Protein
supplements such as whey protein, add high quality protein portions to your
fitness and bodybuilding diets.
There's a lot of hype in the sport nutrition
world about
protein supplements and whey protein in
particular. In fact, protein supplements (whey
protein) have long
been used in bodybuilding diets and by strength athletes to
help build lean muscle tissue. Bodybuilding diets in
particular have traditionally turned to protein for
muscle building.
However, loading up on protein supplements or
drinking eight whey protein shakes a day does not
mean more muscle. When looking at various bodybuilding
diets, beware the myth that says that consuming
LOTS of protein, amounts way beyond what your body
requires, improves results. Actually, you
can easily get your daily protein requirement from
high protein foods like chicken and fish.
The key is to know how much protein you need,
based on your bodyweight and fitness level, and to
feed your body that protein at regular
intervals—about five to six times a day, or every
three hours. Simply put, protein supplements, like
whey protein shakes or powders, make this feat a
little easier.
Use protein supplements
when your schedule is busy
If your busy schedule involves any one of the
following (and whose doesn't): picking up or
dropping off kids, commuting, working, traveling, chores,
and shopping, chances are it's difficult to prepare portions of
turkey, chicken, or cottage cheese for every snack
or meal. There's also something to be said for not
having to cart a cooler of food around with you all
the time. Whey protein supplements can help. They are
convenient, portable, and they taste pretty good
too.
So, how much protein (or protein supplements) do you need
in bodybuilding diets or a sport nutrition program? Well, about 12
to 15% of your total nutritional intake should be
from protein. That's .6 to .10g per pound of body
weight depending on your level of physical activity.
For example:
- Strength athletes: .7g of protein per pound of
body weight
- Aerobic athletes: .5g of protein per pound of
body weight
- Endurance/cross-training athletes: .9g of
protein per pound of body weight
Protein supplements are
not a replacement for food
The key word here is supplement. Your body isn't designed to metabolize powders
and pills all the time. Count on food for most of
your nutritional intake and supplement with protein
supplements when you're on the go! Use whey
protein shakes to
simplify your meal planning but still incorporate
lots of quality protein foods into your bodybuilding diets.
The bottom line is if you are physically active, you can
benefit from protein supplements. Use whey protein
powders for convenience, but
don't forgo healthy eating habits and high protein foods.
Choosing protein supplements
Reading the labels on some protein supplements
can be an adventure, How do you know which brand to
choose? For whey protein, one thing to compare is
the serving size and protein content per serving. If
the difference is small, the protein is more
concentrated and therefore you need to use less each
time. So, a more expensive whey protein product may
actually last longer and is therefore the better
buy.
For example, if each 29 gram serving of a whey
protein powder contains 21 grams of protein, then it
is more concentrated than each 38 gram serving of
another brand that only contains 12 grams of
protein.
Here's an overview of some common protein
supplements on the market:
Whey protein isolate—a milk protein, the purest
form of whey protein that contains 90 to 95%
protein, and little fat or lactose. Generally the more expensive
form of whey protein supplement. Products include:
Whey protein concentrate—contains 25% to 80%
protein, depending on the product, and more fat or
lactose than whey protein isolate. Most protein
supplements consist of primarily whey protein
concentrate with some whey protein isolate. Whey
protein concentrate products include:
Soy protein—made from defatted soybeans, it
contains 65 to 90% protein. An excellent meat
substitute and complete protein
Amino acid pills—made from pre-digested
protein. Can be an expensive choice with no real
proven results over protein foods.
Protein bars—convenient and portable, and
engineered to be tasty snacks, like chocolate bars
or granola bars.
Protein Supplements
 Protein supplements and protein powder—you'll find a wide range of brand name
protein supplements at
Musclesurf.com.
All Natural Vegetable Protein, Soy Free
 —for
vegetarians, there's protein supplements that
contain absolutely no animal products or sugar. An
ideal supplement for low carbohydrate diets.
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