There are two basic ways to increase your muscle mass – lifting weights and eating more. While packing on muscles through food is a simple process, building muscles through weights is a bit more complicated. When you lift weights, you cause tiny tears in your muscles, which repair later on, increasing the size of the muscle. When your muscles are repairing after a workout session, they are said to be in an anabolic state. The opposite of anabolic state, when the tissues in your body break down, is referred to as the catabolic stage.

There are two main reasons that your body goes into a catabolic state – prolonged sessions of workout and fasting. When you exercise for a long time, your body starts utilizing glycogen and glucose to gain energy. When this happens, your tissues begin to break down in order to burn the protein present in the muscles. A similar process takes place when your body does not get food for a long time.

To increase your muscle and gain some weight, it is important that your body remains in an anabolic state much longer than a catabolic state. A number of simple procedures can be used to avoid a catabolic state.

Consume sports drinks before extended workout sessions

As stated above, extended work out sessions are the main cause of catabolic state. If your training session is expected to last longer than an hour, you should consume a sports drink about an hour before exercise. This will provide extra energy to your body, keeping it out of the catabolic state.

Eat foods rich in Proteins and carbohydrates

Intake of protein shakes or juices can be very helpful in speeding up the anabolic rate and avoiding the catabolic state. Consume proteins and carbohydrates about 1 to 2 hours before and after exercise and you will observe magical results. There are a number of protein drinks available in market that are known to be effective in helping people avoid catabolism. These drinks contain necessary amino acids which are responsible for discharging growth hormones that build muscles.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C not only supports your body’s immune system but also helps your body in an anabolic state for longer periods. Intake of foods and beverages rich in vitamin C, such as orange juice, before a workout session, can help you avoid a catabolic state.

Post workout nutrition

Muscle repair does not stop immediately after you drink a protein juice, instead, it continues for the next 18 to 20 hours. So it is very important that you get healthy diet throughout the day to keep your body from going into a catabolic state. Eat smaller more frequent meals to allow your body to use the calories more effectively.