Eating Your Way into Muscles

On the road to fitness, there are two important things. The first is the quality of the exercises you do, and the second is the quality of what you eat. If you want to gain those impressive muscles, one diet you cannot do without are proteins. It is recommended that you take about 1.4 to 2 grams of proteins per kilogram of body weight if you are serious about getting some muscles or about 0.022 to 0.032 ounces of protein for every pound of your body. This is why you may need to supplement your diet with protein powders for a better diet. At Fitnessator, we are going to tell you some of the best protein powders that you can take for better muscle gains and bulking up. However, we will tell you some types of protein powders and their merits and demerits and why you may want to take protein powders. We hope these will help you in your considerations of protein powders.

Why protein powders?

People prefer to use protein powders for many reasons. One is that it is a relatively inexpensive way to boost your protein intake. Protein powders have been made to be dense in proteins that even a little serving contains so many proteins. You may need to buy a lot of foodstuff like lean meat and chicken to meet your protein requirements. With protein powders, you need less of this to get the right amount of proteins. Although, as you start to look more like the Hulk, you may find out that you need to eat more lean meat. Besides, lean meat is also an important part of your diet. Another factor is that with protein powders it is easier to streamline your choices. Vegans can look for protein powders with no animal proteins and still get great quality stuff, from hemp to pea to even brown rice options. For the best bioavailability for the best price, pea protein powders are your friend when it comes to reviewing how to build lean muscle.  Another being that protein powders are easier to use on the go. you can check out Fitnessator website for information on awesome scientific-based exercises to combine with protein powders.

Types of protein powders – their pros and cons:

There are two major types of protein powders: the ones gotten from plants, and the ones gotten from animals. The major animal-based protein powders are the whey, casein, and bovine colostrum protein powders. Other sources of animal proteins are majorly from the meat or eggs of animals (we are yet to see any meat or egg powders). Major plant-based protein powders come from soy, nuts, legumes and spirulina algae. Let’s talk about them.

Whey protein powder:

This is a water-soluble protein powder. Whey is a translucent liquid which remains in milk after the milk has been coagulated by enzymes and the curds removed. Since it is water-soluble, it gets dissolved in the intestine and absorbed in no time. It is a complete protein having all the 9 amino acids needed by the body. Think of it, for mammals, to live off on milk for an average of one year, there should be something pretty special about milk (we are yet to see a vegan baby – no offense to the vegans out there). It has higher concentrations of leucine and glutamine which are very important amino acids as far as metabolism of the muscles is concerned. Cysteine is very important for the production of glutathione in the liver which happens to be a powerful antioxidant. Whey protein releases the most amino acids in the body compared to any other protein powder available. However, these amino acids are quickly broken down by the body to release energy. For the best results, we recommend either combining whey proteins with the slower release casein proteins or taking whey proteins in little quantities through the day, or a combination of both methods. The problem with whey protein powder is that it may be a problem for people who are lactose intolerant and for vegans. If you are lactose intolerant, look for the protein powders made from whey protein isolate which is the purest form of whey protein where most of the lactose has been removed. It’s important to use only high quality whey protein which will help you build lean muscle.This supplements promote weight loss, enhance muscle growth and reduce hunger in both men and women. Whey protein contributes to the growth of new lean muscle fibers, and it will begin to work right away thanks to its fast-acting nature. The more lean muscles you have the more calories you burn all day. Brands like WellWisdom, Naked Nutrition, Optimum Nutrition Platinum can help you choose the most affordable one. Popular whey protein powders include whey concentrate, whey isolate, and whey hydrolysate.

Casein powder:

This is the insoluble part of milk proteins. It does not dissolve in the stomach immediately and gives more like a slow release of proteins and amino acids. It is very good as a pre-workout supplement to keep releasing proteins steadily throughout the day. It has similar problems for lactose intolerant people and vegans. So, may not be a good option for these people. Studies show that it can make a more stable combination with whey powder.

Bovine colostrum protein powder:

Bovine colostrum is gotten from the liquid cows secrete during the first few days after giving birth before they start producing milk. This nutrient-packed liquid is important for the growth and development of babies and contains substances that can stimulate growth hormones. This is the least popular type of animal protein. Studies suggest that using it for a longer period of time is more effective than using it for a short period of time. However, more studies are needed to verify these. Also, this is not for vegans and the lactose intolerant.

Soy protein powders:

This is one alternative for vegans. Soya bean plant has been used as an alternative to milk and is very friendly for the vegan and lactose intolerant. Other plants like legumes and nuts (such as almond nuts) are very rich in proteins. However, there are some drawbacks. First, plant proteins are not really complete proteins in themselves. This means that if you are opting for plant proteins, it is best to combine different plant proteins. The second is that some plant proteins like soy protein powders contain high levels of some substances called phytoestrogens. These substances act like estrogen – the hormone that gives women breasts. So, there is a valid concern here about it giving your female-like breast (you wouldn’t want that, would you?)

Spirulina algae powder:

These algae are a rich source of protein and it comes in many different flavors. What more, it is vegan-friendly because it is plant-based. This is a good try for vegans and lactose intolerant people. You need to combine with other plant-based proteins to get a more complete protein, however.

Our thoughts on this:

Protein powders are much needed for your exercise regimen. You can check out Fitnessator blog for more information on awesome exercises you can do to gain muscles. Your choice of a protein powder depends on your goals. If you are just interested in a complete protein powder, go for whey and casein powder. They are easy to get and quite popular and give you the most complete protein you need. On the other hand, if you are lactose intolerant, you can look for whey protein isolate which is 90% whey protein and won’t cause problems for you or like the vegans you can go on plant-based protein powders. If you decide to go plant-based, remember that the sensible thing to do is to combine different protein powders or combine a high-protein diet with protein powders. A combination of whey and casein may be better but taking whey protein in small amounts throughout the day instead of a large bulk amount is okay. For even better results, you may combine protein powders with a high amount of proteins in your diet. A high-protein, low-fat diet can get you into ketosis which may be good or bad depending on your body condition. if you are diabetic or have issues with your kidney or liver, you may want to discuss with your doctor before going on a high-protein diet.