5 Health Boosting Herbs and Minerals that Improve Muscle Growth and Enhance General Wellness 

Muscle does not grow only with protein. These are the vitamins and minerals that help muscle growth.

Muscle hypertrophy represents an energy-intensive metabolic process that requires specific substrates. Vitamins and minerals are also necessary to gain muscle mass.

Macronutrients and calories for hypertrophy

In order to generate muscle mass, as required by the process of muscle hypertrophy, an energy surplus is indispensable, which means that you will have to consume more calories than your body burns on a daily basis.

Essential minerals are also nutrients that the body needs, and they have different functions in our ody. For example, potassium is needed for muscle contraction and fluid balance. Magnesium also plays an important role in muscle and protein generation and helps the immune system. The main minerals our body needs for a great muscle development are: Zinc, Iron, Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, Phosphorus and Magnesium.

Source: Courtesy of CrossFit Inc.

According to the National Health Service of Scotland, NHS, and other sources, minerals are necessary to have strong and resistant bones and teeth, besides being an essential element to convert fat into energy, and to control body fluids inside and outside the cells.

In this article we will show you which are the most important minerals if you want to gain muscle mass:

1. Zinc, linked to testosterone levels.

Zinc is one of the essential minerals that help muscle growth of great importance for our body and at the moment of gaining muscle mass it could have a key role due to its connection with testosterone levels in the blood.

Testosterone is an anabolic hormone and therefore supports muscle gain. It has been proven that zinc deficiency causes a drop in testosterone levels. For this reason, you should consume foods rich in zinc such as seafood, meats, nuts or seeds.

One of the best sources of zinc is wheatgerm, which is also rich in vitamin K and B vitamins, necessary for healthy blood, brain and bones. Contains unsaturated fatty acids that help promote good cholesterol in the human body. It is rich in phosphorus, iron and antioxidants to purify and strengthen the immune system.

2. Potassium: the key to synthesize new proteins and support for muscle contraction.

Potassium is an essential mineral that help muscle growth  that is required in larger quantities than others for the proper functioning of the body, being a key element for the muscles to contract and recover correctly by participating in the transmission of the nervous impulse.

Potassium works closely with sodium , regulating the body’s water levels. It also plays a key role in nerve cells, muscle contraction and is involved in increasing muscle mass.

Potassium is also related to glycogen storage (the way glucose is stored in the muscle). Lack of potassium in relation to sodium balance can lead to an imbalance of cellular water, causing muscle cramps, sluggishness and dehydration.

One of the best sources of potassium may be alfalfa. Its great richness in minerals, such as iron, phosphorus, potassium and calcium, gives it the ability to strengthen bone mass and, at a preventive level, to be useful to prevent fractures in the elderly and to treat osteoporosis.

3.Calcium, helps achieve a training that stimulates hypertrophy

Calcium is another essential mineral that help muscle growth that, like potassium, is required in large amounts in our body and can intervene in the speed at which the nerve impulse is transmitted. It is also key to proper muscle contraction.

It is a very important mineral for muscle building as it participates in the transmission of nerve impulses and influences muscle contraction. There can be a calcium deficit due to the strict dairy restriction sometimes followed by people trying to build muscle, in addition to a diet with a high consumption of foods rich in protein, and therefore in phosphorus, which causes excessive amounts of calcium to be excreted in the urine.

Source: Photo courtesy of CrossFit Inc.

We can obtain calcium from dairy products as well as from certain nuts such as almonds, legumes such as chickpeas or seeds, especially poppy seeds and sesame seeds.

Dandelion is one of the herbs with the highest calcium content. Thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties, topical application as well as ingestion of dandelion can help reduce joint inflammation. In addition, this plant is very rich in calcium and vitamin K, ideal for the development and proper functioning of our bones.

4. Iron, essential mineral that help muscle growth closely related to sports performance

The body uses iron to make hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to different parts of the body, as well as myoglobin, a protein that supplies oxygen to the muscles.

When we have higher levels of red blood cells, sports performance is generally improved, but if we have iron deficiency, performance is reduced, both in aerobic and anaerobic disciplines. Iron also helps to make up an element present in the body called myoglobin which is responsible for storing oxygen in muscle cells and helps our muscles to store energy.

Thyme, cumin, dill, oregano, basil, bay leaf…Some of the spices and aromatic herbs in daily use have a very high iron content. They also contain dietary fiber, which is very important for health.

5. Magnesium is an essential mineral a part of more than 300 metabolic reactions that take place in the human body

Among the essential functions of magnesium for sports performance is that helps to reduce tiredness and fatigue. It also contributes to electrolyte balance and calcium absorption. It helps energy to reach all cells and they can fulfill their functions.

The role of magnesium in muscle building is centered around energy production and protein synthesis. It is also involved in nerve impulse transmission and bone development.

Mint, chives and coriander are some of the herbs richest in magnesium. The latter manages to provide 694 mg per 100 grams, which is 174% of the recommended amount of this mineral.

A balanced and varied diet that takes into account the foods containing these minerals will cover the nutritional needs of the athlete. The deficit of any of them would cause negative effects on muscle contraction and development, as well as on post-workout recovery. Remember that an excess of minerals can also be harmful, as it can create toxicity and cause undesirable effects.

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