Why You Need Carbs to Build Muscle Growth? (Top 10 Carb Foods to Eat)

Adding the best carb foods for muscle growth can transform your bulking experience.

Carbs are an important part of your nutrition. In terms of bulking, the focus remains mainly on protein. Thus, most overlook carbs.

However, in the right quantity, the nutrient can give the edge to your bodybuilding goals. You just need to know the Best Carb Sources for Muscle Building.

The nutrient is necessary for fueling and muscle growth. Most bodybuilders emphasize adding sufficient carbs to support their bulking goal. This is because they understand the importance of the nutrient.

Still, some questions—Do you need carbs to build muscle?

This article is an attempt to answer all related questions. Also, we would try to know the best carb foods for muscle growth. You can add them to improve your physique.

Let’s begin with the first question.

Do You Need Carbs To Build Muscle?

Whether weight loss or muscle building, the focus is always on protein.

Most prefer high protein to achieve their fitness goals. Of course, in every case, the diet seems to benefit in a myriad of ways. At the same time, carbs are no less important.

Your body requires different nutrients to complete different body processes. And you need carbs to support the body’s function.

Increased protein intake increases protein synthesis. Likewise, carbs preserve your lean muscle while fueling you for intense workouts.

The second benefit is more important. You must have seen folks performing intense sets and reps and more.

This is all the magic of carbs in their diet. It delivers the energy for kickass workouts and intense gains.

Nonetheless, why Carb sources for bodybuilders are so important? Let’s find out.

Why Should Bodybuilders Focus on Carbs?

Carbs are vital for bulking and fitness.

Surprisingly, the nutrient plays a key role in determining your overall health.

In this section, you will find the major benefits of carbs intake. This should subject an argument on why you need carbs to build muscle.

#1. Preserves Lean Muscle

Inadequate carbs in your diet can stimulate chain body processes. It can affect your existing lean muscle mass.

If you don’t have sufficient glucose and your glycogen level lessens, your body seeks better substitutes.

It begins to process the protein in your muscle mass for fuel. It triggers gluconeogenesis causing muscle mass.

So, carb consumption is necessary to maintain a steady fuel while retaining lean muscle mass.

#2. Promotes Muscle Growth

Carbs intake results in insulin response. It is essential to transport protein into the musculature.

Indeed, it stimulates your protein synthesis by stimulating blood flow. This leads to great nutrition delivery.

With more amino acids, you build lean muscle mass at a faster pace. However, with a low-carb diet, particularly Keto, you won’t receive these benefits.

Adding the best carbs for muscle growth to your diet can help.

#3. Explosive Workouts

Bodybuilding is all about workouts.

The more productive you are, the better your results will be.

With sufficient carbs in your diet, you can perform intense workouts. Indeed, productive workouts translate into kickass bulking and mega muscular growth.

Without carbs, you can’t perform at the gym. Certainly, it is essential for a quick bulking cycle.

The benefits of carbs are immense. Particularly, the nutrient is necessary to achieve your fitness goals.

Whether fat-burning or muscle growth, carbs are essential. They play a key role in determining your muscle as well as your activity level. In short, the best carbs for muscle gain and fat loss should make way to your diet in a moderate quantity.

Ignoring them can affect your fitness goals and progress. Let’s know some best carb foods for muscle growth.

Top 10 Carb Foods for Muscle Growth You Should Know

Every nutrient is necessary for human health. They have a key role in different body processes.

In terms of bodybuilding or weight loss, most ignore carbs. Surprisingly, the nutrient plays a key role in delivering your fitness goals.

What are good carbs for muscle growth? Let’s dig for the best sources.

#1: Fruits and Vegetables

When it comes to nutrition, nothing can beat veggies and carbs. They contain essential carbs necessary for muscle building. Vitamin C present in citrus fruit is crucial for muscle growth and repair.

On the other hand, fruits and veggies make the best meals. A fruit and veggie-rich diet for muscle gain reduces the risk of different diseases. This includes cardiac ailments, obesity, diabetes, cancer, and more.

