While a low-carb, high-protein diet may help you shed pounds, it is not the optimal nutritional plan for packing on muscle.
A low-carb, high-protein diet is prevalent. However, your nutritional needs when your goal is to build muscle may differ from those when you are trying to lose weight. Carbohydrates and protein are needed for muscular growth and health. As with any diet plan, consult with a dietitian or healthcare provider before embarking on a new nutrition regimen.
How to Build Muscle
Your body builds muscle in response to progressive overload, states the American Council on Exercise. In other words, when you consistently lift heavier weights over time, you add power to your frame as your body adapts to the extra work you ask it to perform. For muscle growth to occur, you must provide your body with the building blocks to pack on muscle and the fuel it needs to power the process. If your diet lacks sufficient protein – the building blocks – or carbohydrates – the energy – you may not be able to build the vast muscles you would like.
The Role of Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates in your diet offer energy for all bodily functions. When you are in the process of building muscle, your body requires extra fuel beyond its everyday needs. Additionally, lifting weights is hard work. To maximize your muscles’ ability to lift heavy weights, you must keep your muscles well-supplied with fuel. Registered dietitian Nancy Clark recommends eating carbs before your workout to supply your muscles with energy. Then, after your workout, you can replenish your spent energy stores and allow your muscles the optimal environment for repairing and rebuilding. However, a low-carb diet may not permit you to fuel your muscles properly when your goal is to gain muscle mass.
Protein Needs
The bulk of your muscles consists of protein. Eating enough protein ensures your body can build muscle; however, more is not necessarily better. While your protein requirement when packing on power may be higher than when your goal is to maintain your current muscle mass, a low-carb, high-protein diet likely provides more protein than you need. The protein you consume more than your body needs is either burned as fuel or converted to fat stores.
Lift Heavy
Without sufficient resistance training, your body will not build muscle no matter what diet plan you choose. Instead, incorporate an exercise plan to lift progressively heavier weights to see gains in muscle mass. Also, if your low-carb, high-protein diet is too low in calories, you may not increase your muscle size because your body needs more calories to grow muscle.
A low-carb, high-protein diet is prevalent.
However, your nutritional needs when your goal is to build muscle may differ. Carbohydrates and protein are needed for muscular growth and health. Consult with a dietitian or healthcare provider before embarking on a new nutrition regimen. A low-carb, high-protein diet likely provides more protein than you need.
The protein you consume more than your body needs is either burned as fuel or converted to fat stores. Incorporate an exercise plan to lift progressively heavier weights to see gains in muscle mass.
