What to Eat for Strong Muscles

To build and maintain strong muscles, you need more than just protein. These essential nutrients support your muscles now and for the long haul.

Listen up: Your muscles are hungry! They work for you day and night and need proper nutrition to perform their essential functions. With the right diet, you can progress in your workouts, avoid muscle atrophy as you age, and more.

Everyone should care about feeding their muscles. Muscles help with movement, posture, joint stability, and even heat production, which are important for everyone.

Most discussions about muscles and diet focus on protein because it stimulates growth. But building muscle mass is only part of the picture. Healthy, functional muscles require a well-rounded nutritional regimen that includes macronutrients, micronutrients, amino acids, probiotics, and prebiotics, among others.

Here are some key nutrients your muscles need for performance, recovery, and growth.

Protein

Every cell in the body contains protein. This macronutrient, composed of amino acids, plays many roles, from providing tissue structure to supporting metabolism. In your muscles, protein primarily repairs cells and creates new ones, which are vital for maintaining and building muscle tissue.

Muscle proteins are in constant flux. Activities like resistance training damage muscle cells, which then use protein for repair. Ensuring a steady supply of protein is crucial for muscle protein synthesis, the process of creating new muscle proteins.

Determining the right amount of protein can be tricky. Many experts believe the current recommended daily allowance (RDA) of 0.36 grams per pound of body weight is too low, especially for active people and older adults.

As we get older, we need more protein than people think and more than we may have needed when we were younger. This is because age-related changes make muscles more resistant to growth, requiring extra protein to spur muscle protein synthesis.

The International Society of Sports Nutrition and the National Academy of Sports Medicine recommend 0.6 to 0.9 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day — 96 to 144 grams daily for a 160-pound person — to support muscle growth at any age. For older adults, sufficient protein intake may also prevent sarcopenia, the loss of muscle associated with aging.

Animal proteins, like poultry, beef, dairy, eggs, and fish and seafood, offer more bang for your buck than plant-based sources: You don’t have to eat as much to get the protein you need.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are crucial for muscle health. They are stored in your muscles and liver as glycogen, which is used as energy for muscle contractions.

Think of protein as a macronutrient for building and repair, and carbohydrates as a macronutrient for energy.

Getting enough carbs is critical, especially if you’re active. Adequate glycogen stores provide the energy needed for workouts, helping you push harder and see better results in muscle maintenance and building.

Insufficient glycogen can force your body to use protein for energy, leaving less for muscle maintenance and repair. This can lead to muscle shrinkage and weakness over time.

Carb needs vary depending on factors like sex, age, body weight, and activity level. Gaudreau suggests getting at least 40 percent of your daily calories from carbohydrates and gradually increasing that amount if needed. Endurance athletes may need up to 60 percent.

Steel-cut oats, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, spaghetti squash, brown rice, black beans, quinoa, and lentils are great sources of complex carbohydrates that offer plenty of fiber.

Calcium & Vitamin D

These nutrients are vital not just for bone strength but also for muscle function. Calcium is essential for muscle contractions, while vitamin D helps regulate these contractions and supports muscle recovery.

Dairy products, including milk, yogurt, and cheese, are some of the best natural sources of calcium. Canned sardines, salmon, kale, broccoli, and bok choy are good nondairy sources of calcium. Calcium supplements can be helpful for people who have trouble getting enough from their diet, including those who are postmenopausal and those who don’t eat dairy. It’s recommended that adults get 1,000 to 1,200 mg of calcium daily.

Vitamin D, is known as the sunshine vitamin because sun exposure can trigger its production, increases antioxidant capacity, support mitochondrial health, and boost muscle regeneration. Fatty fish such as trout, salmon, tuna, and mackerel are ideal food sources of vitamin D. Beef liver, egg yolks, and cheese contain small amounts of vitamin D. Vitamin D supplements can compensate for shortages in your diet and sun exposure. “The majority of the people I work with need vitamin D supplementation because it’s challenging to get enough through food alone,” says Koszyk.

Creatine

Creatine, an amino acid produced by the body and stored in muscles as phosphocreatine, is used as energy during intense exercise. While the body naturally makes about 1 gram of creatine per day, this may not be enough. Supplementing with creatine monohydrate can support athletic performance, muscle recovery, and growth, and counteract age-related declines in muscle mass and bone density.

Creatine is found in protein-rich foods, particularly animal sources, but supplementation can be beneficial, especially for those actively trying to build muscle, vegans, vegetarians, and postmenopausal individuals.

Essential Amino Acids

Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Of the 20 amino acids crucial for building protein, nine are considered essential (EAAs) because the body cannot produce them. These EAAs must be obtained through food and are critical for muscle synthesis, growth, and repair.

Animal sources are considered complete proteins because they contain all EAAs. Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy are complete proteins. Quinoa, buckwheat, soy, and hempseed are also complete proteins, though they may not offer as much protein as animal foods. Many plant-based protein sources, including nuts, seeds, legumes, and vegetables, are incomplete proteins, meaning they contain some but not all of the EAAs. While this doesn’t mean you should avoid them, be sure to eat a combination of them over 24 to 36 hours to get your complete fill of amino acids.

Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), a subgroup of EAAs, are popular for their muscle-building properties. Leucine stimulates muscle protein synthesis, isoleucine boosts energy, and valine promotes muscle growth and tissue repair.

Iron

Iron is essential for red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body, and myoglobin, a protein that supplies oxygen to muscles. Iron helps muscles make and use energy for everyday functions and exercise.

Lean meat and seafood are rich sources of iron. Nuts, beans, and vegetables are great plant-based sources. Your body doesn’t absorb iron from plant foods as well as it does from animal sources, so you’ll want to pay attention to your intake if you’re vegan or vegetarian.

The RDA for iron is 8 mg for adult men and postmenopausal women and 18 mg for adult premenopausal women. Individual needs may vary, and those pregnant or with heavy menstrual flow should consult a healthcare provider about supplements.

Magnesium

Magnesium is an electrolyte that helps transport calcium and potassium into muscle cells to support contractions. It is also a critical component of energy production and muscle protein synthesis.

The RDA for magnesium is 400 to 420 mg daily for adult men and 310 to 320 mg for adult women, increasing to 350 to 360 mg during pregnancy.

Legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and green leafy vegetables are great sources of magnesium. In general, most fiber-rich foods contain this mineral. Refined grains and other processed foods lose magnesium during the manufacturing process. Dairy products, like milk, yogurt, and cheese, are also good sources.

Potassium

Potassium, another electrolyte, helps with muscle contractions, fluid balance, and nerve signal transmission. Most of your body’s potassium resides in your muscles.

The RDA is 3,400 mg for adult men and 2,600 mg for adult women, with increased needs during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Most U.S. adults don’t get enough potassium, and the USDA and HHS recommend increasing intake through whole foods rather than supplements.

Many vegetables and fruits are excellent sources of potassium, including bananas, spinach, tomatoes, broccoli, acorn squash, and potatoes (white, gold, red, and purple).

Probiotics & Prebiotics

Probiotics are live microorganisms found in fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, tempeh, and aged cheeses, and they support a diverse gut microbiome. Prebiotics, found in foods like bananas, onions, garlic, soybeans, and Jerusalem artichokes, feed probiotic microorganisms.

A balanced gut microbiome supports muscle maintenance and overall health. A lack of diversity can disrupt the maintenance of lean muscle mass. Digestive issues can indicate an imbalance, and supplementation may be necessary.

Proper nutrition is essential for muscle health. Ensure your diet includes a variety of these nutrients to support muscle performance, recovery, and growth.