Foods That Build Muscle - Vegetarian Foods That Build Muscle

Amazingly, being a vegetarian bodybuilder is really not as difficult as most of the people automatically assume it is. In several ways it may be easier because adhering to a real vegetarian diet takes a lot of restriction, focus and discipline, two things that will greatly help people in the gym.

Firstly people should define their terms because there are three basic groups of people who consider themselves vegetarians. Some of the health experts refer to these three groups as pseudo-vegetarians, meat vegetarians and vegetarians. The pseudo vegetarian people avoid beef, chicken and poultry but will sometimes eat fish and have no problem with other animal products. A meat vegetarian group of people avoids all meat. A complete vegetarian avoids any foods or products in general that contain any amount of animal product.

So if people want to be strong he or she does not need meat to build muscle. As long as people get enough protein, the meat free protein, and eat a well-balanced diet, they will be fine. If people are not convinced, should check out the website of some vegetarian body builders. If people can build muscle without dairy, then cutting back on meat will not hurt them a bit. Eggs are the perfect animal protein, supporting the protein needs of the body even better than beef. And it is the group of amino acids present in complete proteins that promote muscle growth.

Two handfuls of almonds a day can provide enough vitamin E to protect the body muscles from post-workout free radical damage, letting them recover and grow more quickly. Yogurts are the great dairy protein. Sugar-free low calorie yogurt with fruits provides enough protein and carbohydrates together to help avoid post-workout breakdown of protein - helping the muscles to grow faster. The mono fat component in olive oil lowers the amounts of muscle-degenerating protein found in the body. People can go for extra-virgin and eat it uncooked or can also sprinkle over their food.

Now the other factor is water. All the body functions work less efficiently when the body gets dehydrated. In a thirsty dehydrated body, protein is used at a slower rate to build muscle. While not technically any food stuff but water is vital. Vegetarian people face a challenge here because the most well known source of protein is meat. The Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score suggest, soy is equal to whey and superior to beef in protein content. Soy contains all 8 essential amino acids required by the body for growing and repairing muscles. Vegetarian people would be well-advised to consider soy as a primary protein source.

The really good news is that soy protein is also a fantastic source of glutamine which many bodybuilders already take in supplemental form. Soy is normally available in many different forms such as tofu, miso, and soy powder and soy milk. Soy milk is absolutely something to have on hand as it can be used to replace cow's milk in recipes, which will help expand the basic food options.

• Janny Raines
• 26/07/2009, 12:59 AM
• 0 Comments