon, cheddar cheese and ham or ham from the diet.
These foods should be replaced by whole-grain bread, crackers and whole-grain cakes, cheeses such as rennet, Minas and mozzarella, eggs, meats and fish.
8. Avoid drinking alcohol
Consuming excess and regular alcoholic beverages can reduce protein synthesis, decrease metabolism and reduce the body's ability to burn fat, which can compromise muscle growth. Therefore, it is important to avoid excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages.
9. Consuming complex carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates are important for the formation of muscle mass, as they provide the body with energy for the hypertrophy process to take place. In addition, muscle cells store glucose in the form of glycogen to be used during exercise for energy and for muscle recovery after training.
Therefore, it is important to know how to choose which complex carbohydrates should be included in the diet, giving preference to those that are rich in fiber, such as oat flakes, quinoa, lentils, chickpeas, beans, peas, sweet potatoes, potatoes with skin, rice and wholegrain pasta.
