How to ACTUALLY Build Muscle

Written by: Mairead, Registered Dietitian

Protein is having a moment (check out this blog post for more info)! Lots of people are focusing on increasing their protein intake with the goal of building muscle.

This is great! We know that people with more muscle mass are stronger, less prone to injury, and have a slightly higher metabolism. And with so much hype around protein, it’s easier than ever to make sure you’re meeting your needs.

But if your goal is to build muscle, you can’t just eat protein – you need to strength train!!!

When we strength train, we damage the muscles we’re working by creating tiny tears in them. The body then uses protein to repair the damage, building the muscles back up bigger and stronger. Over time, this helps the body put on muscle mass, and makes us stronger overall.

To build muscle mass, we need enough protein in the diet for there to be extra to repair muscles after all the body’s main functions have been covered (maintaining your organs, healing any cuts or injuries, creating enzymes and hormones). If you are strength training consistently and eating enough protein, your body will be able to keep repairing, and therefore growing, your muscles.

If we just eat the protein, the protein won’t magically go to your muscles, and your body can’t store protein. If you’re eating more or less than same number of calories as you burn in a day, the protein your body doesn’t need will just be used as fuel, like carbs or fats. If you’re eating more calories than you burn in a day, the protein will be broken down and stored as body fat, where that fuel can be used later.

The take away for muscle growth: protein is important, but it won’t help build muscle unless there is strength training exercise happening as well. To build muscle mass, we need both!

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