Does Protein Help Build Muscle?
Posted in: Diet and Nutrition
We’re always told to eat a load of protein. Some people seem to eat absolutely staggering amounts, even 3 grams per lb of bodyweight, I’ve seen in some cases. We’re inundated with protein supplements.
It’s obvious our bodies need protein for a balanced diet and good health, but my question is, do we need protein to build muscle mass?
Firstly, I’d like to say I’ve never met any bodybuilder, vegan or otherwise, who didn’t ensure they got a good dose of protein in their diets. I’ve also met plenty of people who’ve made impressive gains who didn’t subscribe to the usual 1-2 gram of protein per lb of bodyweight. In some cases, very low amounts of protein were consumed.
However it’s a proven fact that ‘adequate’ protein promotes a positive nitrogen balance, which is conducive to keeping your body in an anabolic (growth) state.
The people who appear to have the best results are always those who seem to eat protein regularly, around every 3 hours in around 5-6 small meals a day. This prevents the anabolic state from tapering off and keeps your body in a state of repair and growth (providing you have worked out!)
So yes, many people have made good gains without huge amounts of protein, but my question always is… how much better could the gains have been if the protein intake was higher? Chances are, probably noticeably better.
But not all proteins are the same. It’s easy to believe what we’ve been told, that a calorie is a calorie, and protein is protein, but that’s simply not the case. Good quality protein is the only type of protein worth eating to build muscle. Quality protein is contained in whole foods, also known as ‘complete’ proteins which contain all 8 essential amino acids, such as eggs, milk, beef, fish and chicken.
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