Balanced diet naturally helps the construction and repairing of muscle fibers, includes proteins and amino acids, but essential vitamins as well. There are many vitamins which help the development of muscle tissue. Some vitamins also help faster muscle recovery after some strenuous exercise and other physical activities.
Vitamin A is essential for cell growth in many tissues, including muscles. Vitamin A can be found in food products including: meat, beef, chicken liver, cheese and whole milk and also in vegetable and fruit such as: carrots, kale, spinach, melon, apricot, peach and papaya.
B-complex vitamins are necessary for the metabolism of proteins. After water, proteins are the most common compound of the body and the main source of energy. Your body needs proteins to build and maintain muscle mass. B-complex vitamins include B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B6 (pyridoxine) and B12 (cobalamin), pantothenic acid and biotin.
These vitamins are water soluble, which means they are not stored in the body. B complex vitamins must be replenished every day. These vitamins can be found in red meat, beef, chicken, eggs, milk and in citrus fruits and leafy green vegetables as well.
Vitamin C not only helps healthy muscle grow, it also helps in faster injury recovery. Vitamin C helps the body create protein collagen, which is found in muscle tissue and is considered to be essential for wound healing. It also helps the body absorb iron, which is an essential mineral in bodybuilding. Iron helps muscles recover during hard training by providing oxygen. Vitamin C is found in citrus fruits, strawberries, kiwi, melon, red peppers, broccoli, tomatoes and potatoes.
Vitamin E has powerful antioxidant function in the body. This vitamin neutralizes harmful free radicals and protects cells from destruction. Vitamin E is important for the growth and recovery of muscle cells. Diets with low intake of grains food products can easily cause vitamin E deficiency. Vitamin E can be found in grain food products, green leafy vegetables and vegetable oils such as sunflower and olive oil. Walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts are also a good source of vitamin E.
Vitamin D can be found in various food products, but our body produces vitamin D as well. This vitamin plays an important role in our body, but its most important role is regulating the absorption of minerals, such as calcium and phosphorus. Calcium is necessary for muscle contraction. Lack of calcium in muscles makes having hard and full muscle impossible. Calcium is necessary for bone development to withstand the increased muscle mass.
Phosphorus enables fast and strong muscle contraction during training, especially in exercises where weights are used. Milk, dairy products, cereals and fish are some of the food products rich in vitamin D. Drink at least one glass of low fat milk every day and try to make this a long-term rutine.