The benefits of muscle growth and how to achieve it
11 Sep 2022

The benefits of muscle growth and how to achieve it

3 mins to read
Having strong muscles supports our bodies in many ways including our bones, posture, balance and even weight. Read more to discover how you can achieve muscle growth and its benefits.


What is muscle growth

Muscle is harder to build and maintain as we age. For men, this is due to lower testosterone levels and in women it is due to lower estrogen, both hormones that help build muscle.

In fact, most of us start losing muscle around age 30. Physically inactive people are at particular risk and can experience anywhere from a 3 to 8% loss of lean muscle mass every decade after that.

However if you keep physically active from this age onwards, there is still the ability to build muscle.

Where to seek help about muscle growth

After speaking with your doctor, you may wish to seek assistance from a physiotherapist, exercise scientist, personal trainer who can help ensure you do each exercise correctly. A qualified dietitian can help with your meal plans to achieve your muscle growth goals.

Why grow muscle?

For an athlete, building muscle can be important for strength and performance or it might be an aesthetic goal.

It’s important as we age to build muscle to build muscle or we just lose it.

    Some other common reasons why a person may find it hard to gain weight include:
  • Genetically thin: A person’s build depends largely on genetic factors, which is why it is difficult for a naturally thin person to put on weight.
  • Not eating enough
  • Having a very physically active lifestyle or job
  • Overexercising

Benefits of building lean muscle

Men and women over 50 need lean muscle to maintain muscle strength, bone strength, and to stabilize the joints, which may reduce injuries.

  • Support bone health
  • Supports joint flexibility
  • Improved balance, which may help reduce falls
  • Weight control
  • Improved posture
  • Boosted self-confidence and body image
  • Help with sleep

How does muscle growth occur?

Gaining lean body weight is a slow process that can take months and years, through weight training and increase in certain foods.

Muscle mass is influenced by an variety of factors including genetics, training and nutrition. If all are optimised, gains of 0.25-0.5 kg per week may be possible initially, but this will depend on genetics and training history. Gaining weight more quickly than this can lead to a simultaneous increase in fat mass.

When someone starts a fitness program, there will be initial strength gains, that tend to be dramatic and quick.

After the first three months of strength training, muscle gain is much slower. When you reach this plateau, is when the increase in strength and muscle mass can become challenging.

Resistance training

The best means to build muscle mass, no matter your age, is progressive resistance training (PRT). Resistance training promotes muscle growth, with activities that work the major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, chest, abdomen, shoulders and arms).

Examples of muscle strengthening activities include lifting weights, using resistance bands and doing push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups and some types of yoga. Even everyday activities such as carrying groceries, playing with your kids and gardening can strengthen muscles.

With PRT, you gradually increase your workout volume, such as the weight, reps or sets. This constant challenging builds muscle and keeps you away from plateaus in muscle growth.

Train just two or three times per week as muscle growth requires rest and recovery. Choose compound exercises that work multiple major muscle groups, for example, the squat and bench press. Make your workouts short and intense rather than long and leisurely.

Nutrition

Quality foods are important to support health muscle gain. If concerned about gaining extra body fat, gradually increase in energy intake in small increments until desirable results are achieved.

Protein

Muscle is made of protein and water, which is why lean protein in the diet is so important for muscle building. Protein should make up 10 to 35% of total calories for adults. While you're working to build muscle with physical activity, your needs may be on the higher end of this range. The body can only use a relatively small amount of protein at any one time. Spreading your protein over the day can achieve a positive protein balance, promoting muscle growth.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates play an important role in fuelling your muscles to power your workouts. Carbs are partially converted to glycogen, which is a form of energy stored in muscles.

Ensure the carbohydrates you consume are high quality sources of dietary fibre, such as whole-grain breads and cereals. Many dairy products, including low fat milk and yogurt, also provide carbohydrates while lower in saturated fat. Fruits and vegetables also are good options.

Fat

Fat is a source of energy to muscles during some types of activity. Focus on sources of heart-healthy fats, including vegetable oils, like olive oil and canola oil and avocados. Nuts and fatty fish such as salmon, herring, sardines and trout, which are all good sources of protein, also provide healthier types of fat.

Nutrition tips:

  • Eat three good meals every day, giving yourself slightly larger serves if you can.
  • If you have a small appetite, eat five to six times a day.
  • Avoid eating huge amounts of protein as part of a high protein diet. It won’t make your muscles grow faster and will put unnecessary pressure on your body, especially your kidneys.
  • Avoid high-fat junk foods. Instead, choose nutritious high-fat foods such as avocado or nuts.
  • Top your foods with some concentrated calories, like grated cheese. Spread peanut or almond butter on a wholegrain muffin.
  • Prepare cereal with milk, not water.
  • Dress your salads with healthy oils such as olive oil, avocados, nuts and sunflower seeds.

Top tips for muscle growth

  • To help boost motivation, keep a diary to monitor your kilojoule intake and training schedule.
  • Make sure your goals are realistic. An increase of a few kilos may take a year to achieve, as muscle growth takes time.
  • Eat more energy-dense snacks and drink to increase your energy intake without having to significantly increase the volume of food you’re eating
  • Eat quality carbohydrates before and after training sessions to fuel the session for optimal training intensity and prevent muscle breakdown


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