Using Maca Root For Weight Gain and Muscle Growth

Naturally brimming with an abundance of vitamins, minerals, sterols, amino acids, and other helpful nutrients, maca root has been making waves in recent years as its potential benefits become more widely known. While there are numerous reasons why you might want to introduce this vegetable into your diet, muscle building is among the most popular.

If you are thinking about taking maca root for weight gain, this guide will help steer you in the right direction. We will cover all of the important reasons why maca may be effective at helping people build muscle and put on healthy weight, while also diving into which kind of maca may be best suited for this task. If you are curious about bodybuilding or improving your curves with maca root, we have some information on that as well.

What Makes Maca Useful For Gaining Weight?

First, it’s important to understand why maca may be effective for weight gain in the first place. What makes this little root vegetable so special, especially considering the fact that vegetables are usually the last foods we think about when it comes to putting on weight, healthy or otherwise.

It’s true, like most vegetables, there isn’t much fat content in maca root. While maca does contain a rich assortment of healthy free fatty acids, these are in small and natural ratios. Maca root is comprised primarily of carbohydrates, protein, and fiber, rather than fat.

You might be wondering if this is the case, how on Earth can maca actually help you put on weight? The answer lies in the way in which maca root is thought to interact with the body. Research indicates that maca may possess hormone-balance properties, as well as an incredible nutrient profile that may have just what the body needs to stimulate muscle growth.

Let’s take a look at these maca root benefits a little closer in order to get a better understanding as to why so many people swear by this root vegetable when it comes to getting results at the gym.

Diverse and Rich Nutrient Profile

The first and most notable aspect of maca is the number of different nutrients it carries. The various minerals, amino acids, antioxidants, and potentially beneficial plant sterols, and glucosinolates contained within maca root place it firmly within the realm of “superfood” status.

Of course, nutrients alone aren’t going to magically help you bulk up at the gym. What’s important to note here about this unique root vegetable is that the specific combination of plant-based nutrients helps give it adaptogenic as well as anabolic properties. Such foods are ideal in matters of muscle-building and weight gain because faster recovery time and more efficient use of energy are both clear upsides. The presence of nutrients such as potassium and iron, which are also vital in the muscle-building process, may also be a contributing factor here.

Hormone Balancing Properties

One of the most well-known aspects of maca root is its potential for helping to correct hormonal imbalances. According to the research that has been conducted up to this point, it would appear as though maca root may positively stimulate hormone production and balance them as well. The main reason this is thought to be the case is that maca contains an abundance of amino acids, which are the building blocks of hormones. This is important because our ability to gain muscle mass is tied to the proper functioning of our hormones.

Is Maca Anabolic?

This term gets thrown around a lot in the body-building and fitness world, but what does it really mean? Anything that is anabolic is simply muscle-building, and it would seem that from what we know about maca, that it is naturally anabolic.

An anabolic state in the body is simply one that is conducive to muscle growth, so it’s not just about what you eat but how you approach fitness in general. You have to make sure that you are eating a well-balanced diet and that you are getting plenty of sleep. You also want to make sure you are doing what you can to reduce stress in your daily life, as stress can negatively impact muscle growth. Because maca is also an adaptogen and can help the body cope with stress, it is also helpful in this area as well.

How Does Muscle Growth Work?

Muscle growth occurs when your muscles sustain damage during a workout and are subsequently repaired. This process is known as hypertrophy, and requires the right amount of muscle stress and certain nutrients, such as protein and iron, in order to be successful.

Hormones actually play a large role in muscle growth. This fact may indicate why maca root may be effective when it comes to helping with bulking up and general weight gain. Not only is maca full of important nutrients that are directly involved in the process of building and repairing muscle tissue, but the potential hormone-balancing effects of maca may come into play here as well.

While most of us typically associate foods like lean meat and whey protein as being integral to a successful workout meal, the truth is that vegetable sources can be just as effective. Pea protein, for instance, has taken off in recent years because it is bioavailable and contains all of the essential amino acids save for significant amounts of methionine, which can be supplemented.

Comparatively, maca root also contains nearly all of the essential amino acids and an abundance of others, along with crucial muscle-building nutrients like iron, potassium, and calcium. It’s no wonder then why this root vegetable is said to be effective when it comes to muscle growth and healthy weight gain. It would appear that it naturally contains a somewhat ideal nutrient profile for the job.

Which Type of Maca is Best For Weight Gain?

