Muscle hypertrophy represents a metabolic process with a high energy cost and that requires specific substrates. That’s why we tell you that muscle does not live on protein alonebut vitamins and minerals are also necessary to gain muscle mass.
Macronutrients and calories to hypertrophy
To create the structures of our body, as required by the process of muscle hypertrophy, it is essential that there is an energy surplus, that is, take in more calories than the body consumes daily.
Likewise, certain macronutrients are key, as is the case with proteins which are constituents of muscle fibers.
However, carbohydrates and fats provide energy necessary and will constitute the substrate for the functioning of many other organs, allowing the protein to be used for the creation of muscle mass.
So, the intake of calories as well as macronutrients should not be neglected, we want gain muscle.
The vitamins and minerals that cannot be missing
Although these are micronutrients that the body needs in small proportions, all vitamins and minerals They play an important role in our body and are required in adequate amounts every day. However, we show you what they are the most important if you want to gain muscle mass:
Zinc, linked to testosterone levels
Zinc is an element of great importance for our body and when gaining muscle mass it could play a key role due to its link with testosterone levels in blood
Testosterone is an anabolic hormone and therefore promotes muscle gain. For this reason, we cannot stop eating foods rich in zinc, such as seafood, meat, nuts, or seeds.
Likewise, it has been proven in rodents that its deficiency reduces the production of testosterone, making it essential to take care of its intake every day.
Vitamin C, to promote muscle recovery
Vitamin C is a nutrient that primarily behaves as antioxidant in our body and this has been associated with better muscle recovery, which is key to the creation of new muscle fibers.
It is also involved in many metabolic processes and can contribute to proper protein synthesis in our body.
We can get the same from fresh fruits and vegetables diverse, which should not be missing in the daily diet.
Potassium: key to synthesize new proteins and help with muscle contraction
Potassium is a mineral that is required in greater proportions than others for the proper functioning of the body, being key for the muscles to contract and recover properly by intervening in the transmission of the nerve impulse.
However, it has been shown that this nutrient involved in the synthesis of new proteins so it plays a fundamental role for hypertrophy or muscle mass gain.
Given that its deficit has been associated in rodents with alterations in muscle synthesis, recovery and growth, we must not neglect its intake, which we can guarantee with various fruits and vegetables, legumes, dairy products, whole grains, nuts and seeds.
Vitamin E, with antioxidant action in our body
Vitamin E is another micronutrient that can promote muscle recovery and reduce oxidative stress that intense exercise produces, contributing to the supercompensation necessary for muscle mass gains.
It behaves in a similar way to vitamin C in our body and we can incorporate it with nuts, seeds, vegetable oils and green leaves.
B vitamins, essential for anabolism
All the B vitamins are involved in various metabolic processes. Among them, they allow the degradation of carbohydrates to get energy helping to preserve the use of proteins for the synthesis of new muscle fibers.
On the other hand, they are also useful for the proper functioning of the nervous and muscular system and many of them catalyze the anabolism or anabolic processes that are required for hypertrophy.
For this, the B vitamins They cannot be missing from the usual diet and we can incorporate them through whole grains and derivatives, legumes as well as nuts, meat and seeds.
Vitamin D, for strong and healthy muscles
Vitamin D is a fundamental nutrient for the correct absorption of calcium and has been linked to increased strength, power and physical performance.
Likewise, its intake has shown to be able to reverse the muscular deterioration typical of the passage of time and also, the deficit of vitamin D the greater infiltration of fat at the muscular level.
Therefore, vitamin D is essential for the muscles resulting from anabolism to be strong and healthy and contribute to a adequate physical performance which, when training, is key to stimulating hypertrophy.
We can get vitamin D from foods like dairy productsthe yolk of egg, fatty or blue fish or to a lesser extent, mushrooms and fortified foods.
Calcium, to help us achieve a training that stimulates hypertrophy
Calcium is a mineral that, like potassium, is required in large proportions in our body and can intervene in the speed at which the nerve impulse is transmitted, as well as having adequate levels is key for the muscle to contract.
For this reason, and given that intense training is required to stimulate the hypertrophy process, the calcium It is helpful for our muscles to work properly and can efficiently train to promote the micro-breakage of muscle fibers that later allows anabolism.
Can we get calcium from food dairy products as well as certain nuts like almonds, vegetables such as chickpeas or, seeds, especially poppy and sesame seeds.
As you can see, muscle does not live on protein alone but the vitamins and minerals are key to promote muscle mass gain.
In Vitónica | The definitive guide to gain muscle effectively: all the keys that will influence
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