Building muscle and muscle growth doesn’t begin at the gym, it begins with our diet & how we fuel our body. No matter what diet or protocol is followed (paleo, keto, animal based, carnivore, or standard diet), we all know the importance of reaching the correct ratios of protein, fat, or carbohydrates to provide us with enough energy & to build muscle.

Many of us overlook the actual micronutrients which provide the best platform to benefit muscle growth, strength, & recovery. Let’s have a look at some of the key beef liver vitamins & minerals to start creating the best foundation to reach your goals.

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is an essential vitamin that your body cannot produce itself & must be obtained through diet, with the most natural & purest form being from animal sourced products. Because of its importance we will dive a little deeper into the functions & benefits for muscle growth.

• Red Blood Cell Formation: Red blood cells increase the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood, which increase the amount of oxygen sent around the body & directly to the muscles. Higher levels of healthy red blood cells will assist in athletic performance, weight training, muscle growth & recovery. 

• ATP Energy Production: The powerhouses for energy production within the cell are called the mitochondria. Within the mitochondria, fatty acids, sugars & amino acids can be converted to energy in the form of ATP. Whilst it is generally accepted that the B group vitamins play an essential role in ATP (energy) production, Vitamin B12 plays a particular role in the conversion of food into energy. Reducing fatigue & increasing energy.

• Amino Acids From Protein: B12 is known to metabolise proteins we eat, breaking them down to make amino acids available for uptake by the muscles. Enhancing workout performance, promoting recovery & muscle growth.

• Strong Healthy Bones: Osteoblasts (bone building cells) require healthy levels of B12 to maintain bone mineral density, bone strength & growth. Strong bones assist in setting a solid frame for our muscles and muscle growth, brittle or weak bones can cause issues if trying to lift heavy weights. The impact or strain during exercise & strength training helps increase/maintain overall bone health.

Vitamin A (Retinol)

When it comes to strong bones we mostly think of Calcium, not Vitamin A which is an essential vitamin for good bone health. It has a positive relationship with both Osteoblasts (bone building cells) & Osteoclasts (bone breaking down cells). Retinol Vitamin A is the preferred form which can be beneficial to the bone by stimulating bone formation as well as inhibiting bone resorption.

Vitamin A also supports protein synthesis which is essential for increasing muscle mass and encouraging muscle growth.

Iron

High intensity exercise & rapid muscle growth can affect iron levels which lead to requiring more iron than the normal recommended daily intake (RDI). Iron is the most important trace mineral that is vital to creating red blood cells & oxygen transport from the lungs to muscles & organs. Having a healthy iron level ensures our muscles are fuelled to give extra stamina, without sufficient iron, there aren't enough red blood cells to transport oxygen which leads to early fatigue.

Vitamin B2 Riboflavin

Riboflavin plays a vital role in absorbing nutrients from food & maintaining your body’s energy supply. It helps to produce ATP from food, which is used to store energy in the muscles ready for when the body requires it. Giving more energy & power once it is time to hit the gym, go for a run or any other athletic activity.

Vitamin B2 also works synergistically with Vitamin B6 & Folate to make both more usable.

Magnesium

An essential mineral for many processes in the body with 99% of Magnesium found in bones, muscles & soft tissues. If Magnesium levels are too low, muscles may start to cramp up or spasm hindering muscle growth. An adequate level can reduce muscle fatiguing, stiffness, cramps or soreness during an endurance, strength, or resistance training. Supplementation post exercise is well known to prevent/relieve the onset of muscle tightness by relaxing the contracted muscle cells.

We all know how importance of good quality sleep, Magnesium is a sleep cheat code, improving sleep efficiency by being more relaxed, falling asleep faster, having a deeper sleep, & lowering cortisol.

Vitamin B9 Folate

Folate (B9) & Vitamin B12 work together to benefit cell division, creation of new cells, & the repair of damaged cells. After tearing the muscle fibres when pumping out that extra rep at the gym, Folate (Vitamin B9) is going to assist in rebuilding damaged muscle tissues during the recovery phase. Which will in turn improve muscle building, muscle growth & strength over time.

Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid

Vitamin B5, also known as Pantothenic Acid, is another essential B vitamin which assists with metabolic functions, synthesising fatty acids, breaking down cholesterol & releasing energy from food. All these processes allow fat to be used as energy to fuel the body during exercise & recovery.  

Importantly B5 can improve the uptake of other nutrients including Vitamin D & Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin).

Summary

To get you motivated, we will highlight the potential benefits of building the correct nutritional foundations for muscle growth & health:

• Healthy red blood cells will assist in athletic performance, weight training, muscle growth & recovery.

• ATP energy production reduces fatigue & increases energy.

• B12 & B9 to assist in rebuilding damaged muscle tissues during the recovery phase.

• High intensity exercise & rapid muscle growth can affect iron levels.

• B12 to maintain bone mineral density, bone strength & growth.

• Magnesium for muscle recovery & better sleep quality.

Conclusion

As you can start to see a trend here, essential B Vitamins play a powerful role in building a solid nutritional foundation to build & maintain healthy muscle growth and development, support strong bones, plus increase energy & recovery. Beef liver is one of nature’s richest sources of B Vitamins (especially B12), Vitamin A, Heme Iron, plus many more. But sourcing a constant supply of good quality fresh certified organic beef liver can be difficult. Plus, then you have the taste & sometimes inconvenience of trying to add it into your daily routine. This is where our tasteless & convenient Organic 100% Grass-Fed Beef Liver Capsules come into their own.

Premium quality ACO certified organic grass-fed & finished beef liver, sourced from the remote grasslands of Australia. 100% natural with nothing else added, simply vitamins & minerals in their most bio-available form. Freeze-dried to lock in all nutrients so the community can access at any time.

If you want to learn more about our Freeze-Dried Organic & Grass-Fed Beef Liver Capsules.

We also have a highly concentrated Magnesium Oil Spray which can be applied to the skin for direct topical absorption.

+++ DISCLAIMER:  The information in this blog is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content is for general informational purposes only and does not replace a consultation with your own doctor/health professional.