|
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.
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.
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
|
