Getting the most out of your gym sessions is about more than just having the perfect routine. Most importantly, you need to think carefully about how you fuel your fitness ambitions, and that means tagging in the right ingredients every meal to ensure you’re firing on all cylinders. Fortunately, there are plenty of foods that can not only help you build muscle and add strength but also speed up your recovery to minimise downtime between sets and sessions.
Ready to load up your plate to lighten the load at the gym? Start eating these:
1. Chicken Breasts
There’s a reason this choice cut features in every gym bro’s meal plan. Your typical serving will usually pack more than 25g of protein. But that’s not all fowl play has to offer: a single portion of chicken breast will net you an abundance of B vitamins. These vital vits have been shown to help improve your performance under the rack and can help max out your muscle gain.
Extended Shelflife: research has shown that tucking into a high-protein feast after you work up a sweat may even help you burn more fat.
2. Tuna
This ingredient is an epic muscle-builder in a tin. Mix it up in a salad or layer it between two slabs of whole wheat bread for a flavourful way to slap on strength. While it falls slightly short of chicken’s 25g protein payload, a single portion will still get you around 20g of the macro.
READ MORE: Nutritionists Reveal the Biggest Weight Loss Myths They’ve Ever Heard
More importantly, not only does tuna contain a cascade of B vits (like B12 and B6), but it’s also a great source of vitamin A. This nutrient helps with growth, bolsters your immune system and can keep your vision sharp.
3. Greek Yoghurt
Whether you’re having oats for breakfast or whipping up a sauce for your dinner, spoon this on liberally. Low in calories, Greek yoghurt contains the amino acid leucine which is vital to muscle growth and recovery. Why? At high levels, it can help trigger the muscle-building mechanisms in your cells.
Extended Shelflife: a healthy gut isn’t just important for your digestive system, it can also improve your mood and help ward off depression. Greek yoghurt serves up generous portions of probiotics to help keep your tract on track.
4. Avos
They’re the go-to shmear for anyone armed with a slice of toast, but you should bring this green fruit to the table as often as possible. Avocados contain an antioxidant known as glutathione which can help neutralise excess free radicals resulting from gruelling workout seshes. The benefit? Eating avos might protect your muscle cells, speeding up recovery and minimising fatigue.
5. Cottage Cheese
This low-cal ingredient contains around 30g of protein per 250g serving. But it’s not the only trick up its sleeve: just like Greek yoghurt, you’re also getting top-ups of the amino acid, leucine, which has muscle-building properties.
READ MORE: The New Age of Nutrition: Why AI Will Change How You Eat
Extended Shelflife: one study found that guys eating a high-protein diet including foods like cottage cheese dropped 2.8kg on average over a year. Tuck in.
6. Yellow Split Peas
Building muscle isn’t just a meat-focused endeavour. If you prefer to get your protein from greener pastures, whip a batch of this muscle-building hero. Containing a great balance of essential amino acids, daily portions can help increase growth, repair damaged tissue and expedite your recovery. Bonus: you’ll also be snagging plenty of fibre.
7. Beans
Not a fan of peas? Try beans. From black beans to kidney beans, it’s dealers choice as most varieties boast similar benefits. A typical 180g portion can snag you north of 15g protein and you’ll also bag fibre, B vits, magnesium and iron with every morsel.
Extended Shelflife: research has shown that meeting your daily reqs for magnesium can ramp up your bone density and lower your risk of osteoporosis.
8. Lean Beef
We’ve all been warned away from red meat, but in moderation, a few servings of lean cuts can double down on your efforts in the gym. Besides a smorgasbord of vital nutrients (B vits, creatine, you name it) chowing beef can also increase your muscle gain, according to research.
READ MORE: The Healthy Chicken Wing Recipe You’ll Never Grow Tired Of
Extended Shelflife: you might already be taking creatine in supplement form, but red meat is a practical way to increase your intake. This nutrient helps your skeletal muscles flex and ensures that your fibres are getting a steady supply of energy during your workouts. It can also help increase muscle growth.
9. Oats
Your morning oats are doing more than just giving you the energy to confront your commute. They’re a healthy source of carbs which is exactly what you need to fuel your muscles for your workouts. Studies have also found that the insulin released when you wolf down a bowl can help ensure your muscle cells are getting a much-needed delivery of amino acids.
