Best Foods for Building Muscle

While muscle-building foods can provide the right balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fat, the impact of nutrient partitioning is less well understood—how the body decides whether calories from these nutrients should be burned for energy, stored as fat, or used What about building new muscle tissue? The ultimate fate of these calories depends heavily on genetic factors, but also has a lot to do with various lifestyle factors. Things like the frequency and intensity of exercise and the quality of your diet (micronutrient intake) regulate important hormones in your body, such as cortisol, testosterone and insulin. Nutritional deficiencies can cause more than just trouble calculating calories; for example, low vitamin E can cause cramps and weakness in your legs, while low vitamin A can cause nausea, dizziness, pain in your muscles and joints, and even loss of balance. You may already be eating some of the foods below regularly, and others may surprise you but trust us, all of them will help you build muscle.

Muscle Building Foods

If you're looking for shortcuts, muscle-building foods are just what you need! Fill your cart now with our picks of the best muscle-building foods.

1. Whole eggs

These golden spheres contain high amounts of the amino acid leucine, which is essential for muscle recovery after exercise. Whole eggs in particular are considered a powerhouse of biomolecule synthesis. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that eating whole eggs after a workout caused a 40% greater muscle-building response than eating egg whites alone.

2. Salmon (also known as salmon)

Salmon not only provides a complete protein (around 20 grams per 100 grams), but it is also rich in the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, which optimize nutrient distribution by reducing inflammation. A Harvard study found that omega-3s improve insulin sensitivity, thereby reducing the amount of insulin floating around in the blood. This is a good thing because insulin promotes fat storage. Also, try to avoid reheating salmon in your office microwave.

3. Soybeans

If you aim to build lean, green muscle, soy is your most reliable choice. Unlike other plant proteins, these little legumes contain all nine essential amino acids, making them an essential vegan food. Tofu, tempeh and most vegetarian alternatives are made from soybeans and contain about 36 grams of edible protein per 100 g.

4. Pineapple

Fruit is not a target food for bodybuilding, but pineapples can be an exception. This is the only food known to contain bromine, an enzyme that digests protein. Fun fact: Pineapples are generally unsafe to eat because bromelain digests the skin inside your mouth. Plus, its anti-inflammatory properties help relieve pain, tenderness, and swelling after exercise.

5. Greek yogurt

Greek yoghurt is not only rich in fast-digesting whey protein and slow-digesting casein protein, totalling about 10g per 100 grams, but it is also a source of vitamin D, which helps the body absorb calcium and phosphorus. Calcium is essential for muscle contraction, while phosphorus is essential for creating ATP, the form of energy used by the body. According to research from Baylor University, a blend of whey and casein is the best combination for building lean body mass.

6. Garlic

Your biceps will thank you even if your coworkers don't. l. In a study published in the Journal of Nutrition, garlic was shown to increase testosterone and decrease cortisol in rats fed a high-protein diet. Why is this so? This has to do with a compound in garlic called allicin, which reduces the "stress hormones" pumped around your body. Cortisol competes with testosterone in your muscle cells, so reducing stress leads to better muscle-building results.

7. Turkey meat

Turkey meat contains 29g of protein per 100g and is another great source of macronutrients. Researchers at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Michigan, USA, say turkey meat is also rich in zinc, which is necessary for synthesising biomolecules and helps the body maintain healthy testosterone levels.

8. Kidney Beans

Beans are higher in carbohydrates and are often overlooked because of their close cousins. However, these fibrous foods are essential for a healthy gut—you rely on them to absorb the nutrients, minerals, and other things your body needs to build lean muscle. With roughly 8g of protein (and about 10g of fibre) per 100 grams, kidney beans have the highest content. Consume them in conjunction with whole grains, like brown rice, to create a complete protein.

9. Fish

Affordable and adaptable, tuna provides you with powerful muscle-building benefits with about 25g of protein per 100g, along with the added benefit of those vital omega-3 fatty acids.  However, please don't use it as your only diet as this could result in unfavourable side effects like mercury poisoning.

10. Lean Beef

Beef has gained popularity as a food to help build muscle in recent years. It can give you enough energy for physical activity, but remember that you should only consume it occasionally. Lean beef is high in zinc and has 26 grams of protein per 100g or roughly the size of a hamburger patty. This nutrient may speed up your body's recuperation from exercise and is necessary for the synthesis of testosterone.

11. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

This Mediterranean staple also has some unnoticed muscle-building advantages. The monounsaturated fats in olive oil stimulate the production of proteins required for muscle growth and prevent their tissue from breaking down. It increases muscle sensitivity to insulin, allowing muscles to utilize glucose, amino acids, and other nutrients optimally. Researchers at Japan's Kobe Women's University say olive oil also contains oleuropein—a phenolic compound that causes white fat cells to act like brown fat cells.

12. Cheese

Cheese is known to digest slowly, which is why many prefer to eat it right before bed. It contains casein. Because sleep repairs your muscles. After a few hours, the fasting kicks in and your body begins to break down muscle to use for energy. Cheese continues to release amino acids throughout the night. Combined with 15g of protein and 85 calories per 100 grams, this is a muscle-building food choice.

13. Oysters

Now let us provide you with some pearls of wisdom. Oysters may not be the most famous muscle-building food, but with 20 grams of protein per 100 grams (and only 5g of fat), their nutritional profile is impressive. Oysters have eight times more iron and nearly fifty times more zinc than chicken—about 5.3 mg per medium-sized mollusc.

14. Protein Powder

Pack a shake with whey, which naturally contains all 20 amino acids, for easily digestible protein. Plant-based substitutes are also a good choice; a study published in the journal EC Nutrition found that when it came to muscle rebuilding, substituting whey protein for rice protein had the same effects.

15. Broccoli

Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli contain compounds that block the production of estrogen, the main female sex hormone you'll learn about in sixth-grade science, and compounds similar to estrogen. Broccoli is also rich in zinc, which you'll remember helps boost testosterone levels. Hate broccoli?  Alternative vegetables include kale, bean sprouts, cauliflower, bok choy or cabbage.

16. Quinoa

Quinoa is one of the few plant-based foods that contains all 9 essential amino acids, plus fibre, magnesium, B vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin E, potassium, iron, and the list goes on. There are about 5 grams of protein per 100g of cooked quinoa. Plant seeds like this are nice.

17. Freshwater Algae

Yes, algae. You may be familiar with spirulina and chlorella, bright-coloured freshwater algae. You'll usually find them in those over-the-top smoothie bowls on Instagram. We usually hate to say this, but influencers are already taking action this time. In addition to being packed with countless vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants (more nutrient-dense per gram than kale, spinach, and broccoli), chlorella and spirulina are complete sources of protein, accounting for 50% of kale, spinach, and broccoli. % to 60% protein, while chlorella and spirulina account for about 65% to 70% protein, which is far more than the gummy vitamins advertise.

18. Almonds

As snacks go, almonds are one of the friendliest muscle-building foods. According to research published in the journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine, they are rich in vitamin E, which is essential for repairing exercise-induced cell damage. One meal (23 almonds, to be exact) contains 35% of the RDA as well as 6g of protein.

19. Buckwheat

Don’t let the name fool you, buckwheat has nothing to do with wheat. It is more similar to quinoa. As a plant-based complete protein, buckwheat contains 13 grams of manganese, magnesium, niacin, zinc, phosphorus, folic acid and vitamin B6 per 100 grams.

20. Pork Tenderloin

Pork tenderloin is the boneless meat from the pork loin to the shoulder. It contains 21 grams of protein and 4 grams of fat and is the leanest and most tender part of the animal because the muscles here are used for posture rather than movement. One serving of pork tenderloin contains about one-third of your daily requirement of vitamin B2, which is essential for breaking down protein, fat and carbohydrates.

21. Chicken Breast

The classic bodybuilding skinless, cooked chicken breast (about 175g) contains about 55g of complete protein and about 2 grams of saturated fat, making it leaner than chicken thighs. It's also high in selenium, which protects cells from free radical damage caused by exercise.

22. Apple Cider Vinegar

Another health trend that's worth trying is consuming apple cider vinegar before meals, which can improve insulin sensitivity by up to 34 per cent, say researchers at Arizona State University. He prescribed the participants to take a supplement of four teaspoons of vinegar to eight teaspoons of water. We recommend adding a little plain honey as well, as it's not the tastiest of foods.

23. Beets

Are beets the muscle-building food you're missing? According to research published in the Journal of Nutrition and Dietetics, eating two medium-sized beets an hour and fifteen minutes before exercise can improve exercise performance, reduce perceived exertion and reduce the amount of oxygen needed to complete your workout. This means you can perform intensive training sessions for longer periods.