5 ways to gain muscle without quitting carbs

Eating salads all day won’t make you gain muscle

Eating the right foods is as important as hitting the gym if you want to lose fat and gain muscle -- nutrients from the food give you energy to exercise, repair muscle tissue, and help your body recover post-workout.



Contrary to popular belief, carbs are an important part of this process and quitting them won't help you lose weight. Here’s what you should be including in your diet:

1. Enough calories

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Eating salads all day won’t help you gain muscle. Your body requires energy to function and support muscle growth. A low-calorie diet will barely be sufficient for the former, and will deteriorate your performance at the gym and the subsequent recovery process.

Therefore, you need to consume enough calories to aid these processes. Don’t resort to junk; incorporate healthy foods that provide you with the required amount of calories. Strike a balance as eating a lot of calories will make you gain body fat.



2. Eat carbs

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Don’t quit carbs if you want to gain muscle -- mind you, these are complex carbs, rich in fiber. Carbs are important for muscle growth as they replenish glycogen stores (a chemical form of carbs in your muscles that fuels them during exercise) that get drained out after working out. Make sure you add fast absorbing carbs to your post-workout meals.

3. Eat protein

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Proteins are vital, they build and repair muscle tissue. They also produce hormones and boost immunity. Proteins contribute to muscle gain and fat loss at the same time as your body uses energy to digest the protein.



4. Drink plenty of water

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Hydration is extremely important for a healthy body. It is the most abundant nutrient and balances all other body systems. Dehydration can hamper your workout greatly because it reduces endurance, strength and concentration. It also causes fatigue and sluggishness.

Drink at least eight to 10 glasses of water a day to replace fluids lost through sweat while exercising.



5. Eat good fats

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Fats are also crucial for muscle gain because they are concentrated sources of energy. Incorporating healthy fats like olive oil, avocados, olives and nuts in your diet will help boost your workouts and provide a healthy diet.

Remember that changing your body composition from fat to muscle takes months of hard work, so don’t get disheartened if you don’t see fast results, persistence is key.

This article originally appeared on Al Arabiya News.