10 Dieting Tips to Build Muscle Mass

Diet Tip 1. Protein is your foundation. The rule of thumb is to consume at least one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day.

Diet Tip 2. Complement your protein with carbs. When you eat plenty of carbs, your body’s energy tanks will be full and you’ll be less likely to dip into proteins, which can deplete muscle tissue. Carbs also increase the natural release of insulin, a hormone known as one of the body’s most potent anabolic or tissue-building hormones. Be careful with starchy carbs like potatoes, rice, pasta and breads. Limit yourself to 3-5 total starch servings per day.

Diet Tip 3. Calories are good. If you’re working out and not seeing mass or weight gain, you probably are cheating yourself on calories. If so, increase your carb intake to re-establish that imbalance.

Diet Tip 4. Be fat-friendly to friendly fats. Fats can enhance the body’s ability to take up glucose, the basic unit of carbohydrates, and store it as muscle glycogen. For big gains, consume salmon, mackerel or sardines three times a week. Your moderate fat diet should also include red meat and egg yolks – one whole egg for every 3-4 egg whites – and regularly sprinkling nuts and seeds into your salads or rice.

Diet Tip 5. Variety in your diet is vital. Eat three different fruits and vegetables a day.

Diet Tip 6. Before your workout.  Go slow. Take in slow-burning or low-glycemic carbs, the kinds of carbs that break down slowly into glucose. Oatmeal, beans mixed with rice, yogurt, buckwheat noodles, cherries and pears will keep your blood sugars more stable. This will help you train harder for a longer period, and also help prevent energy crashes.

Diet Tip 7. After you workout. Immediately after your workout eat some fast-digesting carbs to satisfy your body’s immediate energy needs. Great sources include raisins, mashed potatoes, whole grains, bananas and carb drinks. Whey protein powder drinks are also a good post-workout snack. Their fast-dissolving amino acids aid in recuperation.

Diet Tip 8. Eat often – Eat small. Six to seven small meals a day help prevent energy crashes, eliminate that bloated feeling from gorging at the dinner table and prevent the build of body fat from seesawing blood sugar levels. Multiple meals provide a nonstop source of amino acids from protein and of glucose from carbs. Amino acids help repair muscle tissue and glucose keeps insulin levels elevated, which prevents muscle breakdown.

Diet Tip 9. Supplements. Use supplements like vitamins C and E. Vitamin C has been shown to significantly decrease cortisol, a muscle-wasting stress hormone that increases with hardcore training. Vitamin E has been suggested to combat muscle fiber injury. Many experts believe that it also reduces free radical production as well.

Diet Tip 10. Put creatine and glutamine to work for you. Creatine increases power, delays fatigue and increases protein synthesis in the body. Glutamine supports the immune system. It also supports the formation on muscle glycogen and controls the formation of muscle-wasting cortisol. Take 5 grams of creatine and 5-10 grams of glutamine immediately after training, alone with a high-carb meal, which will spike your insulin levels, facilitating the storage and use of creatine and glutamine.