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When it comes to building lean muscles and packing on some body mass, it goes more than just the number of hours you spend in the gym lifting heavy weights or the number of time running and hitting at the pavements. It also has a lot to do with what goes on your plate on a daily basis – your diet.
If you fail to eat the right combination of foods at their appropriate quantities, you may not see a significant result in your rigorous workout times. So, here goes my usual saying again “ the way you look is determined by what you eat.”
You need the Macronutrients to build
In building lean mass, all the six classes of foods must be included in your diets; both the micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) and the macros (protein, carbohydrate, and fat).
But the question is now; "in what quantity should they be.... which should be more?"
Let me start by saying:
"Protein is king"
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Protein, far and away, is the most important nutrient you will need to build muscle in your body. Muscle is protein. Protein is muscle. Without enough protein, you will have a very difficult time seeing results from your training. Plain and simple, you’re simply not going to grow any muscles without a sufficient amount of protein.
You also Cannot neglect Carbs
Carbohydrate gives you the energy to train hard in the gym and carry out your everyday activities. Your body needs carbohydrates on a consistent basis throughout the day to feed the brain that uses glucose, or blood sugar, as its primary energy source. Glucose is a carbohydrate used by every cell in the body as fuel.
When carbohydrates stored in the body are depleted too far, the body will start converting your hard-earned proteins which you should have used to build lean muscles into glucose instead of the conventional carbohydrates for it to meet its energy requirements. As a bodybuilder or someone that just wants to add up muscle for the fun of it, you will want to do everything you possibly can to avoid this from occurring. The very last thing you want is to see your hard-earned muscles sacrificed for energy. Consuming enough carbohydrates will prevent this from happening.
However, don't forget excess carbohydrate will also be converted to body fat; one of the reasons you will also need to watch your carbs intake.
Now to the question: "protein or carbohydrate, which should be more?"
Let’s start off by saying there’s no “right” answer to that question. The amount (carbohydrate, protein and fat ratio) you need is based on your own body’s ability to metabolize nutrients and on your particular fitness goals. This is how simple I can keep it: As someone that wants to build lean muscles, you must eat more protein than an average person.
Your secondary focus should also be consuming enough carbohydrates to have enough energy to train hard, prevent the body from ever using muscle as an energy source, and fuel your regular lifestyle activities.