How To Build Muscle Even If You’re a Vegetarian

If you are planning to build up your muscle mass then protein is really essential. But what will you do if the most common source of protein like meat, poultry and fish is not part of your diet.

 

As a vegetarian, how can build muscle if you are someone who lives on a diet of grains, nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruits, with our without the use of dairy products and eggs.
You may not know it but there are many vegetarian athletes out there and they consume enough quality protein even with their preferred diet. How to build muscle even if you’re a vegetarian should not be a challenge or an impossible task that you consider in failing. Hence, you should enlighten or educate yourself to the right things you need to do successfully build your muscle mass.

 

Like just everyone else you need to have proper nutrition. It goes down to the basics when getting enough protein in to your diet.  Eat a lot. Eating quality whole foods and consuming an adequate quantity to bring out the kind of muscle gain you want to experience. Because according to www.bodybuilding.com vegetarians like you can build muscle and strength just like meat eaters.

As you continue with you intense weight training program it is a good idea to make sure you consume more of the protein dense food like beans, nuts and seeds. You can swap your water with a simple protein shake. Adding a scoop of protein powder to the water you drink every meal time is an added 20 grams of protein in your body without a sweat. Stop using oils instead try using seeds and nuts. Instead of preparing a salad with olive oil prepare it with almonds, about ¼ cup and you now have 10 grams of protein. An oatmeal with cashew butter is better than with margarine.

 

If you need supplements then grab one. There are supplements that are plant based anyway. Zinc, selenium, vitamin B12, vitamin D, carnosine, creatine, carnitine, taurineand choline are some of the supplements that can help you. Beans are rich in protein so make sure you always have one. It can be cooked, frozen or canned.

Watch out for the following micronutrient deficiencies because this may have an effect to you and on your training on how to build muscle. These are iron, calcium and zinc deficiencies. Iron deficiency anemia is a reduction in the level of red blood cells and oxygen in your body.  You may experience pain from trigger points to your muscles and you might have the need to stop with your training.

Calcium acts as a natural tranquilizer in your bodies. It has a calming effect on our nerves which in turn has a calming effect in our muscles helping to reduce pain. So if you are lacking calcium in your body you may experience muscle cramps that can hinder with your ability and performance. Zinc speeds up muscle-building chemical reactions in your body, stabilizes protein structures and helps regulate the hormone levels of your body. Without zinc in your body muscle growth would be next to impossible.