GAIN MUSCLE

A lot of people want to gain muscles at the same time as they reduce the fat percentage; this is very difficult since reducing the fat percentage requires a negative energy balance (the use of energy has to be higher than the intake) while gaining muscle requires a positive energy balance (the use of energy has to be less than the intake). If you want both you should plan your training so you have the time to reduce the fat percentage after gaining the muscle mass.

The significance of the training

To achieve an increased muscle mass it is important to follow an optimal strength-training program at the same time as you keep a diet filled with energy and varied nutrients. Studies investigating what happens to our body in a period with increased intake of energy shows that 30-40% of the increased weight is constituted by muscle if we do not train strength. The studies show that if we train strength regularly during the same period, 75-100% of the increased weight is an increase of the muscle mass depending on earlier training experience. This shows how the strength training is crucial to improve the increase of the muscle mass. If all the factors are optimized it would be possible to achieve an increased muscle mass of about 20% in an untrained person within a year. If you have been training for several years you cannot expect more than a 1-3% increase of the muscle mass in the same time, although this depends on earlier experience – kind of training background and also the genetically potential to gain muscle mass.

The significance of the diet

The energy intake has to be adapted to be able to gain muscle mass. During a period wanting to gain muscles you should be in a positive energy balance of about 300 – 500 kcal. a day. This might offer problems if you train a lot and often or because of the work; lack of time to prepare and eat sufficiently and reduced appetite because of the hard training and/or the stress. Esay solutins for this might be having snacks and beverage with high levels of energy. Some adiveces on how to increase the intake of energy:
Eat frequently. Try to have 3-4 main meals with 2-3 snacks in-between during the day.
Drink beverages filled with energy. It is easier to drink something than to have something solid, also if you have problems with the intestines.
Avoid food with a lot of fibres, this makes you feel full and might make it harder to have enough food and maintain the frequency.
Plan your daily intake to make sure you have got everything available.

Protein

It is recommended to have an intake of about 0,8 grams per kg. body weight a day. If you are training hard this might increase to a need of about 1,2 – 2 gram per kg. body weight a day. It is a common belief that persons who train heavy strength or do high intensity activities need a very high intake of proteins (4 grams per kg. body weight a day) to achieve an increase in the muscle mass. Several studies show that an intake of proteins above 2 grams per kg. body weight a day do not influence or promote further development of the muscle mass; it just gets oxidized and used as energy. Normally thorough a healthy diet you should be able to cover the need for proteins, supplements might not be necessary unless there is an important deficit – in any case a nutritionist should analyze this before deciding whether it is necessary or not.
To create optimal circumstances for increasing the muscle mass each meal should contain a bit of protein. It is recommended to have a small meal about 1-2 hours before training, including both carbohydrates and proteins. Within 30 min. after the training session it is recommended to have a meal containing about 1 gram carbohydrate and 0,2 – 0,25 gram of proteins per kg. body weight. Thou source of proteins should be essential amino acids and the carbohydrates should have moderate/high glycemic index.  Apart from promoting the glycogen storage the carbohydrates are important to stimulate the segregation of  the hormone insulin, which has a constructive effect on the muscle tissue.. The intake of carbohydrates also prevents the breakdown of the muscles and make sure that the proteins taken are used in the process of repairing and rebuilding the muscle tissue.

Dietary supplements to increase the muscle mass?

There are loads of dietary supplements on market today, promising increased muscle mass. Unfortunately most of these products do not have the effect they promise as a part of their publicity. As an exception we have the restitution products (products combining carbohydrates and proteins in a relation of about 70/30), energy products, and creatine supplements. Energy products might help increase the energy intake in persons having problems eating enough and/or maintaining their weight. The combination products of carbohydrates and proteins can be used to improve the restitution and to give an anabolic effect after hard/long sessions and weight training sessions. These products might also be a perfect alternative if you do not have any appetite after training.
The creatine supplements increase the levels of creatine and phosphocreatine in the muscles and might give an increased power development in exercises with maximal intensity and short duration. Normally you will gain weight as you start taking creatine (1 – 3 kg), this is a natural consequence of an increased amount of liquids stored in the muscle tissue together with the increased levels of creatine/phosphocreatine. About 30% of the persons taking creatine do not respond to the supplement and thus do not achieve the expected effect.

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