Protein Supplements For Lean Mass Gain
Protein supplements are the most important supplement for athletes, sports men and women and bodybuilders. Without them, let’s face it, you’re not going to consume 1.5g of protein per pound of bodyweight per day, no chance. Even if you did, you would have to eat so many eggs and so much meat, that your diet would contain massive amounts of cholesterol and so many calories that you would get fat. Not to mention that your food shopping bill would cost the earth and you would spend your life cooking, eating and washing up. So, if you are wondering how many competitive athletes, sports men and women and bodybuilders use protein supplements, the answer is ALL OF THEM!
Protein Supplements Requirements
If you want to consistently and progressively improve your physique, you will need 1-2 good protein supplements as well. My advice would be to have a whey protein shake with every meal lacking in protein (usally all meals except your evening meal), have a micellar casein protein supplement before bed (with 1-2 slices of wholemeal toast) and if you only eat 3-4 times per day, increase this to 6 meals per day by using high protein meal replacement shakes.
Whey protein supplements are most easily digested, but don’t use more than 20g every 2-3 hours or the extra protein will be used as energy, or stored as fat. Micellar casein protein supplements digest slowly, ensuring a steady stream of nutrients are bing digested up to 7 hours into the night. Meal replacement powders can be used 2-3 times per day, between regular meals.
Protein Supplements ensure that instead of losing muscle, you just Gain Muscle
Your body needs protein every 2-3 hours, or it starts using it’s own stores, i.e. your muscles – this is called a negative nitrogen balance, when your body is in a muscle losing state. It is therefore essential that you consume your protein every 2-3 hours during the day, to keep your body in a positive nitrogen balance, where your body is in a muscle gaining state. It is then up to you to perform progressively higher intensity exercise, which will result in progressive muscle gains.
Ready to drink protein shakes allow you to stick to a high protein diet much more easily, as they taste great and can be a very quick way to get breakfast on a morning when you are in a rush, or late for work.
Regards,
Martin.
