Why Use Protein Powder When Working Out for Muscle Growth

Protein powders have taken the world by storm and you can clearly hear the clinking of shaker bottles whenever you pass through a gym. It seems like everyone has climbed on the protein bandwagon these days. However, the question is whether people are aware of the use and reason why they are upping their protein source, or are they taking protein shakes as it is a trend in the gym culture?

Protein powders made from whey, soy, pea, etc have become so popular that you can easily find a wide range of protein powders in grocery stores as well. However, this supplement is not equally useful for everyone. Hence, it is important to understand why protein supplements are being taken, what purpose they serve and the amount that should be taken by a person.

All about protein

Protein is a compound consisting of a small chain of molecules called amino acids that are building blocks in your body. Our body comprises muscles, ligaments, organs, skin and tendons, hormones, enzymes, etc that are all made from protein. Our body requires 21 different amino acids to develop proteins. Hence, you eat proteins to build the essential amino acids in your body that will in turn repair as well as build tissues in your body.

Because proteins are the building blocks of muscle tissues, it is a highly vital ingredient in gaining strong, lean muscles in a shorter span of time. It is suggested by fitness experts that to especially build muscle, one should have an intake of 1 gram of protein per one pound of body weight. Therefore, if you weigh 250 pounds, you should intake 250 grams of protein per day to build muscles. You can also take in more protein than advised levels as that will further aid the muscle healing and building process.

Now it is easy to say that you should take a certain amount of protein to build muscles. But how is it possible for a working man of 250 pounds to take in 250 grams of protein per day? A 100-gram breast piece of chicken has 31 grams of protein. So technically he has to eat approximately 800 grams of chicken to fulfill the daily nutritional requirement for protein to build muscles!

Protein powder to the rescue!

Eating so much protein through direct food sources every day is not convenient, or even possible. Most people do not have time on their hands to cook elaborate protein-rich meals multiple times a day.

Even if people do take out the time and devise meals according to their protein requirements, it can and will drastically increase your calorie and carbs intake. Increasing calories and carbs nullifies the benefits you gained with eating more protein as you will end up gaining fat along with the muscles. This is why choosing a low-fat protein powder can help you meet your protein requirements without increasing your calories intake.

Moreover, eating this much protein through natural food sources per day is also expensive. 2 eggs provide 12 grams of protein. Can you imagine the number of eggs you will have to consume and pay for to meet your protein requirements? Hence, protein powders have been introduced as an answer to everyone’s prayers for a convenient protein intake without the limitations of high-calorie intake, inconvenience, and high expense.

Protein synthesis

Protein synthesis is the biological process whereby our bodies use amino acids to create proteins. Muscle protein is one type of protein that our body creates, is integral to repairing as well as enlarging muscle tissues in our bodies.

Protein breakdown is the opposite of protein synthesis which basically means when our body breaks down the proteins it has into the basic form of amino acids. Both protein synthesis and protein breakdown are natural processes happening around the clock at some rate or the other.

Muscle gain results when protein synthesis exceeds protein breakdown. Similarly, muscle loss occurs when protein breakdown exceeds protein synthesis. Normal people have bodily states in which both the processes balance each other out so neither do you lose muscle nor do you gain.

Hence, it is very obvious how important protein is for muscle gain/loss. If you are specifically looking to build stronger, leaner muscle mass, protein synthesis must exceed protein breakdown at any cost. And this is possible through work out and greatly through the intake of protein supplements such as Allmax that can be helpful in training sessions.

Types of protein powders

There is a wide variety of protein powders available in the market these days. The high amount of choices can be nerve-wracking for many. Basically, there are two types of protein sources available in the market these days that are animal source proteins and vegetable source proteins. Animal source proteins include whey, casein, egg white protein, etc. Vegetable source proteins include soy, rice, pea, etc.

Taste-wise and nutrition-wise, animal-sourced protein is the more superior one and whey protein is the most popular choice of protein supplement with the most benefits and lowest cost.

Excluding water, protein makes up three-quarters of your body. Regardless of your bodily goals, protein is an essential ingredient required in our daily lives for healthy living. No doubt bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts require protein in more quantity, but an average person should also fulfill their average daily protein requirements to stay healthy. The average daily requirements for normal people can usually be fulfilled through natural food sources, like lean meat, fish, eggs, beans and legumes, and dairy sources.

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