10 High-Protein Foods For Athletes That Help Build Muscle and Speed Up Recovery

Proteins are essential to build, maintain and recover the muscles. This means that if you go regularly to the gymnasium, running or by practicing other sports, you may need to pay additional attention to your protein intake.

Regarding proteins, guidelines recommend that people eat “1.2 to 2 grams per kilogram of body weight per day,” said David Goldman, MS, RD, registered dietitian, research director at Metabite and visiting researcher at the University of Helsinki.

For active people, Goldman said Health,, 1.6 grams (g) per kilogram of body weight every day is a good target – which shakes around 108 g of protein per day for an adult of 150 pounds.

So, for athletes who seek to develop muscles and recover more quickly, how can you modify your diet to achieve these protein objectives? Here are 10 recommendations, by experts and the latest research.

Nutritional bases:

• Portion: 3 ounces (oz) cooked
• Protein: 25 g
• Calories: 186

Beef contains a number of beneficial nutrients for muscle growth and recovery, in particular:

• Creatine: The compound increases energy reserves in your muscles, allowing them to support difficult training. It also helps muscle recovery, reducing the concentrations of enzymes linked to muscle damage.
• L-Carnitine: This molecule carries fatty acids to mitochondria, where they are used for energy. This preserves some of the glycogen stores (energy) in your muscles, so you can train longer and harder. It preserves amino acids so that the body can also use for muscle reconstruction after training.
• Carnosine: One of the most abundant antioxidants of meat, carnosine helps reduce pain and muscle fatigue by balancing pH levels in the body.
• Beta-alanine: This is a constitutive element of carnosine, found abundantly in beef and other meats.

For best results, eat lean beef post-training. Try to grill it, blow it up with vegetables or add it to stews.

Nutritional bases:

• Portion: 3 oz, cooked
• Protein: 26 g
• Calories: 128

The chicken breast is an excellent source of lean protein. It contains many of the same nutrients as beef, including creatine, carnosine, beta-alanine and L-Carnitine, but at slightly different concentrations. These are all beneficial for muscle growth and recovery.

After a training session, eat chicken breasts alone or add it to salads or pasta.

Nutritional bases:

• Portion: 3 oz, cooked
• Protein: 26 g
• Calories: 125

Very similar to beef and chicken, turkey breast is another excellent lean protein option for your training. Again, it contains nutrients such as beta-alanine and creatine for Help muscle performance and recovery.

You can add turkey breasts to envelopes, salads, sandwiches and a variety of other dishes.

Nutritional bases:

• Portion: 3 oz, cooked or canned
• Protein: 20 g for canned light tuna; 17 g for cod
• Calories: 109 for the canned light tuna; 71 for cod

There are many varieties of fish, but Protein -rich options include tuna, salmon, cod, trout and sardines.

Fish – In particular fatty fish – can be particularly excellent for a post -training, because it is a Good source of omega-3 fatty acids.

“Omega-3 have anti-inflammatory effects that can Reduce muscle pain after fierce training and support faster recovery. Natalie Rizzo, MS, RD, registered dietitian and owner of Greenletes, said Health.

Other studies suggest that Omega-3s may be able to increase muscle growth, Rizzo added. In addition, “fish have a type of omega-3 called DHA which has been linked to better brain health and cognition,” she said. “This can help athletes have more mental clarity during intense training sessions.”

After your training session, remember to make fish tacos, fish sandwiches or add fish to a grain and vegetable bowl.

Nutritional bases:

• Portion: 7 oz from Greek yogurt; 4 oz cottage cheese
• Protein: 20 g for Greek yogurt; 12 g for cottage cheese
• Calories: 146 for green yogurt; 92 for cottage cheese

Milks, yogurts and cheeses are sources of inexpensive protein, Ideal for before or after training.

Dairy products are rich in casein, a milk protein. Casein is slowly absorbed by the body, so the amino acid levels remain high in your blood circulation for a longer period – which can help repair muscles, Especially when dairy products are consumed before going to bed.

Other research has found Greek yogurt helped the muscles to grow both after exercise and during rest.