Maca comes in several different colors, each of which has a slightly different nutrient profile. This means that each variety of maca is more suited for certain health concerns than others. The best maca root for weight gain happens to be black maca, the rarest of the maca varieties.

The primary kinds of maca can be divided into three color groups, which include yellow or cream-colored maca, red and purple maca, and the rare, black form of maca. These are not different plants, as each color comes from the same harvest. Rather, the differences between the maca colors appear in their skin, which may indicate subtle variations in nutrient variety or concentration.

While the exact reasons why each harvest of maca root contains such a variety of different colored roots are not yet known, it’s widely recognized that each form of maca produces somewhat different effects.

Red maca powder is typically known for benefits such as improved fertility in women, mental focus, and mood imbalances such as anxiety and depression. Black maca root on the other hand is more known for its potential energy and stamina benefits and is more often used for muscle-building and weight gain. If you are specifically interested in the potential body-building effects of maca root, black maca products are the way to go.

In general, however, all maca can be used to improve your diet, and can easily be incorporated into your post-workout smoothies or body-building diet regimen. Here at The Maca Team, we have a variety of high-quality maca products such as powders that you can mix into your smoothies or morning coffee, as well as easy-to-take maca capsules that you can use at the gym or wherever you happen to be. We even have maca root extract that you can use on the go as well, for an even more convenient maca experience.

If you aren’t exactly sure which maca root product to start with and you are curious about maca’s potential as a way to help you gain healthy weight or even bulk up, start with gelatinized black maca root powder. This high-grade maca product combines the potential muscle-building properties of black maca with the process of gelatinization, making it easy to digest for those with sensitive stomachs.

Regardless of the specific maca product that you choose, it’s important not to think of maca as a supplement or “protein powder.” This isn’t whey powder, casein, or a similar kind of artificial kind of product. Maca is an all-natural superfood that should be treated like any other vegetable. This means that you shouldn’t expect any kind of immediate results by introducing it into your diet, but likewise, you are free to eat as much of it as you like. You can even start using maca in breakfast recipes and delicious snacks like brownies. It’s not a supplement so you don’t have to worry about eating too much of it.

What About So-Called Maca Curves?

Any food that is naturally anabolic and that contains a great number of usable amino acids and other nutrients are going to potentially help with your figure, given you are exercising the right muscles on a regular basis.

If you are concerned with improving your figure and have been looking for a product that might be able to help with the shape and tone of your buttocks, for instance, maca has been known to help in this regard. Simply due to its impactful nutrient profile, including a generous amount of maca root into your diet may be just what you need to build some healthy weight.

However, simply taking maca alone isn’t going to magically give you the curvy figure you’re looking for. If this is something you are specifically interested in, it’s important that you are working out on a regular basis and that you are using the right exercises as well. Step-ups, walking lunges, glute bridges, and squats should all be a regular part of your workout routine if you’re serious about toning this area of your body.

In general, regardless of which area of your body you are trying to improve, a healthy diet combined with the proper exercises will work wonders. Choosing only one of these two points is not likely to give you the kind of results you are looking for. This goes for general muscle-building tactics as well as focusing on specific muscle groups. You have to utilize very specific exercises while eating a well-rounded diet full of vital protein, vitamins, and minerals to get the best results possible.

Where to Find Fresh, Nutrient-Rich Maca

Of course, it helps to start off with high-quality maca that is nutrient-rich and fresh. This way you know that the product you are using contains the highest possible assortment of valuable nutrients. Here at The Maca Team, our maca is grown sustainably and is always GMO-free, vegan, and as fresh as possible. We are dedicated to providing our customers with delicious high-grade maca that can be used to bolster your diet and may be just what you’re looking for if you need help with building muscle.

Not only will you find that our maca products are high-quality, but we also have a great variety of different products to choose from as well. Whether you are looking for black maca powder specifically or would prefer your maca in capsule form, we have you covered. We also offer premium tri-color maca and even maca coffee for those who want to start their day with the rich nutrients of this amazing root vegetable.

It’s always worth making sure that the maca you use is grown properly and is packed as fresh as possible, which helps preserve the integrity of the nutrients. If you are serious about body-building or improving your diet in general, a fresher product is always going to be better for maintaining those fragile plant-based compounds and vitamins. You want your maca to be as fresh and as bioavailable as possible for the best results.

If you want to know more about maca root for weight gain, and which variety may be ideal for your specific needs, you can browse through our store, take a look at our product selection tool, or give us a call at 888-919-8616!