Nutrition, exercise and rest are three factors that play a big role in muscle growth and recovery. When it comes to nutrition, while proteins are the building blocks for muscles, vitamins are also key to muscular health and growth.
Most vitamins can easily be obtained with a balanced diet. Their deficiency affects the overall health of a person. The deficiency in vitamins directly associated with muscle growth leads to muscle weakness.
What vitamins are good for muscle growth?
The vitamins which influence muscle growth and health are vitamin D, B, A, C and E.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D has a direct impact on muscle growth, performance and health, especially on the skeletal muscles. Vitamin D and its receptors are important for normal skeletal muscle development and in optimising muscle strength.
“There is lots of research which says that vitamin D helps in muscle protein synthesis which also helps to improve muscle gain,” says Ansa Saju, a sports and preventive nutritionist from Kochi, Kerala. Vitamin D is predominantly the major factor for the body’s metabolism and how it utilises carbohydrates, proteins and fats along with being a factor for many chemical reactions along with being important for neural communication, essential for neuromuscular contraction and communication. It is also important for bone health.
Muscle weakness is seen among those with vitamin D deficiency. “The preliminary symptom is muscle weakness in the lower extremity,” adds Saju. Sunlight helps synthesise vitamin D in the body. Food sources include fish, egg yolk, mushroom, soy milk, cow milk, orange, cheese and almond milk.
An excess of vitamin D is potentially toxic and could lead to hypercalcemia (a condition where calcium level is more than normal), soft tissue calcification (deposition of calcium) and in some cases anorexia (loss of appetite).
Vitamin B (B6, folate and B12)
Vitamin B is directly linked to the energy and protein metabolism in the body.
“Vitamin B plays a predominant role when it comes to energy metabolism and has a role in nervous system function which helps in muscle contraction and is also important in how the protein is metabolised,” says Saju. “A deficiency of vitamin B reduces this muscle contraction and makes the muscles weaker.”
Food sources rich in vitamin B are green leafy vegetables, eggs and meat.
Vitamin A, C and E
Vitamin A, C and E indirectly affects muscle health. Vitamin A plays a small role in muscle protein synthesis which predominantly helps in muscle gain. It is also a factor in body composition. Vitamins C and E are antioxidants. Whenever a muscle is active, free radicals are formed and antioxidants help remove these from the body, reducing oxidative stress and preserving muscles.
