Six Common Diet Mistakes to Avoid for Faster Muscle Growth

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Building muscle (hypertrophy) is critical in strength gain and athletic performance as well as good health in the long run. However, many of these people do not witness any positive changes because of the following nutritional mistakes.

Top 6 Nutrition Mistakes That Could Stall Your Muscle gain

Breakdown of those errors and how to correct them for optimal muscle growth (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Protein Intake For Optimal Muscle Maintenance

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1. Not Eating Enough Protein

Protein has been considered a kingpin in muscle repair and building. Protein is essential for any human body hence if you do not supply your body with adequate proteins, the body cannot build or even maintain muscles.

How to Fix It:

Ensure you eat 0.5 to 0.8 gram of protein per pound of your body weight per day and spread across different meals. Use quality protein foods like lean meats, dairy products, eggs, beans, nuts and seeds.

2. Eating Too Few Calories

Muscle mass buildup comes with the need for a caloric intake. Eating less than you require to burn in a day means that your body will have to pull energy from your muscles rather than building them up.

How to Fix It:

Monitor the number of calories you take and try to avoid taking less calories than you burn. To know your RDA, you might use apps or even consult with a registered dietitian.

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3. Not Consuming Enough Carbs

Carbohydrates provide energy for intense workouts, which is your body's main source of energy. Deficiency of carbohydrates causes decline in performance, slow rate of recovery, and they also limit muscle growth (2^✔ ✔Trusted Source
The Effect of Carbohydrate Intake on Strength and Resistance Training Performance: A Systematic Review

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How to Fix It:

Take complex carbohydrates in the form of whole grain foods, potatoes, oats and fruits. Carb consumption depends on your activity, so for bodybuilders the carbs must range from 1.4-3.4gm per pound of their body weight per day.

4. Inadequate Hydration

The lack of water affects muscular performance and its ability to recover decreasing exercise endurance and outcome (3^✔ ✔Trusted Source
How Much Water Do You Need?

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How to Fix It:

Take minimum eight glasses of water daily and add a glass for every thirty minutes of activity. For instance, if one is of 140 pounds, one should take not less than 70 ounces of water. Introduce water soluble foods such as watermelon and cucumbers.

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5. Skipping Healthy Fats

Healthy fats are essential for the synthesis of hormones, including testosterone, which is very essential for muscle mass development. Fats should not be completely avoided since failing to do so may cause different problems and slow down results (4^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Resistance Training and injury Prevention

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How to Fix It:

Include such natural fats from avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil, fatty fish including salmon among others foods to be taken.

6. Neglecting Post-Workout Nutrition

Muscles are also more susceptible to nutrients after working out, which makes this the right time to start the recovery process (5^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Exercise and the Heart

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How to Fix It:

There is a list of foods and nutrients to have within 1-2 hours after your workout: Protein-Carbohydrates. For busy people, it will be appropriate to take protein shakes and whole-grain sandwiches for instance.

Therefore, failure to observe proper nutrition pitfalls such as insufficient protein, carbs, calories and water, and eating healthy fats and post workout meals can hugely improve muscle build up. That means if you balance your diet together with regular exercises you will be in a good position to achieve your fitness goals.