A list of the 9 best muscle building minerals
Gaining muscle can be extremely hard to do if you have a deficiency in minerals.
Minerals a small elements which act as co-factors in the biochemistry of the body.
These help to build muscle tissue, break down foods and work with other vitamins in the body.
In today's video we will explore 9 key
minerals which are needed for building strong and healthy muscles.
1. Potassium Potassium is the most
important mineral needed by the body, especially when it comes to growing larger muscles.
Potassium helps your body to convert amino acids from foods that you eat,
into muscle tissue and protein. It also helps to build collagen for healthy skin,
and restore lost muscle mass with age.
Getting more potassium rich foods into your diet helps to reduce insulin resistance,
which means that your muscle cells can absorb more amino acids for faster growth.
It also helps to keep your blood sugars stable when trying to burn fat.
Consuming a large leafy green salad each day is the best way to boost your potassium,
especially beet tops, kale, avocado, Swiss chard and dark leafy greens.
2. Sodium Sodium also plays a very important role
in helping to regulate muscle contraction, nerve function and blood volume. If you do not consume
enough sodium from salt, you can suffer with dehydration, muscle cramps and even organ failure.
Sodium and potassium work together in the body to allow fluid in and out of the cells.
A healthy balance of these minerals means that your muscles can heal quickly
after exercise and grow at a faster rate.
The best source of sodium is Pink Himalayan Salt.
3. Magnesium Magnesium is
the key mineral to prevent muscle cramps and spasms. It also helps your body to produce more
insulin-like growth factor (IGF), an essential part of long-term muscle growth and strength.
Magnesium also helps to control stress hormones like cortisol,
which can be very destructive to your muscles if left unchecked.
High stress over time causes your cortisol levels to spike, which causes the breakdown of muscle
tissue into sugar. You can often see this in older men, where the legs become thin around the glutes.
It also happens often in post-menopausal women,
because the high cortisol causes their muscles to become loose and appear like fat.
Getting more magnesium and a balance of other minerals into your diet each day,
can keep stress levels under control, which is important when it comes to gaining muscle.
Pumpkin seeds, avocado and swiss chard are some of the richest sources.
4. Zinc
Most people are deficient in zinc, because they consume lots of grains, rice and refined foods
which pulls minerals out of the body. Phytic acid found in these also blocks absorption of zinc.
You need zinc to build important muscle growth hormones such as testosterone.
Testosterone is key to building muscle, and is important in both men and women.
Zinc is also a fantastic mineral for supporting your T-cells and immune system against infections.
Beef, Oysters and Shellfish are the best natural sources of zinc.
5. Calcium This is one of
the key electrolyte minerals which helps to carry electrical charge through the body.
This mineral is not only needed for strong bones and teeth,
but also is involved with muscle contraction and energy metabolism.
Calcium deficiency is rare, however the best foods to get bioavailable calcium
would be grass fed cheese, goats cheese, yoghurt and leafy greens like kale or okra.
6. Copper
Copper is a part of the natural Vitamin C complex which helps enzymes in your body to make collagen.
Getting adequate amounts of copper strengthens your ligaments and tendons,
which is needed when lifting heavy weights to gain muscle mass.
The best sources of copper are beef liver, shiitake mushrooms, oysters and almonds.
7. Iodine
This is an essential element for human biology because it is used to balance thyroid hormones.
These hormones control your metabolism, body temperature and energy production
which is all essential for growing muscles.
Getting enough iodine your diet helps to balance estrogen levels,
which allows you to burn body fat and gain a better physique, shape and fitness level.
The best sources of iodine are sea vegetables like sea kelp, kombu kelp, wakame and nori.
8. Selenium
Selenium is one of the most potent antioxidants which helps your liver to produce glutathione.
This is the master antioxidant which helps protect the muscle protein synthesis pathways,
which is vital for building muscle.
Selenium also helps in converting
important thyroid hormones and detoxifying mercury and heavy metals.
Brazil nuts, tuna, sardines and organ meats are the best sources of selenium.
9. Iron
Last but not least, iron forms part of haemoglobin.
This is an important part of the blood which transports oxygen from your lungs to the muscles.
Iron is also very important to maintain high
energy levels when working out, and keeping your immune system strong.
As you can see minerals are extremely important
nutrients which are often overlooked as people tend to seek out vitamins.
The best bioavailable sources of minerals come from sea foods and sea vegetables,
because the ocean is abundant with these elements.
In our previous video we discussed the top 6 vitamins to build muscle mass,
that you also need. You can find a link to this below the video.
Taking a high quality trace mineral supplement can help to boost your minerals,
however some of these are made of elemental minerals which are poorly absorbed.
For this reason, it's important to get your vitamins and minerals from healthy food sources.
We have also made a video specifically on the best 22 foods to gain muscle mass, you can find
all of this content in our "Muscle Health" playlist. Be sure to select this at the end.
If you have regular acid reflux, heartburn or indigestion then you may struggle to digest
minerals. Taking a daily supplement of apple cider vinegar in either a glass of water, or in capsules
will strengthen your stomach and allow you to absorb more minerals and protein.
To learn more about building muscle, be sure to select our playlist at the
end.
Thank you very much for listening, a like is always appreciated and remember to subscribe
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