Protein Supplements and Muscle Building

A bewildering array of different types of dietary sports supplements are available online and in specialist shops these days, all of them claiming to help boost and quicken muscle development in weightlifters, bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts. So what are the best products on the market?

First of all, instead of “what is the best product?” a better would be: “what is the best product for me?”

Bodybuilding supplements help bodybuilders develop greater muscle mass whilst also improving cardiovascular performance during training. Weightlifters and some fitness enthusiasts will also benefit from the addition of the same types of supplements, but the amount and combination required for each type of routine will be very different and will also depend on your individual body type and goals.

An intricate combination of body type, goals and training determines the supplements you will benefit from taking, so the optimum combination can be tricky to ascertain at first.

For bodybuilders, there are some great weight gainer protein supplements available to help enhance muscle build. Sports supplements such as amino acids, whey protein, nor androstenediol, guggulsterones and DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone) are widely available.

Similarly, weightlifters use nutritional supplements to help them push past that all-important burn to build muscle, reaching and going beyond their limits. Weightlifters can combine supplements such as protein powders, nitric oxide and testosterone boosters, whether highly experienced or at the beginning of their career. Supplements can assist both bodybuilders and weightlifters alike in their quest for bigger muscles and a more sculpted body.

However, if you’re simply looking to tone up, then proceed with caution. These muscle-gain products probably won’t suit your needs, so while you may feel like you’d benefit from quicker results, taking a cocktail of nutritional sports supplements probably isn’t the right route for you to go down.

Protein Powders

The essential building block for muscle, protein is found in milk, fish, meat, dairy, soy and vegetable products, with the four types used in supplements being whey, casein (both from milk), egg and soy – the first three being the most widely-used. Protein powder shakes are a perfect meal supplement, helping sports people cram into their diet the sufficient protein levels required to achieve their goals.

Low carb, low calorie, low fat protein shakes are available for weight loss while maintaining muscle mass, while high protein, high calorie but low fat powder is available for muscle building. If you’re just using protein shakes as a meal supplement, then a protein powder with medium carbs and medium calories will do the job.

Whey Protein

Whey protein is the most commonly consumed type of protein supplement on the market.  It’s easily digestible, has an extremely high biological value, and is relatively inexpensive.

More easily digested than any other type of protein and relatively inexpensive, whey protein’s amino acid profile is better matched to muscle proteins than any other food and has been proven to boost the body’s immune system. With the highest value in providing branched-chain amino acids, whey protein may also help stimulate muscle growth by increasing insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1).

Because whey protein is the fastest-absorbing protein of them all, consuming it before and after workout routines is best. Consuming it in the morning with another type of protein (poached eggs, perhaps) is also recommended.

Egg Protein

Eggs are unmistakably one of nature’s best muscle-building tools. The biological value, however, of whole eggs (yolk and all) is actually higher (100) than egg protein (88) – so the consumption of egg protein is actually seen by some as sort of a misnomer and a bit of a waste of money.

That said though, egg protein is a great alternative for milk and soy protein allergy sufferers, has a high amino acid profile, is low calorie, low fat and low carbohydrate, and because it is absorbed at a rate in between that of whey protein and that of casein protein, egg protein can be consumed at virtually any meal.

Casein Protein

Not as well recognized as whey protein, casein doesn’t have as high a biological value as its milk-based counterpart, but can be just as beneficial.

Of all four of the protein powders, casein contains the highest amounts of the amino acid glutamine, which helps athletes preserve muscle mass and aids immune system function. Also, it’s digested more slowly than whey (and therefore ideal protein to consume before bed or for lengthy periods between meals), so is more thoroughly absorbed.  Plus, because it possesses anti-catabolic properties the amino acids from casein stay in the blood for a relatively long time.