Proteins or carbohydrates? What makes muscles grow more

Achieve muscle growth or The development of muscle mass brings multiple benefits to the body, starting with the fact that it improves the quality of daily life and helps to have a stronger and more resistant body. For this, not only is exercise important, but diet is essential. AS: Are the Do proteins or carbohydrates help achieve this goal?

The reality is that almost all specialists recommend following a balanced diet, in which the incorporated macronutrients are adequate for the caloric expenditure that will be made during the day. That is to say that if you consume 1000 calories a day, the ideal would be to eat according to that average, without lacking nutrients and without excessive excesses, so that the reserves do not accumulate in the form of fat.

In general, even more so if you train daily, a balanced diet will contain carbohydrates; proteins and fats. It’s that one helps and complements the other. According to the Spanish Heart Foundation, carbohydrates “have an energy function that spares proteins and prevents the creation of ketone bodies”

“Glucose is the only source of energy for the brain. Carbohydrates are a storehouse and reserve of energy in the form of glycogen that is rapidly mobilized to generate glucose when needed. They have a protein-sparing effect,” they continued.

Proteins or carbohydrates? What makes muscles grow

The answer is… Both! There are a couple of statements to dispel (or question) in this sense, when talking about diets and muscles. The first is that you have to reduce carbohydrates to lose weight, and the other is that protein is the only thing that helps muscle growth.

These two rules are not entirely true (even if they have an irrefutable part), since both nutrients play an important role in body composition. It’s true that if you train To increase muscle mass you cannot do without a lot of protein. But it’s also true that your body will need a good amount of carbohydrates. How can it be?

Is that carbohydrates are the main source of energy or “fuel” of the organism, but they are not all the same nor do they have the same nutritional richness. They are divided into simple and complex. Some foods have the ability to provide a quick dose of energy and are present in all the food menus of the athletes’ organism, such as for example pasta, fruit or potatoes.

But there will be others who are.”prohibited“If what you want to gain is muscle, such as those cooked with refined flour, which are foods with a high caloric impact and little nutritional value. The ideal is to eat carbohydrates that also provide fiber and other nutrients, such as spinach or other vegetables.

Additionally, carbohydrates stimulate insulin, which is the hormone that stimulates insulin promotes the absorption of nutrients into the cells, which facilitates better assimilation of the protein into the muscles. This way you maximize your training.

Low-carb diets build up muscle glycogen, which is a primary source of fuel during training. If your body runs out of them, working muscles are forced to obtain the necessary energy from fatty acids. Yes, you can lose weight, but it won’t help the gaining process muscle mass.

Benefits of increasing muscle mass

• Avoid fractures.
• Increase metabolic rate.
• Gain quality of life.
• Improves posture.
• Reduces the risk of disability.
• Reduces the risk of heart failure and cancer.