The Best Protein Sources for Bodybuilders
Supplemental Protein and Timing
For rapid assimilation and quick fire muscle gains, whey protein has become the standard by which all other protein sources are now measured. A quality whey supplement (like ISOFLEX Whey Protein Isolate) can be used pre, intra and post workout, to infuse your muscles with high grade essential amino acids. A workout without a generous 25-30g serving of whey is, in today’s more enlightened age, considered a wasted workout. Whey is also recommended in the early morning to offset any potential muscle catabolism brought about through a sleep-induced 8-10 hour fasting period.
Casein vs. Whey
As noted above, while whey protein scores highest in all three measures of protein quality, casein is ranked lower than many common whole food sources. However, this doesn’t mean that both do not have an important role to play in muscle growth. As many a bodybuilding champion will attest to, both are not only desirable, they are essential. Here’s why.
Casein – a milk protein – is, upon consumption, more slowly released compared to whey. This makes it the perfect antidote to the 8-10 hour fast we are forced to undertake during sleep. Taken immediately before retiring for the night, casein will stay in the system longer, shuttling valuable amino acids into our muscles while we sleep. A good casein product (such as ALLMAX’s CASEIN-FX, which is comprised of 100% Micellar Casein, is essential for those wanting around the clock muscle gains.
Whey and casein can also be combined to ensure both fast and slow release proteins are on hand to keep one’s muscles anabolic for longer. As the perfect solution, ALLMAX’s HEXAPRO, with its six protein blend (Whey Protein Concentrate, Milk Protein Concentrate, Whey Protein Isolate, Milk Protein Isolate, Micellar Casein, Egg Protein Isolate) is ideal to keep protein levels high and keep you in an anabolic muscle building state. In fact, HEXAPRO tastes so good, that many are now using it almost exclusively as a one-stop protein product that is both convenient and effective (and delicious)!
Whole Foods vs. Supplemental Protein
A long standing debate – which is better, protein from whole foods or from supplemental sources? The answer is… both.
Protein supplements have taken their rightful place as the most reliable and efficient source for rapid protein consumption which supports maximum muscle growth. In addition, there’s the convenience factor – it makes sense for the busy gym rat to fire down a quick protein shake prior to, and after, intense workouts. It’s at this time when protein requirements are at their peak, both to stave off catabolism and to flood hungry muscles with essential amino acids for growth and recovery. Whole food is just not practical in this scenario.
However, whole foods are of equal importance – they supply many important co-factors that protein supplements may not. Beef, for example, can provide a natural source of creatine, saturated fats (which can be useful for testosterone production), B-vitamins and a host of trace minerals for proper cellular functioning. Eggs and fish, with their superior protein content, essential fatty acids (EFAs) and high BV, are widely considered the perfect muscle-building foods.
And finally, for those of us who actually enjoy cooking, food is both a source of great pleasure and a way to add spice to one’s life. The ideal compromise, it seems, is to use protein supplements strategically (3-4 times per day, in and around workouts, first thing in the morning and before bed) and employ whole food sources at all other times.
Conclusion
In view of the combined BV, PER and NPU of our most commonly consumed protein-rich foods it appears that, in order of effectiveness, whey protein (preferably the isolates), eggs, fish, chicken, beef, milk and casein trump all others. Therefore, when planning your nutritional requirements, be sure to ensure the best of these comprise the majority of your diet.
Whether we prefer to achieve an optimal intake of it in supplement form or through the consumption of whole foods, high quality proteins that are rich in all nine essential amino acids are a fundamentally important prerequisite for all hard training bodybuilders and strength athletes. Given that our muscles, and indeed all the cells of our bodies, are comprised of proteins, we need plenty of these in nutritional form to repair and build a solid and more efficiently functioning foundation.
Remember, if you want to look like a bodybuilder, you need to eat like a bodybuilder, and one of the keys to this mantra is maintaining an adequate ratio of protein in a well-balanced diet.
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http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/protein retrieved on 17.9.12