#2: Yams

In terms of nutrition, yams have a smack of sweet potatoes. The two foods are less sweet potatoes.

They have a low glycemic index. Indeed, this makes it the best choice for long-lasting energy without the blood sugar crash.

In comparison, yams have more vitamin C than sweet potatoes. In contrast, the latter has more vitamin A.

#3: Sweet Potatoes

The best carbs for muscle recovery contain natural sugar. Moreover, they contain a whole lot of dietary fiber and micronutrients.

They encompass Vitamin B6 and other nutrients. This improves brain function, boosts energy levels, and elevates your mood. On top of that, it is rich in beta-carotene.

The human body transforms the compound into Vitamin A. The nutrient strengthens your immune system and eye health.

#4: Dairy

This is one of the best carb sources for muscle building. However, daily tolerant people should include the best meals for muscle gain prepared for them.

They can help improve your muscle growth process.  Dairy works great as post-workout nutrition. It contains a sufficient amount of Protein, Carbs, Calcium, Vitamin D, Magnesium, and other nutrients.

Indeed, it provides the complete nutrition necessary for bulking as well as stronger bones.

#5: Whole Grains

There is a whole range of whole grains beneficial for fat loss and muscle building. This is because of the higher carb content.

Whether whole-wheat bread or barley, both whole grains offer amazing amounts of carbs. They contain lots of fibers to maintain a healthy blood sugar level while keeping you fuller for longer.

Their nutritional value further improves your bodybuilding experience. They reduce recovery timing while improving your overall health.

#6: Quinoa

Similar to whole grains, quinoa is a great source of carbs for fat loss and muscle growth.

It is a complex carb that contains other nutrients as well. It is a plant-based food comprising protein.

In other words, it encompasses all 9 essential amino acids making it a complete protein.  Surprisingly, one cup of the carb source can provide almost 8g of protein.

You can obtain adequate carbs by adding quinoa to your high-protein diet plan for muscle gain.

#7: Beans and Legumes

Though you ignore beans and legumes from your diet, they aren’t such good plant-based protein sources.

They provide you with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and even enough carbs. They comprise starch as well as complex carbs.

Not only do they keep you fuller for long hours but even regulate your blood sugar level. The beans and legumes provide a sufficient amount of muscle-building plant protein.

#8: Oats

When it comes to complex carbs, oats offer the maximum amount.

On top of that, it even contains protein to boost muscle mass while improving your body composition.

It is a soluble fiber capable of suppressing your hunger by digesting slowly.

Various studies found it effective for cardiac diseases, gut microbiome, reducing inflammation, inflammatory bowel diseases, and energy boost.

You can have it as a high-carb and high-protein snack for muscle gain.

#9: Brown Rice

Brown rice is one of the good carb sources for bodybuilding.

Whether you want to lose weight to elevate your size, it provides you with sufficient complex carbs. On top of that, it regulates your insulin level to maintain steady energy for long hours.

It is a better option compared to white rice because it lacks vital nutrients. In contrast, it can spike your blood sugar level.

#10: Clean Carbs

Clean carbs are another finest and best carb foods for muscle gain. They contain 100% natural whole foods to provide you with pure complex carbs.

In general, their constituents are sweet potatoes, yams, and oats.

During high-intensity workouts, your body utilizes glycogen stores. Indeed, this switching is necessary for next-level workouts and faster workouts. You can buy clean carbs in the market.

However, while buying the best carb sources for bodybuilding ensure it relies on complex carbs.

Simple carbs can accelerate fat gain and compromise your bulking efforts.

Adding the best carb foods for muscle growth can transform your workout experience.

They fuel your strenuous workout while providing sufficient nutrition for conditioning your muscle mass.

Whether fat loss or muscle growth, carbs and food are good options. In general, most ignore the nutrients to focus on their protein intake.  However, the high-protein diet plan for muscle gain should involve sufficient carbohydrates. This helps achieve your fitness goals faster.

