Protein the greatest

Muscle Building with Protein – the greatest of bodybuilders

Given that it’s the primary building material for the human body, it stands to reason that any form of intense physical activity such as bodybuilding that increases muscle-building will undoubtedly increase the demand for protein. The question though is, does a normal healthy diet provide enough protein for bodybuilding? The answer is, it all depends.

How much?

For many years, there has been an ongoing debate concerning the amount of protein humans require. This argument has been re-energized in recent years because of the success of many popular high-protein weight-loss diets. The current Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. But for decades bodybuilders and other athletes have ignored the RDA’s and consumed amounts far in excess of the government's recommendations. Although it took time, there now exists some quality research to show that the RDA levels for those involved in athletics are inadequate and may in fact slow recovery times or limit muscle growth. It is generally accepted that endurance athletes should consume 1.2 to 1.4 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. Strength and bodybuilding athletes need more and are recommended to consume between 1.4 and 1.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day (1). These values are still below what bodybuilding experts consider to be the Holy Grail value, which is 1 gram per pound of bodyweight.


Protein Sources
Although there are hundreds of rival protein products to choose from for muscle-building, they essentially all can be subdivided into three categories - whey, milk and egg, and soy.

Whey
Whey is one of the two major proteins found in cow’s milk, the other being casein. Why makes up about 20 percent of the total found in milk and is considered superior to most other sources because of its digestibility, bioavailability (the amount absorbed versus amount utilized by the body), and high concentrations of such proven muscle builders as branched chain amino acids and glutamine. From a practical point of view it also mixes easier than other sources, which usually require a blender, and doesn’t seem to cause the bloating and gastrointestinal discomfort that other protein sources have reputations for.


Milk and Egg
A few years ago we would have said that milk and egg sources were inferior to whey, but this is not the case any more. Refinement techniques have closed the gap to the point that you’re really not missing out on much if you opt for milk and egg over whey. Where milk and egg may lag behind whey is mixability. Despite better refinement procedures most milk and egg products still need to be mixed in a blender. Whey on the other hand can be mixed with a few swirls of a spoon. Milk and egg may also cause gastrointestinal problems for some individuals because it uses whole milk. Many whey products have the lactose and other gastro upsetting culprits removed. Most people now consider the newer milk and egg products just as effective for bodybuilding and muscle-building as whey sources.

Soy
As with older milk and egg proteins, soy has gotten a new lease on life. Despite being derived from plants, it’s one of the few plant sources that contain all the amino acids (most plant sources are deficient in one or more amino acids). For this reason it’s considered a complete protein. Compared to high-end sources like whey, Soy falls a little short in most respects. It doesn't mix as well, and its taste also falls a little short. Still, it has its benefits including lowering cholesterol and reducing heart disease.