diet guide how to eat during muscle gain
I. Dietary Principles During Muscle Gain Period
Nutrition is essential for everyone, and those engaged in fitness and muscle gain training need ample nutrition even more. So, what foods can efficiently help in muscle gain? You need to pay attention to the following dietary principles.
Supplement Enough Calories
Muscle growth consumes energy. Without sufficient calories, it is impossible to ensure normal muscle growth.
Supplement Enough Carbohydrates
During fitness and muscle gain training, energy is mainly provided by glycogen. The intake of carbohydrates can replenish glycogen, supply energy, and prevent muscle breakdown caused by training.
Supplement High-Quality Protein
Protein is the cornerstone of muscle composition and the foundation of muscle growth. Therefore, it is necessary to consume sufficient high-quality protein daily.
Eat Small, Frequent Meals and Focus on Nutrient Intake Before and After Training
Small, frequent meals are more efficient for absorption. Energy needs to be supplemented before training to ensure energy supply during training. After training, high-quality carbohydrates, proteins, and other nutrients need to be supplemented to promote muscle recovery and growth.
II. Homemade Muscle Gain Meals
Here are 4 muscle gain meal plans for underweight (BMI below 18.5) men and women. For women, the starting weight for muscle gain is 45kg, and for men, it is 65kg. These are for reference only:
Women (45kg)
Meal Plan 1
Breakfast:100g bread, 200ml milk, 1 egg, 100g vegetables or fruits
Morning Snack: 10g nuts, 100ml milk
Lunch:150g mixed grain rice, 200g vegetables, 100g chicken breast
Afternoon Snack (0.5~1h before training): 50g toast or 150g fruit (banana, melon) or 150g yogurt with 12% sugar content
Dinner (0.5~1h after training):100g beef, 200g vegetables, 100g steamed buns or noodles
Meal Plan 2
Breakfast:100g noodles, 100g chicken breast, 100g vegetables or fruits
Morning Snack:200ml milk
Lunch:150g rice or steamed buns, 200g vegetables, 100g fish
Afternoon Snack (0.5~1h before training):50g toast or 150g fruit (banana, melon) or 150g yogurt with 12% sugar content
Dinner (0.5~1h after training):1 egg, 200ml milk, 200g vegetables, 100g grains or tubers
Men (65kg)
Meal Plan 1
Breakfast:200g bread, 200ml milk, 1 egg, 100g vegetables or fruits
Morning Snack:20g nuts, 100ml milk
Lunch:150g rice or steamed buns, 200g vegetables, 200g chicken breast
Afternoon Snack (0.5~1h before training):100g toast or 200g fruit (banana, melon) or 200g yogurt with 12% sugar content
Dinner (0.5~1h after training):250g beef, 200g vegetables, 150g main dish (steamed buns or noodles)
Meal Plan 2
Breakfast:200g mixed grain rice, 100g fresh shrimp, 100g vegetables or fruits
Morning Snack:200ml milk
Lunch:150g rice or steamed buns, 200g vegetables, 200g fish
Afternoon Snack (0.5~1h before training):100g toast or 200g fruit (banana, melon) or 200g yogurt with 12% sugar content
Dinner (0.5~1h after training):1 egg, 200ml milk, 100g lean pork, 200g vegetables, 150g main dish (steamed buns or noodles)
Warm Tips:
1. Muscle gain meal plans vary from person to person. You can appropriately increase or decrease the amount of food (mainly protein-rich foods) based on the above reference meal plans and your physical condition.
2. Different muscle gain stages require different dietary plans. You need to regularly monitor your weight, measurements, and the extent of exhaustion from strength training to comprehensively judge the recent muscle gain effect and adjust the subsequent plan.
3. During the muscle gain period, the intake of cooking oil and salt should still follow the dietary guidelines: 25-30g of cooking oil per day and less than 6g of salt per day.
4. Increasing protein intake is necessary for muscle gain, but consuming large amounts of meat is not advisable as it also leads to high fat intake. It is recommended to prioritize 'white meat' (skinless poultry, fish, shrimp) and minimize the intake of visible white fat in red meat (lean pork, lean beef, lean lamb). Rotate different types of meat.
III. Nutritional Supplements During Training (Supplements + Hydration)
Nutritional Supplements Before and After Training:
The main purpose of nutritional supplements before and after fitness is to replenish the energy consumed during training and to provide raw materials for muscle growth.
Supplement some chicken, fish, or whole wheat bread, whole wheat oatmeal, etc., 30-45 minutes before training; supplement some protein powder, egg whites, red meat, and other high-protein foods within 30 minutes after training. You can also add a sweet potato or similar carbohydrate.
Hydration Before and After Training:
When exercise time is <1 hour, simple pure water can be supplemented. For intense exercise lasting ≥1 hour, sports drinks must be supplemented. This not only solves the problem of thirst but also further relieves body thirst and replenishes the energy needed by the body.
Hydration Before Exercise:30-120 minutes before exercise, supplement 300-500ml of water. This can increase sweating during exercise, reduce the rise in body temperature, and delay dehydration. When the weather is particularly hot, an additional 250-500ml is needed. Note that the amount of water supplementation should not be too large, as the body cannot store more water, and excessive water intake will burden the body.
Hydration During Exercise:Follow the principle of small amounts multiple times (100-150ml each time, once every 10 minutes). Usually, water supplementation should not exceed 800ml per hour. During exercise, a large amount of blood flows into the muscles, and the blood vessels in the digestive system are in a contracted state, temporarily reducing blood supply. At this time, a large amount of water cannot be efficiently absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract, causing water to accumulate in the gastrointestinal tract and affecting breathing.
Hydration After Exercise:Small amounts multiple times, avoid drinking excessively. At this time, a large amount of water enters the blood, increasing blood flow, burdening the heart, and affecting the rest and recovery of organs after exercise.
Sports drinks are health drinks specially developed for energy consumption and changes in the body's internal environment during exercise. Their main components are glucose, caffeine, electrolytes, amino acids, and other substances. They can specifically replenish the nutrients lost during exercise, maintain and improve exercise capacity, and accelerate the elimination of post-exercise fatigue. They can also regulate the body's electrolytes and acid-base balance, allowing for rapid recovery of physical strength.
In a broad sense, sports drinks can be divided into hypotonic drinks, isotonic drinks, hypertonic drinks, and functional drinks.
Hypotonic Drinks, Quickly Replenish Water
Hypotonic drinks have a lower concentration of salt and sugar than the human body and usually do not contain electrolytes. They are suitable for quickly replenishing water during exercise without causing a sloshing sensation in the stomach. Examples include Mizone and Water Move.
Isotonic Drinks, Replenish Energy and Minerals
These drinks are suitable for most exercises, mainly to replenish energy and minerals for the body. Their salt and sugar content is similar to that of body fluids, with a sugar content generally around 5%-8%. Examples include Gatorade, Scream, Nongfu Spring Vitamin, and Pocari Sweat.
Hypertonic Drinks, Replenish Carbohydrates
Hypertonic drinks have higher salt and sugar content than the human body and can replenish the carbohydrates lost by the body. However, they are not suitable for quickly replenishing water, and since they empty slowly from the stomach, it is recommended to consume them after a period of rest post-exercise.
Functional Drinks, Eliminate Fatigue
Functional drinks generally contain taurine and can be consumed before exercise or during exercise fatigue to quickly eliminate physical fatigue. Typical examples include Red Bull, Lehu, and Dongpeng Special Drink.