In addition, calcium in dairy products is “essential for the promotion of strong and healthy bones,” added Michael Reavis, JR, MS, DR, LDN, lead sports and dietitian medicine in the shape of food in Maryland. “Without strong bones to support the forces that the muscles create, athletic efforts would be almost impossible.”

To add more dairy products to your diet, make perfect with Greek yogurt or add cheese to eggs, salads and sandwiches.

Nutritional bases:

• Portion: 1/2 cup, cooked
• Protein: 16 g
• Calories: 148

With regard to vegetable proteins, soybean gets high marks– They don’t have all the amino acids, but they get closer.

Soy contains compounds called phytoestrogens, which are similar to estrogens, so that some people fear that they are not as beneficial for muscle growth. But research has shown that soy proteins work as well as whey proteins to develop muscles.

In fact, isoflavones, a type of these phytoestrogens, have “Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce the muscle damage induced by exercise and support faster recovery”, ” Explained Rizzo.

After your training session, you can boil the edamamus, make a tofu scrambling or a sautéed tempeh.

Nutritional bases:

• Portion: 3 tablespoons, dissected
• Protein: 9.5 g
• Calories: 166

A single portion of hemp seeds offers more than half of the daily value (DV) for magnesium and about a third for zinc. For iron, it provides around 30% of the DV for men and 13% for women.

“Zinc, iron and magnesium all support training and recovery”, “ Said Goldman. “Zinc helps protein synthesis and immune function, iron is essential to provide oxygen to muscles, and magnesium helps muscle contraction and energy production.”

Hemp seeds are an excellent choice for breakfast – you can add them to oatmeal, yogurt, smoothies or pastries – but can be appreciated before or after a training session.

Nutritional bases:

• Portion: 1/2 cup, cooked
• Protein: 9 g
• Calories: 115

Most plant foods, including lenses, do not have all the essential amino acids that the body needs, so they can be less effective in helping muscles to develop. However, Eating lenses alongside a grain like rice can help the protein synthesis, Make a good choice for athletes.

However, with regard to lenses, Be sure to eat them after a training session – or, at least, be careful when you eat them before exercising. The lenses are rich in fiber, explained Reavis JR and “the last thing that an athlete wants is a lateral point when they are in the midst of a high intensity effort”.

Lentils are good additions to soups, stews and protein bowls, or can be used to make “tofu” lenses.

Nutritional bases:

• Portion: A big egg
• Protein: 6 g
• Calories: 72

Eggs are known to be a high quality protein. And although egg whites are popular, You better use the whole egg if protein intake and force creation is your goal—The yellow of equal contains more than 40% of the total protein in an egg.

In addition, a study revealed that the consumption of whole eggs after strength training has resulted in greater muscle growth than the consumption of egg whites.

You can eat eggs before or after a training session, and although they are a choice of popular breakfast, eggs can also be added to pots, ramen or cereal bowls for additional proteins.

Nutritional bases:

• Portion: 1 oz, about 23 grains
• Protein: 6 g
• Calories: 164

Almonds are a good source of protein, but similar to other foods on this list, They are also rich in antioxidants. In fact, a portion of almonds provides almost 50% of your recommended Vitamin E DV, a powerful antioxidant.

This makes it an excellent snack for athletes – vitamin e and other Antioxidants help reduce inflammation in the body, which can otherwise make you feel tired and painful.

“Foods rich in antioxidants are an incredible addition to any diet and should certainly be included in the diet of an athlete,” said Readis Jr. “but Prioritize this throughout the day, And do not overestimate him in the pre and post-training period. »»

You can add almonds to energy stings, yogurt, oatmeal, trail mixtures or smoothies. Or, try adding almond butter to do toast or pancakes.

If you spend a lot of time doing exercise, it is important to Incorporate high -quality protein and protein foods into your diet. It is even better if these foods contain nutrients such as carnosine or creatine, or various forms of antioxidants to support your training sessions and your recovery.

It depends on the individual, but in general, aim to eat 60 to 90 g of carbohydrates and 20 to 30 g of protein after training, Readis JR recommended.