The Expert: How to build muscle with the right diet

Reader question: I’m 48 and have been strength training for 2 years, but I think it’s hard to build upper body muscle. How should I eat to build muscle? Which supplements do you recommend?

Expert Answers: Invest in Energy and Nutrition

Of course, both diet and exercise type affect muscle growth. Additionally, body weight is crucial given that muscle becomes more visible in the body if you have less subcutaneous fat. Then you get more defined muscles, says Sophia Antonson, licensed dietitian.

In general, it is difficult to eat more muscle, although there has been a myth for a long time that protein intake should be in direct proportion to muscle growth. Now I don’t know how much you exercise, but the protein requirement for someone who exercises about three times a week is about one gram per kilogram of body weight and day. For those who do heavy strength training 5-6 times a week, the need is about 1.5 grams per kilogram of body weight per day.

You can therefore, depending on the intensity and amount of exercise, have an increased need for protein and then supplementation can make sense. Other than that, I think you should follow your diet and make sure you take in energy and nutrition so you have all the basic requirements for building muscle. Feel free to get help from a personal trainer, they are usually good at setting up a diet and exercise schedule based on your circumstances.

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