Protein Supplements - The Right Food For Muscle Building

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Ask most bodybuilders to list the most important variables for muscle
building and they'll respond with such answers as training, drugs,
supplements, great genetics, etc. But one of the most important
variables is also one of the simplest - food! You can train all you
want and possess Schwarzenegger-sized genetics, but you won't gain an
ounce of new muscle tissue if you don't eat properly.
There's nothing earth-shattering about eating for muscle-building. You
must take in more calories than your body burns off each day. Now,
when we say "take in", we do not mean just eating everything in sight
as all calories are not created equal. For example, if your body
requires 2500 calories per day to put on weight, and you eat four bags
of potato chips or five chocolate bars, yes, you'll gain weight, and
plenty of it. But how much of this will be new muscle tissue? Not much
we assure you. The majority will be fat. Why? Because junk food is
primarily composed of what nutritionists call empty calories. These
foods do not provide the correct nutrients that are vital for muscle
building.
The center of your eating should be high quality protein. This is the
only nutrient that the body can breaks down and reassemble into new
muscle tissue. Like most forms of intense exercise, bodybuilding
greatly increases demand for amino acids, which are then used to
support muscle repair and new growth. Although long debated, most
bodybuilding experts now agree that you should eat a minimum of 1 gram
of protein per pound of body weight. If for example you weight 200
pounds, you should be taking in at least 200 grams per day. Another
suggestion is to consume it with every meal.
Six are better that three: The biggest animals on the planet spend
virtually their entire waking existence eating. Their bodies are
continuously being infused with mass-building nutrients. As a
bodybuilder you should be doing something similar. To allow your body
to actually absorb and use all the calories you ingest, you must
reduce your meal size and increase your meal frequency. By dividing
your calories into smaller, more frequent portions, it allows the food
to be absorbed and utilized more efficiently. If you are one of those
"skip breakfast, small lunch, huge supper types" stop right now!
Instead eat six small meals spread evenly through out the day. Every
two to three hours eat something small but nutritious. This insures
that your body always has nutrients on hand for repair and growth.
Although you don't need to consume carbs or fat at every meal, you
should have protein. By this we mean high quality animal sources. Soy
and plant sources have their place, but trust us, you won't see many
tofu-only eaters on stage at bodybuilding contests; at least the
larger bodybuilders any way. To maximize you muscle building potential
you should be getting most of your protein from such sources as whey,
casein (cottage cheese), eggs, beef, poultry, and fish.
Food vs supplements: Despite what supplement advertisers may claim
supplements won't build you more muscle than chicken or egg whites.
The body treats all sources the same. Their one big advantage is
convenience. It's much easier to drink a protein shake than it is to
buy, cook, and eat a chicken breast or egg whites. Aside from
convenience protein supplements offer few advantages over the protein
found in food. There is no scientific evidence to suggest that food
can't supply all the protein needed for all your muscle building
needs. The key is to eat every two three hours and consume a complete
protein such as eggs, red meat, or low-fat dairy products with every
meal. Provided you are doing the previous you don't need to consume
any protein supplements to get great results. Yes, the much-hyped whey
protein does have some interesting and valuable properties and taking
a few scoops each day is probably not a bad idea, especially if you
are on a low calorie diet for fat loss. But under no circumstances
should you skip meals in favor of protein supplements. For superior
muscle building put most of your emphasis on real food and leave the
hype to the supplement advertisers.