What is the best carb for building muscle?

You know the answer. You also need to know what the worst carbs for building muscle are. Of course, if you eat them, they can degrade your muscle mass.

List of Carbs to Avoid When Building Muscle

Like protein, carbs are important to grow your size. This doesn’t mean consuming any carbs food. You need to be picky.

Some carbs can deteriorate your muscle-gaining effort. Instead, they can accelerate your fat loss.

You can either eliminate the carbs food complete from your diet. Or, limit the consumption of these carbs.

The carbohydrate foods to avoid when you are building muscle are: 

#1: Baked Goods

Cakes, doughnuts, cookies, or muffins, who can miss these lip-smacking tastes?

Nonetheless, they don’t do any good to your bulking goals.

The sugar-stacked baked food can degrade your muscle mass. On top of that, they contain trans-fat which can elevate your bad cholesterol level. This can increase the risk of cardiac diseases, diabetes, and even stroke.

#2: Sugary Cereals

Sugary cereals taste great, but for bulking, it isn’t good.

The goal is to jack up lean muscle while reducing body fat. So, limiting or cutting off sugary food is a vital step toward a better fitness level.

Surprisingly, many kinds of cereal bear the tag of a healthy and nutritious breakfast. In contrast, they encompass a hefty amount of sugar. It becomes important to consume food in moderation.

They don’t provide vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients in the required quantity. Overall, they do more bad to your muscle-building goals than good.

#3: Packed Fruit Juice

Again, fruit is a beneficial source of carbs. Even fruit juice is the best carb food for muscle building. However, the packed fruit juice in the market isn’t.

They are stuffed with sugar comprising a very small quantity of the fruit. They tend to escalate your blood sugar level.

Instead, you should have fruit as a whole. Or, you can prepare your fruit juice at home using a juicer.

#4: Certain Snack Bars

Pre-workout and Post-workout snack bars are great ways to provide fuel before and after a workout.

Still, you can pick any snack bar to fill your stomach. Most of them are no different than a candy bar.

They contain sugar as much as a normal candy. Of course, they can reduce your energy level while decreasing your concentration.

They can even degrade your performance at the gym. In other words, always prefer a low-sugar protein bar for a convenient and healthy snack

You just don’t need to know the best carbs foods for muscle building, but what’s not? Often people misunderstand and rely on bad sources. This can affect their bulking goal.

You can read more about good vs bad carbs to understand. How much protein and carbs should I eat to gain muscle? Let’s find out…

How Many Carbs Do You Need To Build Muscle?

You know the best carb foods for muscle growth. You also know the carbohydrate-rich food to avoid from your diet. Apart from that, you need to know the right quantity to consume.

Excess carbs can affect your bodybuilding goals, whereas less can affect your performance.

So, let’s get to the answer…

How Many Carbs a Day Are Healthy for a Bodybuilder?

During bulking cycle, your carbs consumption should be around 4-7 g/kg of body weight of carbs per day.

• It should be almost 270-480 g/day for a 68 kg (150 lb.)

This number is applicable for folks into intense bulking.

Particularly, people who are into strenuous workouts, lifting sessions, and resistance training.

Sufficient carbs consumption can help restore your glycogen stores. On top of that, it promotes muscle growth.

What’s The Best Time to Eat Carbs for Muscle Growth?

You can have the best carb foods for muscle growth whenever you want.

However, the timing of the best carb intake for muscle gain can make an impact on your progress.

In contrast, you can have carbs after 30 minutes to 4 hours wrapping up your workout.

This helps replenish your glycogen stores. Of course, it shrinks your recovery timing while nurturing your muscle mass.

The whole discussion on best carb foods for muscle growth. In the end, let’s sum up some key points.

Best Supplements for Muscle Growth

Sometimes, however, taking enough carbs doesn’t deliver the needed muscle-building efforts. That is when you should consider muscle-building supplements to help boost the needed muscle growth. 

While carbs are crucial for providing energy during workouts, other nutrients play a vital role in muscle repair and recovery, ultimately leading to increased muscle mass.

