Beefing Up: Do You Need Meat for Muscle Building?

One of the key factors that contribute to your muscle-building journey is your diet. For that, one of the most crucial things to consider is the amount of protein you consume on a daily basis. For most, meat is the only source of protein and confuses protein consumption with how much meat you eat. However, you should know that they are not the only source.

When you fully understand the science behind muscle-building, and how you can gain mass, you would see a significant improvement in your muscle-building journey. Moreover, you would be able to bulk up with a vegan bodybuilding diet!

Muscle Building – The Process

First and foremost, you must understand the process of muscle building. Muscle growth is called hypertrophy. The process gets its name due to the increase in a certain type of long protein (myofibrils). You can trigger this growth by working out. Moreover, with weightlifting, you can also stimulate this increase by damaging the muscle tissue on a small scale.

You should know that the damage caused to the muscle tissue is not what leads to hypertrophy. It is the process of muscle recovery that leads to it.

Muscle Damage – What should you know

When we exercise, our body goes through numerous changes. Also, minute muscle damage happens to be one of those. Furthermore, it leads to dehydration, an increase in temperature, along with a disruption to your cardiovascular and nervous system. Why? When the body is exercised, it is under stress. However, when you take the right diet, it ascertains that you recover from all these symptoms easily and effectively.

Moreover, there are a couple of other things that could help with muscle recovery such as drinking plenty of fluids, stretching, and taking rest. When your muscles rest after a workout, they repair and grow.

Plant-based Protein Sources

Proteins are the building block of muscle-building. However, you need to know that protein is a complex term that involves a variety of amino acids. Some of these amino acids are a must for your body. Your body cannot produce them on its own. As for the rest, they are non-essential. Also, your body can produce them as well. Therefore, it is necessary that the diet you take has all the essential acids your body is unable to produce on its own.

The reason why meat is considered a must for muscle growth is that it contains all these essential amino acids. Plant-based protein sources like beans and nuts do have it. Nonetheless, if you do some research and find a vegan good bodybuilding recipe you can make sure that your body gets it in the required amount.

There is buckwheat, soy, and quinoa that have all these amino acids. Soy happens to be the richest source of protein per portion size.

Other Nutrients Needed for Muscle Building

Protein is essential, but not the only thing that ensures muscle growth. Like many biological processes, this too is a complex balance:

There are some other important nutrients that you need for muscle growth:

B12

B12 helps with red blood cell production in the body. They help in bringing oxygen to the muscles. You will not find B12 in plant-based food items. You can have breakfast cereals and fortified yeast as they have high levels of B12.

Calcium

A common perception is that calcium deals with strong bones and teeth only. But calcium plays a crucial role in muscle growth. Calcium as actin and myosin that triggers muscle growth. When your body suffers from a lack of calcium, it begins to store more fat than it should. A good source of calcium is plant-based diets are dark and leafy green vegetables.

Iron

Irons help the body maintain its energy levels when you exercise. Iron assists with the repair process along with getting oxygen to the muscles. Again, as most people think of meat as the only source of protein, you can also have an adequate iron intake while on a plant-based diet. Kale, spinach and other leafy greens are good sources along with lentils, nuts, and seeds.

Vitamin C

With sufficient Vitamin C, the body can effectively absorb more iron. If you are taking your iron from a plant-based diet, then Vitamin 12 is more important. You would want efficient absorption of the iron. Plant-based diets contain a lot of vitamin C in the form of fruits or veggies.

Vitamin D

Although Vitamin D may not be as impactful as nutrients mentioned above. It has a role in muscle growth. Many people have a deficiency of Vitamin D and they are unaware of it. Sunlight is the best source of Vitamin D. Some regions do not get enough of it. Not many food items contain vitamin D in sufficient amounts. Only liver, oily fish, and red meat contain some amount of it. You can easily add a supplement of Vitamin D in your diet.

Muscle building with a Plant-based Diet

You can build muscle regardless if you are on a plant-based diet. All you have to do is some research along with careful meal planning. You must make sure that your nutrition is spread through your body all day long. When you eat five to six meals, instead of three, it can help you get closer to your goal.  When you switch to snacks that have high levels of protein or other vital nutrients ascertain that your intake is of sufficient level.  Seeds, nuts, pumpkin seeds, and pistachios are good for this.

Not that eating meat doesn’t bring you health benefits. Eating fish and poultry helps in decreasing the risk of heart disease and strokes. A plant-based diet could help you in improving your cholesterol and blood pressure.

The key is to eat a healthy and balanced diet that offers all the necessary nutrients to help your muscle-building journey. No matter if it is meat or not.  Along with diet and proper exercise regimen, there is something else that you can do for building muscle mass. Take steroids and supplements. And for that, there is no better option than Buy Steroids Online. It is an online steroid supplier that deals with genuine products. BSO ships throughout the U.S. You can rest assured to get genuine products only. BSO stocks both anabolic and oral steroids for sale in the U.S. From fat burners to testosterone boosters, from energy to weight supplements, BSO has it all. With guaranteed results, you can use these products to gain muscle mass and increase your stamina. Check out their product range now!