How To Optimize Your Protein Intake During Muscle Building
Pune, 26 April 2024: The body has to create a balance between creating and breaking down muscle tissue. When you consume protein and weight training, your body makes new proteins. When your body rests and digests food, your body breaks down and expels damaged proteins. This ratio defines your overall muscle growth.
On the other hand, amino acids are required for protein synthesis in your body; your body needs nine eaa supplements, and you must get these from your diet. This blog has everything you need to know about eating protein and resistance training to stimulate muscle growth.
Protein Dose: How Much Protein You Should Eat?
Ongoing research and debate have been about how much protein you should consume daily. Here is what some prominent researches say :
- You need only around 20 grams of protein per meal for protein synthesis.
- Consuming between 20 grams and 40 grams of protein provides only a slight increase.
- Eating more than 40 grams of protein gives little to no increase in protein synthesis.
According to a 2015 study, the optimal protein consumption is 0.4/kg of body weight per meal with 4 servings of food throughout the day.
Example: If you are 77 kgs, you would require around 31 grams of protein per meal or 124 grams daily.
Timing Of Protein: When Should You Eat Protein?
Consuming enough protein within 24 hours after a workout is more essential than the actual intake timing. However, if you want to optimise your muscle growth, here are three scientifically proven tips:
- Eat protein as soon as possible after your workout.
- Consuming 20g of protein after every 3 hours is better than 10 g every 90 minutes and better than 40 grams of protein after every 6 hours.
- Eating 40 grams of slow-digesting casein protein before sleeping will restrict the amount of protein breakdown and increase your muscle growth.
Protein Source: Which Protein Supplement Should You Choose?
The source of protein does not play a role as much as the total amount of protein consumed. The primary sources of protein are from dietary sources: milk-based products like whey or casein protein and plant-based products such as soya and pea protein.
Whey protein is the standard protein supplement as it is easily digestible and absorbable and strongly affects protein production. The effectiveness of whey protein is rational due to the presence of leucine, which has a more significant impact on protein synthesis and muscle growth.
Casein is another protein supplement that slows digestion and inhibits muscle breakdown, especially at night. Soy and pea proteins are excellent protein sources but have been proven to be less effective than whey protein because of less leucine content.
Importance Of Training For Muscle building And Impact Of Protein
Protein is crucial for muscle development. Instead of focusing on the quantity of protein you consume, you should pay attention to the timing of consumption. The muscle protein synthesis process is stimulated by strength training, but it also gets stimulated when you eat protein.
Besides carbohydrates and fats, protein is the macronutrient crucial for optimal health. Protein plays a special role in bodybuilding as it contains the building blocks of muscle tissue called amino acids.
Studies have shown that dietary protein and protein-rich diets help promote protein synthesis, recovery and lean muscle growth. For bodybuilders and athletes, protein is not an option but a requirement and emotion. Besides protein, BCAA has been shown to build muscle, alleviate muscle soreness, and lower muscle fatigue.
Conclusion
Proper protein consumption is significant. Optimising protein intake is a crucial step when it comes to bodybuilding. When you eat right, you gain muscle mass efficiently and effectively—incorporating protein-rich foods, such as lean meat, eggs, soybeans, peas, etc., into your diet. Additionally, consider incorporating raw whey protein that provides your body with essential nutrients required for muscle growth, promoting muscle building.