This is where muscle-building supplements can come in handy, potentially providing additional support to your training efforts.

Creatine – The Muscle-Building Secret Weapon You’ve Been Missing

One beneficial substance that is well-known for boosting energy during short periods of high-intensity activity, like lifting weights, is creatine.

It has a reputation for promoting muscle growth by increasing the body’s availability of a quick energy boost during exercise. 

Well, considering creatine in optimal dosage is also vital as too much creatine may affect your health negatively. To balance out the recommended dosage, considering one of the best creatine supplements can be beneficial. 

If you’re looking for one such supplement, Creatine Ultimate CRN-5 by Crazy Nutrition is worth considering.

Crazy Nutrition’s Ultimate CRN-5 is the greatest creatine supplement for enhancing strength and endurance.

The CRN 5 Creatine Review claims that it increases your strength and endurance so you can push yourself over the edge. 

Furthermore, there are two different tastes available for the supplement, so you are not limited to the original flavor. The dietary supplement from Crazy Nutrition promises a 5X increase in workout intensity without loading, cycling, or bloating.

In a nutshell, it’s one of the best approaches to give wings to your bodybuilding journey with a high-carb diet plan. 

Glutamine – The Missing Piece in Your Fitness Puzzle

Apart from creatine,  there are also some natural supplements available in the market that are approved to be an effective way to boost muscle growth. This missing piece of your fitness puzzle is Glutamine.

Yes, it is an essential amino acid prepared by bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts to support their bodies for protein synthesis.  

Glutamine has a proven history of developing muscle mass along with employing strength and stamina.

Several bodybuilders suggest that Glutamine for muscle growth is a big Yes! Key metabolic organs including the liver, skeletal muscles, and stomach regulate the availability and release of glutamine into the bloodstream. 

In addition to this, Glutamate may become crucial for metabolic processes in catabolic or hypercatabolic conditions, but its availability may be hampered by loss of homeostasis in the intertissue metabolism of amino acids.

Mass Gainer – No More Skinny Days 

Mass gainers can be a helpful tool for individuals struggling to build muscle mass, but it’s important to understand them before diving in.

A mix of carbohydrates, protein, and fats is usually found in mass gainers, which are intended to help people gain more muscle and fat. 

With mass gainers, you get measured macros including high-quality fats, proteins, and carbohydrates in an easy-to-mix smoothie coupled with additional calories. Your strength, size, and endurance are all affected by these nutrients.

For considering the best Mass gainer, it’s better to go for a reputable brand that delivers impeccable results.

Crazy Nutrition Mass Gainer can be worth considering for that as it combines well-counted macros to employ your muscle ample nutrients.

Crazy Nutrition Mass Gainer Results reviews suggest that it is the best supplement for bulking up; it just cannot be matched.

It offers a really impressive blend of natural ingredients and, even better, it doesn’t contain any low-quality fillers or cheaper carbohydrates.

Men and women who want to optimize their muscular gains should use mass gainers.

The supplement will be especially helpful if you are a hard gainer, and since Crazy Nutrition has the ideal clientele, you don’t have to believe all of its product claims.

Take Away

There is a whole lot of misconception about carbs. Whether weight loss or muscle building, it is an important nutrient to add to your 7-day meal plan for muscle gain.

Let’s sum up some important points…

• Athletes and bodybuilders can prefer carbs for many things. Steady energy flow, reducing fatigue, and boosting performance.
• Carbs are the primary nutrient for energy. The human body utilizes it for fuelling while storing them as glycogen for future use.
• Carbs are necessary for muscle growth. Your body utilizes glycogen stores for energy rather than processing muscle tissue for fuel.
• Post-workout snacks rich in carbs prevent muscle loss while boosting muscle repair and recovery.

In other words, carbs are important macronutrients for overall health.  However, in terms of bulking, it has an impressive role. So, you need to add it to your bodybuilding diet.

Still, only focus on the best carb foods for muscle growth.