Creatine
Creatine (creatine monohydrate, creatine) is an intermediate product of the energy metabolism. Creatine is formed in the liver and kidney from the amino acids glycine and arginine. Creatine built up in the muscle strengthens the hypoglycemic insulin effect and thereby increases the absorption of sugar in the muscle.
Creatine synthesizes adenosine triphosphate (= ATP), which supplies the muscle with energy. An increased level of ATP allows the muscle to perform over a longer period of time without – as would normally be the case – overacidification due to increased lactate levels. The daily creatine requirement for “normal” exercise is about 2 g/d, whereby the body synthesizes about half of this itself and the rest must be taken in with food (cf. natural sources).
Nutrition adjustment screw
The right nutrition is no longer only interesting for bodybuilders, but has also established itself in the mass sports sector. It is also not at all about achieving the greatest possible muscle growth, but to tighten your muscles and shape your body. This supports the joints and enables a good body feeling.
The effects that muscle building and toning can have are many and varied. Back pain can be reduced and possibly even cured by muscle building and shaping, if the relevant muscle groups are trained properly. In combination with a balanced diet, training can help to eliminate back pain.
In addition, the metabolism is stimulated and optimized by muscle building. The circulation works more economically and is more efficient under stress. More muscle mass also helps to burn more surrounding fat tissue and convert it into energy. This can be explained by the increased energy requirement of the increased muscle mass. A combination of strength, endurance training and nutrition is recommended by many experts when it comes to building up muscles and tightening and shaping the body.
Nutrition makes the difference
In addition to training, nutrition plays an important role, because without a healthy and balanced diet, successful muscle building would not be possible. It is important to differentiate whether the diet is qualitatively good and balanced or whether it is well designed for muscle growth. Many strength athletes do not pay attention to whether their diet is healthy or not, but concentrate completely on muscle growth.
Most strength athletes don’t care whether the muscle build-up is achieved in a healthy way or not. Many experts in the field of fitness training and nutrition recommend a program that consists of 70% of the right nutrition and 30% of a special training plan. Below, the 15 most effective foods are presented in order to best support muscle building.
Water is one of the most important factors when it comes to muscle building. Muscle tissue consists of almost 80% water and is therefore a basic food, especially for muscle building. Therefore you should always drink enough or take water through other foods such as vegetables and fruit.
Organic free-range eggs contain the highest concentration of essential amino acids besides whey. Organic eggs are good and important sources of protein, which are best eaten raw in a shake. Boiled or fried they lose a little of their biological value.
With a small blender you can mix a healthy nutrient-rich shake with freshly squeezed orange juice, a banana, a tablespoon of coconut and two eggs. In addition to eggs, fish is also a high-quality source of protein that supports muscle building. Just two fish meals a week are enough to cover the need for high-quality protein.
Walnuts, Brazil nuts, almonds and many other nuts are good sources of protein and also contain other important nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, iron and selenium.Beans are representative of many pulses and are very rich in protein and therefore contribute to optimal muscle growth. Combined with whole rice, for example, such a dish provides the body with all the essential amino acids. Beans also contain slowly digestible carbohydrates and zinc, as well as dietary fiber.
Since zinc deficiency can inhibit muscle growth, one should always make sure to eat enough zinc-containing foods such as beans.
- Water is one of the most important factors when it comes to muscle building. Muscle tissue consists of almost 80% water and is therefore a staple food, especially for muscle building.
Therefore you should always drink enough or take water through other foods such as vegetables and fruit.
- Organic free-range eggs contain the highest concentration of essential amino acids besides whey. Organic eggs are a good and important source of protein and are best eaten raw in a shake. Boiled or fried they lose a little of their biological value.
With a small blender you can mix a healthy nutrient-rich shake with freshly squeezed orange juice, a banana, a tablespoon of coconut and two eggs.
- Besides egg, fish is also a high-quality source of protein that supports muscle building. Just two fish meals a week are enough to cover the need for high-quality protein.
- Walnuts, Brazil nuts, almonds and many other nuts are good sources of protein and also contain other important nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, iron and selenium.
- Beans are representative of many pulses and are very rich in protein and therefore contribute to optimal muscle growth. Combined with whole rice, for example, such a dish provides the body with all the essential amino acids.
Beans also contain slowly digestible carbohydrates and zinc, as well as dietary fiber. Since zinc deficiency can inhibit muscle growth, one should always make sure to eat enough zinc-containing foods such as beans.
