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Are you looking to build your muscle? Protein might seem to be everything, but it isn’t the only thing.
Protein rightfully gets all the accolades. Yes, there’s no question about that. Most adults need around 35 g of protein every meal to maintain strong and healthy muscles, and every gram of protein counts if you wish to continue making gains at the gym and retain your functionality.
But the body also needs the extra juice to power your muscles — and we’ve put together a list of five essential nutrients that help build and enhance your muscle growth and overall health. Here they are.
Calcium has made its reputation by helping build strong bones, but its role in building strong muscles seems to be underrated. Muscle contraction requires calcium regulation and thus building muscle. Every time calcium is released into your muscles, it helps fire up their contractions — regardless of the activity you’re conducting.
Generally, most adults need around 1,000-1,300 mg of calcium each day, and a single 8 oz serving of milk gets you 1/4th of the recommended daily allowance. Don’t limit your calcium intake to just dairy, either — non-dairy sources like salmon, tofu, and green leafy vegetables are excellent additions to your diet. Consult your doctor if a multivitamin or supplement is right for you (if you can’t meet the daily requirements).
Zinc not only builds up your immunity but also keeps your muscles strong and resistant from exercise trauma, and better yet – it helps your muscles recover from it. That’s not to mention its testosterone-boosting capability that all men need — just more reasons to love this manhood-boosting mineral.
But did you know that zinc also supports the process that the protein from the food you eat becomes part of your muscular system? Zinc plays a crucial role in enabling the insulin-like growth factor in helping boost muscle growth in muscle cells.
Want to boost your zinc levels? Eat more oysters. Oysters are undoubtedly the single-most abundant zinc food source out there, followed by red meat and poultry. Think about this for one second: one serving of oysters gets you quintuple your recommended daily allowance of zinc. Legumes and dairy are also excellent vegetarian options to obtain zinc. According to the National Institutes of Health, the typical adult needs around 8-13 mg of zinc daily.
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Calcium
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Vitamin D
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Zinc
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Beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate (HMB)
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Creatine