There are more than 650 muscles in the body, and each and every one of them should be worked routinely to boost your health. By building your muscles, you get stronger, reduce your risk of injury, and boost your metabolism. While many people think that lifting heavy weights is the only way to build muscle, you also need to consume a good diet that’s packed full of healthy food and muscle-enhancing supplements. But just which dietary products do your muscles really need?

Protein plays a crucial role in muscle building, maintenance and health. When you consume protein, it increases your muscle mass, as it contains amino acids that repair tears in the muscles caused by physical activity, making them larger and stronger. The American College of Sports Medicine suggests that you consume 1.2 to 1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of your body weight every day to grow your muscles. This is higher than the recommended amount of 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. Ideally, protein sources, such as red and white meat, eggs, cheese, beans and legumes should be consumed during every meal. You could also use chicken bone broth in between meals to up your protein intake.

It's important not to solely rely on protein sources for amino acids, as supplements are readily available too. Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), AKA leucine, isoleucine and valine, are the amino acids you want to be taking, as they provide the greatest benefits to the muscles. Researchers have found that muscle protein synthesis is up to 22% greater when a BCAAs drink is consumed immediately after exercise. BCAAs have also proven beneficial in halting muscle wastage - something that naturally starts to happen between the ages of 30 and 40 years of age. Prior to this age, when muscle breaks down, it constantly repairs itself, but BCAAs can be used to support this repair process and sustain it in older individuals.

Having strong muscles is crucial for your health. By combining exercise with a healthy diet that’s packed full of protein and taking multiple dietary supplements, your muscle mass will start to improve, and it won’t be long before you’re looking and feeling stronger than ever.