Types of Protein For Bodybuilding

The most important nutrient for any bodybuilder or athlete is protein. Most things in our body are mostly made of protein. Our muscles, our skin and our hair and many other things are built and maintained with protein

Most general recommendations for bodybuilders or athletes is 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. That’s just a general guideline but it ensures that you are ingesting enough of this potent macronutrient. Some bodybuilders aim for higher amounts, they find that the higher amounts work best for them. Try different amounts for yourself and see what fits you best. In order to do this however, you will need to be consistent with your intake. You will also need to keep that intake the same for extended period of time to see what the result will be.

Now, you do have the macronutrients of course. The carbohydrates build and the fats make hormones like testosterone. Protein contains amino acids, your body’s building blocks. You must have protein for everything else to work efficiently.

Increasing muscle mass
Protein will be more beneficial when trying to gain muscle mass when combined with carbs. You won’t see a low carb weight gain powder will you? You need those carbs with the protein to gain mass. Eat more grams of carbs than protein. Experts agree that carbohydrates increase the absorption of protein. Basically carbs make protein more anabolic.

What types of protein are out there?
There are many types of protein powders. Each of them have amino acid profiles and each of them are utilized by the body differently. The best ones are whey, egg, soy, milk, and casein protein. You can and should use these in different ways to get the most benefit from them.

That being said some proteins are better than others. I will list a few types of protein and give you their benefits

Whey Concentrate

Whey protein concentrate is usually what one thinks of when they think of whey protein. Most supplement companies use high amounts of whey concentrate proteins in their basic protein powders. The use of this protein drives down the cost for manufacturers. If you find a really cheap protein, odds are high that it contains high amounts of whey protein concentrate in it. It would be more beneficial if you used whey isolate with a mixture of whey concentrate included. It’s a simple protein that is not fancy and a bit lower quality, but for you that are on a budget, this might be the protein for you

Whey Isolate Protein

Whey isolate is among the highest quality proteins on the market, With the name whey you have probably figured out that whey comes from milk protein. Whey isolate protein is quickly absorbed within the body. Many bodybuilders and athletes use whey isolate protein after their workouts to get those amino acids working quickly and to facilitate the recovery process. Don’t worry about taking a lot of whey isolate at once, it’s digested so quickly that you would end up wasting most of it. If you want to use it as a supplemental protein, I would advise mixing it with slower digested proteins or go with the simple solution and mix it with milk.

Why take whey isolate after a workout? Well, as mentioned earlier he most important time to take in nutrients its post workout. That’s when your muscles are starving to get those nutrients replaced that you lost during the workout. The amino acids in the isolate will quickly get to work repairing the muscle tissue that was damaged during training.

Egg protein

Egg protein is a good quality protein. It has a very high biological value. Some bodybuilders would prefer egg protein to whey concentrate. Heck, back in the day, bodybuilders just ate tons of hard boiled eggs all the time to get their protein in. I highly recommend egg protein to your protein supplement regimen. It’s good to have a change of pace, you don’t want to use the same protein time after time. Plus if you are using whey isolate protein, save it for post workout and use egg protein as your supplemental protein in between meals.

Milk Protein

Milk protein is a combination of whey and casein protein. It’s very convenient and inexpensive. If your short on money, just go buy a couple gallons of milk. Some people call it “nature’s weight gainer”. The rate of digestion is great with milk protein, you get the faster digesting whey and the slow digestion from the casein. You can trickle feed your muscles for a longer period of time. Many supplement companies use milk protein in their specialty formulas to give you the time released effect

Casein Protein

Casein protein is one of my favorites. Casein is a great complement to whey protein. Both whey and Casein Protein stimulate protein synthesis in the body. It is said that casein protein is better used for repairing and gaining muscle than whey. Because of its fast digestion, whey protein is a better source of energy, especially if a person is dieting….even more so on a low carb diet. Casein is a great protein to take at bedtime. The slow release of amino acids keep your body anabolic as you sleep. Therefore you will minimize the risk of losing muscle tissue during sleep. I would say that 90% of the casein protein consumed is consumed at bedtime.

Soy Protein
I am not a fan of soy protein, but it can be useful. I would not use soy as a stand alone protein. I don’t think it would give much benefit, especially concerning altering your physique through increases in muscle mass or losing body fat. Soy can help lower cholesterol, the bad kind (LDL). High levels of LDL can lead to all sorts of problems. The problem I have with soy protein is the estrogen content. Too much soy is not good for guys, at all. I’m not trying to scare you to death. I just wouldn’t drink 400 grams of soy protein every single day. When included with other proteins, soy is fine. Don’t worry about the potential negative side effects.

Conclusion
As an athlete or bodybuilder you must have protein. Just don’t go crazy. Don’t try and get 700 grams protein in every day. Don’t use the same type of protein day in and day out. Eat quality foods, get your protein from quality sources. Use the different proteins to give your body some variation. Mix whey with egg, soy, and milk protein. Your muscles will thank you. You physique will thank you.