How To Build Muscle: Meal Frequency

If you look for info on how to build muscle, you'll often read that you've got to eat every two to three hours

. Bodybuilders may know how to build muscle, but do you really need to mimic their eating habits? I say no. Scientific experiments, my own efforts, and the experiences of others show that meal frequency isn't as important as it's cracked up to be when it comes to getting bigger. Here are a few reasons why constant eating probably isn't necessary as well as a few tips on how to build muscle with proper nutrition.

Your Metabolic Rate

Bodybuilders and mainstream nutritionists alike often recommend that people eat five to six meals per day. Their most common reason for this recommendation is that frequent eating "boosts your metabolism" but is that really true? Several clinical studies have shown that people who eat the same calories and macronutrients but at different intervals exhibit almost no differences in their metabolic rates. These studies basically show that meal frequency doesn't matter!

Besides, do you even want to "boost" your metabolism? If you're struggling to gain muscular bodyweight, then a faster metabolism is just going to make things harder. Even if you're not naturally skinny, a faster metabolism isn't necessarily what you want. What's more important is choosing the foods which make your body as efficient as possible at building muscle and burning excess fat.

Meal Timing: A Different Issue

You may not need to pull out the Tupperware every couple of hours, but anyone who knows how to build muscle understands the importance of meal timing. More specifically, the meals you eat just before and after your workouts are the most important ones of the day. Whether you eat three times per day or ten, you need to put a large proportion of your calories especially your carbs into these meals. This will give your body the nutrients it needs to train hard, recover, and grow.

Understanding Hormones

Whether you're focused on building lean muscle or burning body fat, you need to understand how to harness the power of certain hormones in your body. For instance, insulin is a hormone your body secretes in large amounts whenever you eat carbs. It's essential for muscle growth, but it can easily cause you to gain body fat. By eating most of your carbs in your post-workout meal, you can ensure that nutrients will be driven into your starving muscle tissue and not into your fat cells.

Testosterone and growth hormone are also important for turning your body into an efficient fat-burning machine. To make sure your body is producing enough of these, you need to get consistent sleep and avoid stress as much as possible. Also, eating plenty of monounsaturated and even saturated fat can help you boost your testosterone levels, build muscle, and get leaner. Just make sure you're not combining them with big hits of sugar or other refined foods.

Personal Preferences

Ultimately, the best meal frequency for how to build muscle is the one that suits you best. Most people find it inconvenient to eat every couple of hours, and spreading out your daily calories can make each meal seem small and unsatisfying. In fact, eating six times per day may only be necessary for people who actually need that many BIG meals to get enough calories. Overall, the total amounts of protein, fats, and carbs you eat are the most important parts of how to build muscle.

by:bryyd8rqto

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