Indeed, something that everyone knows is that dedicating yourself to training is extremely important for anyone who wants to gain muscle mass.
However, in addition to training well to build muscle mass, it is also necessary to follow a quality diet focused on muscle hypertrophy and maintain healthy habits.
But care cannot stop there. Besides all this, paying attention and avoiding some mistakes that can hinder mass muscle gain is essential. Meet some of them:
Do Not Consume Carbs Post-Workout
Some people don’t like to consume carbs post-workout. One of the justifications they give is that they are looking to dry and define their muscles. So, they end up consuming only protein after training.
However, post-workout is precisely the ideal time to consume a high glycemic index carbohydrate alongside high biological value protein.
That’s because high glycemic index carbohydrates are those that the body absorbs faster and generates a spike in insulin. Post workout helps transport protein of high biological value to muscle cells.
Tapioca, honey, and banana are some examples of high glycemic carbohydrates for post-workout. After training, high biological value proteins that can be part of the meal include egg whites, chicken breast, tuna, and supplements such as whey and albumin.
Get Too Little Sleep
It is essential to always go to bed simultaneously, sleep at least seven or eight hours a night, and have good quality sleep without interruptions.
Sleeping well is valuable for anyone looking to gain muscle mass because growth hormone (GH) is released during sleep, which is essential for muscle building. GH production usually occurs during the deep sleep phase.
During this deep sleep cycle, processes such as brain activity, learning, and muscle repair are at their highest level.
Consuming A Lot Of Alcohol
It’s one thing to drink moderately and socially once on the weekend. Another very different and problematic one is to consume alcohol several times a week or ingest a considerable amount in a single night.
A little while ago, we talked about the importance of sleep for muscle mass gain. Did you know that alcoholic beverages disrupt all sleep cycles, including deep ones? The impact that alcohol brings to sleep still generates hormonal imbalances.
But that’s not all: alcohol also slows down the metabolism and hinders protein synthesis, a process that occurs to repair and develop muscle tissue.
It is worth remembering that the muscles undergo stress during exercises and suffer micro-injuries. Protein synthesis is the process of protein formation, the raw material for muscle building.
Although some people try to combine a protein source with alcohol consumption, this does not lessen the adverse effects of alcohol on muscle growth. To minimize the impact of alcohol consumption on muscle development, the tip is to do it as far away from training time as possible.
The estimate is that to gain muscle mass, a person needs to consume 500 calories above their total energy value (TEV), the number of calories they usually ingest in a day.
But be careful because, on the other hand, consuming many more calories than you spend can lead to weight gain and fat accumulation. Therefore, it is essential to know your daily caloric expenditure according to your level of physical activity.
Not Paying Attention To The Quality Of Food
The quantity is necessary, but the quality of the food is also essential when it comes to gaining muscle mass.
During the bulking phase (weight gain and muscle mass), you need to increase your calorie consumption. You cannot mistake ingesting calories without nutritional value, which are called empty calories.
Consuming exaggerated portions of pizza, hamburgers, ice cream, and other fast-food and industrialized products is not advisable.
The ideal to gain muscle mass and keep the body healthy is a balanced diet. Get the calories you need through high biological value proteins, low glycemic index carbohydrates throughout the day, high glycemic index post-workout, good fats, and lots of vegetables and fruits.
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