Finding good advice on how to build muscle can seem like a never-ending minefield. So many articles and videos, but how do you know what is good advice?

However, we can all agree on two things:

1. Progressive overload – in order to stimulate muscle growth your muscles need to be stimulated. Using the same weight and repetition allows the muscles to adapt to the same stresses, so progressive overload is essential for growth
2. Having a calorie surplus – in order to build muscle you need a calorie surplus to rebuild damaged muscle fibres from your workouts. This should include 0.7 to 1g of protein per pound of body weight.

Organic Spirulina Powder Benefits for Building Muscle?

Spirulina is a green/blue algae and is one the oldest organisms on the planet. It has been used by people for centuries as it has so many incredible benefits such as lowering cholesterol, helping with diabetes, improving digestion and much more. It is so highly nutritious that The World Health Organization have called it “mankind’s best healthy product in 21^st century”. Here is why Spirulina is great at building muscle.

Protein – Pound for pound it has more protein than beef, and is made of 70% protein. It is a complete protein as it contains all 8 essential amino acids which are necessary for muscle growth, as our body cannot make these amino acids.

Copper – A single tablespoon of spirulina powder contains over 20% of RDA for copper, which helps the cardiovascular system and helps strengthen joints, which is required for lifting weights.

Iron – without enough iron, our muscles cannot get enough oxygen to function properly, as iron plays a role in transporting oxygen to all cells in the body. Having enough iron is essential for peak athletic performance. 1 tablespoon of spirulina has 11% of your RDA!

B Vitamins – it has B1, B2 and B3 which help boost immune system and help release energy from food.

In fact studies have shown that supplementing with spirulina benefits muscle growth, better endurance and muscle strength. [1] [2]

How to take?

To get all the amazing organic spirulina benefits for muscle growth, add it to your post workout smoothie. Spirulina powder has a very earthy and vegetable taste, which is not the most palatable on its own. You can try adding to a blender, one serving of your favourite protein powder, one banana and 1 tablespoon of organic spirulina to make an incredibly powerful post workout green smoothie.

Tips on choosing Spirulina powder

There are many spirulina products in the market, but not all are equal, in fact some of the products are toxic. The reason for this is that spirulina acts like a sponge in water and it absorbs everything in its environment. Spirulina grown in the sea or lakes means it absorbs all the contamination such as heavy metals and other toxins. The best organic spirulina powder should be grown in fresh mineral water and in a controlled environment away from toxins, and it is important to ensure the product is tested for purity.

Bibliography

[1]	Institute of Human Performance and Rehabilitation, Center for Research and Technology – Thessaly, Trikala, Greece., “Ergogenic and antioxidant effects of spirulina supplementation in humans.,” January 2010. [Online]. Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20010119.
[2]	Sport Science Research Center, National Taiwan College of Physical Education, Taichung, Taiwan. hklu@ntcpe.edu.tw, “Preventive effects of Spirulina platensis on skeletal muscle damage under exercise-induced oxidative stress.,” September 2006. [Online]. Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16944194.