Muscle Building Supplements - Using Protein

If you’re interested in muscle building supplements, you cannot ignore protein. You probably know that protein is vitally important for muscle growth. There are thousands of different proteins in the body, and all are made directly or indirectly from the amino acids in the foods and supplements we eat. Athletes need much more than the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of protein. Most strength athletes should eat 0.8 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight each day. Endurance athletes need 0.6 grams per pound of bodyweight daily. Divide this protein requirement into four to five equal portions.

Protein Is An Essential Muscle Building Supplement…

Gaining muscle using protein is essential for athletes. There is some protein in every single cell of the human body. Brain cells, for example, are 10 percent protein while red blood cells and muscle cells contain as much as 20 percent protein. All in all, protein makes up nearly 15 percent of a person's bodyweight, more than any other substance except water. These proteins have a wide range of functions, including tissue growth and development. Two protein-based myofilaments inside the muscle fiber, known as actin and myosin, are responsible for all muscle contraction. The tendons, ligaments, hair, skin, and nails are specialized kinds of structural proteins. Proteins are also used to form some two thousand different enzymes, which speed up chemical reactions throughout the body. Proteins are even needed to form most hormones, including insulin and growth hormone.

The body manufactures all of these different proteins directly or indirectly from the raw materials in the proteins you eat. These building blocks are called amino acids. There are twenty amino acids in foods: alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamine, glutamic acid, glycine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine, and valine. All of these amino acids contain nitrogen and other components. When the body has enough of them, it is said to have a positive nitrogen balance. Inadequate protein consumption relative to your needs results in a negative nitrogen balance.

Some Technical Details About Muscle Building Supplements…

The adult body can manufacture twelve of these amino acids whenever they are needed. They are called nonessential amino acids. This does not mean they are unimportant, however. The term nonessential signifies that the body can synthesize them from compounds normally present in the body at a rate equal to the body's need for them. The other eight amino acids are called essential because they must be supplied by the diet. These essential amino acids are isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.

Foods are classified by the quality of the amino acids in them. Complete proteins are foods that contain amino acids in the correct quantities and ratios to support tissue growth and repair. Eating the right amount of these foods assures you an adequate supply of all of the essential amino acids. Incomplete proteins, on the other hand, are those foods that lack enough of one or more of the essential amino acids. When incomplete proteins are eaten as the protein source, it is possible to have a protein deficiency even if the total quantity of protein eaten is sufficient for your needs. This is because the deficient amino acid becomes a limiting factor for the protein production process, effectively stopping protein synthesis even though all of the other amino acids are available in adequate quantities.

As a result, when you try gaining muscle using protein, you must consume complete proteins. You can do this by eating proteins that are complete by themselves or by eating two protein sources that together contain all of the essential amino acids. Foods that are individually complete include eggs, milk, meat, fish, and poultry. Whole eggs have the best combination of essential amino acids among unprocessed foods. They have therefore been used as the foundation for a protein measurement system called Biologic Value. As can be seen in the table below, whole eggs have a Biologic Value of 100. Milk is ranked at 91, while whey protein tops the chart at 104. Most meats are around 80. Vegetable sources of protein rank even lower because they lack certain essential amino acids.

It is also possible to get adequate protein from vegetable products if the foods are eaten in the right combinations. Basically, beans or nuts should be eaten with grains like corn, wheat, or rice. Tofu, which is made from soybeans, should also be eaten with grains. These combinations create complete protein foods by combining one food that is deficient in a particular amino acid with another food that contains it. Complementary foods should be eaten within a few hours of each other when gaining muscle using protein.

Biologic Values

Protein Source Biologic Value

Whey   104 
Soy   74
Egg, whole  100 
Rice   59
Milk   91 
Wheat   54
Egg white  88 
Peanuts   43
Beef   80 
Dry Beans  34
Fish   78 
Potato   34
Casein   77