Oats is a cereal with a well-balanced amino acid profile and is therefore relevant for muscle building. Oats can be used to prepare a porridge and garnish it with fruit, giving you a satisfying, high-quality breakfast.
Peanut butter is often considered a fattening agent and is not to everyone’s taste. However, it is rich in protein and healthy fats, while at the same time it has relatively few carbohydrates. A high-quality slice of spelt bread with organic peanut butter supplies the muscles with many amino acids.
In addition to a good amino acid profile, quinoa contains other valuable nutrients such as B vitamins, iron and magnesium. Furthermore, quinoa has a good depot of unsaturated fatty acids. Spinach is not only a muscle maker for Popeye, but also a good vegetable to nourish the muscles.
The mitochondria in our muscle cells need the nitrates and nitric oxide contained in spinach to work effectively. Broccoli is a very healthy and nutritious vegetable, with a fairly high protein content (3.2 grams per 100 grams of broccoli) and very few carbohydrates. On the other hand, broccoli contains many vitamins and antioxidants that protect the muscles.
Berries come in different varieties, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, currants, etc. All berries have high levels of antioxidants and vitamins, which are important for muscle growth and general health. Lupins are legumes and therefore very rich in proteins.
However, unlike other pulses, lupines do not contain purines and therefore contain particularly good protein. Hemp protein is particularly popular with fitness athletes because it contains a lot of vitamin B2. This vitamin plays an important role in the formation of new muscles, but it is also very important for eyes and skin.
Hemp contains 20 to 24 % protein, which covers the complete range of amino acids. Especially the branched-chain amino acids are especially important for the growth and repair of muscles and are therefore always urgently needed. Besides hemp protein, rice protein is another high-quality source of protein.
The digestibility of rice protein is very good, similar to that of breast milk, so there are no problems even with a sensitive stomach. In addition, rice protein supplies the body with vitamins from the B-complex and thus supports the absorption of the protein.Protein blends have the great advantage that all amino acids are included and especially the otherwise rarer amino acids L-valine, L-isoleucine and L-leucine are contained in increased amounts. This has a particularly positive effect on muscle building.
A mixture of pea, hemp and cranberry protein is for example offered as Sunwarrior Blend.
- Oats is a cereal with a well-balanced amino acid profile and is therefore relevant for muscle building. Oats can be used to prepare a porridge and garnish it with fruit, giving you a satisfying, high-quality breakfast.
- Peanut butter is often considered a thickener and is not to everyone’s taste.
However, it is rich in protein and healthy fats, while at the same time it has relatively few carbohydrates. A high-quality slice of spelt bread with organic peanut butter supplies the muscles with many amino acids.
- Quinoa contains a good amino acid profile and other valuable nutrients such as B vitamins, iron and magnesium. Furthermore, quinoa has a good depot of unsaturated fatty acids.
- Spinach is not only a muscle-maker for Popeye, but also a good vegetable to nourish the muscles.
The mitochondria in our muscle cells need the nitrates and nitric oxide contained in spinach to work effectively.
- Broccoli is a very healthy and nutritious vegetable with a high protein content (3.2 grams per 100 grams of broccoli) and very few carbohydrates. On the other hand, broccoli contains many vitamins and antioxidants that protect the muscles.
- Berries come in different varieties, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, currants, etc. All berries have high levels of antioxidants and vitamins, which are important for muscle growth and general health.
- Lupins are legumes and therefore very rich in protein.
However, unlike other pulses, lupines do not contain purines and therefore contain particularly good protein.
- Hemp protein is particularly popular with fitness athletes because it contains a lot of vitamin B2. This vitamin plays an important role in the new formation of muscles, but it is also very important for eyes and skin. Hemp contains 20 to 24 % protein, which covers the complete range of amino acids.
Especially the branched-chain amino acids are especially important for the growth and repair of muscles and are therefore always urgently needed.
- Besides hemp protein, rice protein is another high-quality source of protein. The digestibility of rice protein is very good, similar to that of breast milk, so there are no problems even with a sensitive stomach. In addition, rice protein supplies the body with vitamins from the B-complex and thus supports the absorption of the protein.
- Protein blends have the great advantage that all amino acids are included and especially the otherwise rarer amino acids L-valine, L-isoleucine and L-leucine are contained in increased amounts. This has a particularly positive effect on muscle building. A mixture of pea, hemp and cranberry protein is for example offered as Sunwarrior Blend.
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