Sports nutrition for muscle definition

If you asked most people what they need to eat to build muscle, they would say protein. Protein is definitely important – after all, muscles are made of protein – but a healthy diet that provides you with plenty of micronutrients is also important. For example, the body cannot make collagen, its most abundant protein, without vitamin C.

Focusing on protein, experts recommend that sedentary people consume 0.8 g. protein per kilogram of body weight or 20 to 30 g. at each of their three meals. Those who have a more active life or exercise with weights should consume more. It has also been suggested that muscle protein synthesis increases only for 90-120 minutes after ingestion, before amino acid levels return to normal levels in the blood [1]. This has led to the conclusion that whey protein is one of the best proteins for building muscle because it is fast-acting – whey protein increases the levels of amino acids in the blood quickly after ingestion.

Diet and body sculpting

But building muscle does not always create a sculpted body. Many people sweat in the gym every day and gain volume. To achieve sculpting, you need to make a more specific diet that reduces body fat without adversely affecting your muscles.

Stripping requires loss of body fat while maintaining muscle mass. For this purpose, you should be in a negative energy balance, ie the calories you consume should be less than the ones you spend during the day. But there should be no negative balance in protein recycling. To maintain your muscles, the body must synthesize an equal amount of muscle protein that it breaks down daily. In other words, there has to be a protein balance – something called “nitrogen balance” because the protein is high in nitrogen.

Protein helps not only build muscle but also lose weight. A diet high in protein and low in calories helps you lose fat and maintain your muscle and bone mass. This has been seen in many studies and one of the most impressive was published in 2019 involving 96 people. One group followed a low-calorie meal plan for six months that included more than 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight. Participants in this group lost about 8 kg, most of which was fat (87%) and maintained their muscle and bone mass [2]. The other team lost almost no weight. The researchers provided the weight loss group with not only a high level of protein but also complete micronutrients, despite the reduced calories.

Vitamin C and other micronutrients

It is worth noting that micronutrients can be very important for maintaining muscle mass, something that the scientific literature has not yet sufficiently highlighted. However, a recent study showed that older people who consume enough vitamin C have more skeletal muscle mass [3]. In addition to being essential for collagen production, vitamin C neutralizes certain types of free radicals. It has been suggested that free radicals contribute to muscle destruction. If this is indeed the case, other micronutrients may also contribute to muscle maintenance because they provide antioxidant protection, but it is possible that there are other mechanisms by which they work, e.g. enhancing the expression of certain genes. For example, there is evidence that adequate calcium intake helps with weight loss.

How do I achieve a muscle definition?

The bottom line is that in order to lose body fat while maintaining your muscle, and thus achieving a definition, you need to follow a healthy diet high in protein, which creates a negative energy balance. In particular, note that whey protein enhances the release of hormones that reduce appetite and increase satiety, making one feel fuller and protecting one from “snacking”. The calorie deficit will be covered by the body fat you will burn and it is exactly what you want to get a slim body.

Because you do not have to sacrifice micronutrients, the foods you cut out are the ones that provide “empty calories”, ie sugar, over-processed carbohydrates and alcohol. Also, many processed foods are stuffed with trans fats that only harm your health.

At Vita4you.gr you will find a great variety in whey proteins.

References

1. Muscle full effect after oral protein: time-dependent concordance and discordance between human muscle protein synthesis and mTORC1 signaling.
2. Effect of an Energy-Restricted, Nutritionally Complete, Higher Protein Meal Plan on Body Composition and Mobility in Older Adults With Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
3. Lower Dietary and Circulating Vitamin C in Middle- and Older-Aged Men and Women Are Associated with Lower Estimated Skeletal Muscle Mass.