No matter how hard you try to avoid these endless marketing campaigns about various muscle growth supplements that are promised to transform your body, there is still a chance that everyone falls at least once into this trap. This article is not another advertisement to try this or that brand. This blog post will help you to understand what can actually help you in your journey with muscle growth and how to choose the supplements that work.
There are a lot of available options that are marketed for muscle growth stimulation, strength, or overall better athletic performance. Other supplements are positioned as a good source of energy and extra protein to get charged before exercising and target nutritional goals. Athletes are constantly seeking various methods to enhance changes in body composition. And based on various research, the most effective supplements that have strong evidence of strength and muscle development are protein and creatine monohydrate. Let’s talk in-depth about both.
What do you need to know about protein?
Protein assists with building muscles, repairing tissues, and making enzymes and hormones. Protein is a great source of essential amino acids and is a crucial component for athletes to support such processes as muscle hypertrophy, weight loss, and enhanced recovery. “Healthy, sedentary adults generally need 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of body weight per day. For a 170-pound person, that’s about 62 grams.” (Health) This amount of protein is also enough for people who do resistance-training exercises to support their protein balance, encourage muscle growth, and improve body composition. However, according to the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN), it is recommended to consume 1.4-1.6 grams of protein per kilogram daily for those who have a more intense exercise schedule and try to increase muscle mass. For highly trained athletes who focus on retaining lean tissue and following some calorie restrictions, it is possible to intake up to 2.3-3.1 grams per kilogram. The goal with balanced protein consumption throughout the day is to split it evenly for every 3-4 hours.
The main sources of protein are such products as milk, eggs, soy, peas, and rice. But during the process of extracting the protein from those sources, natural carbohydrates, fats, minerals, and fiber will be also removed while some artificial nutrients and even sweeteners can be added. That’s why it is always important to keep in mind that protein powder is classified as a dietary supplement, so the production of it is not regulated in the same way as food and medicine. Only some supplements that include herbs, botanicals, vitamins, and minerals can be regulated as food products. But here are a few tips that will help you to make a safe choice.
How to choose the protein powder that fits your needs
Labels
Pay attention to the labeling. The fastest way to ensure that the product contains the listed products is to look at the certification that verifies the content of the supplements. You can trust such companies as Consumer Lab, U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP), Informed Choice, Banned Substances Control Group (BSCG), and NSF International. Here are the examples of their marks that will be included on the label.
Type of protein
You have to understand your goals first to choose a protein powder that is right for you. Here are the most popular types of protein and their benefits.
Whey protein is obtained from milk and has the highest leucine content (the catalysis for muscle protein synthesis) compared to other animal protein sources. All forms of whey protein are easily digestible and provide a high-quality source of protein that can be helpful to meet daily protein goals and increase or preserve muscle mass, especially when decreasing calorie consumption during weight loss.
Casein protein is also derived from milk, but it contains less leucine and because of its structure, it creates clots in the stomach acid, which leads to slower digestion and absorption. This type of protein works better if consumed prior the bedtime to stimulate MPS (muscle protein synthesis).
Plant protein is getting more and more popular and is made of different plant-based protein sources such as soy, peas, rice, etc. Plant-based protein has lower leucine content than whey and casein, and it has much fewer essential amino acids with lower bioavailability. Although the majority of plant protein is easily digestible, its amino acids don’t are bioavailable to skeletal muscle tissues compared to whey or casein protein. There is still not enough research about plant-based protein effects. It’s a great alternative for people who don’t want to include animal products in their diet, but this type of protein doesn’t have a full spectrum of essential amino acids that stimulate muscle development as whey or casein protein does.
Type of sweetener
Protein powders may contain some unnecessary ingredients that will add extra calories to your diet. The best option is to choose a protein powder with little or no added sugars. Another good choice is the one that has natural sweeteners like stevia or monk fruit.
Optimize your diet
We all know that a healthy diet is the key to a balanced lifestyle. However, many Americans don’t base their food decision on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), which leads to overconsumption of calories and not hitting essential requirements for macronutrients. Surprisingly, reaching your daily protein goals is not as challenging as it may seem, especially when approached with the right knowledge and strategy. According to Harvard Health Publishing, “One egg, one half-cup of chickpeas, or a small handful of nuts all provide roughly 6 grams of protein. A piece of chicken or fish the size of a deck of cards offers about 30 grams.” We just need to be aware of the products that are high enough in protein, so we can also consume other healthy vitamins and fats from those food items.
Protein powder is a convenient and fast way to help you target your protein intake goals. It can be useful if you understand how much protein you need in general and how much of it you consume with your normal diet, and if you see the necessity of adding extra protein to your smoothies, shakes, and pancakes, be smart about those decisions because overconsumption of protein may reduce muscle-building potential.
What do you need to know about creatine?
Creatine is an endogenous amino acid derivative produced by vertebrate animals and occurring primarily in muscle cells, according to the National Institutes of Health. It is produced by your liver and kidneys after you eat protein. Some animal products like beef, poultry, and seafood contain creatin naturally.
There are a bunch of short- and long-term studies that have proven the safety of creatine supplements with the only side effect (which some people are hoping for) of gaining more weight by retaining more water muscle mass.
“Creatine increases the body’s ability to produce energy rapidly. Creatine exists naturally in your body and helps fuel your muscles, which is why some people take it as a supplement to boost their performance in the gym. The mechanism is straightforward: If you’re able to lift more weight in the gym, you’re able to create more of the muscle fiber tears that your body can then repair and rebuild bigger and stronger after your workout.” (Men’s Health)
Creatine is an effective muscle growth supplement. If you have issues with growing mass on creatinine short-term, it means that you are not drinking enough water. In the long term, creatine helps you to boost the workload that you can handle.
Adding creatine supplement to your diet
Here is some information about creatin intake, “Creatine monohydrate can be supplemented through a loading protocol. To start loading, take 0.3 grams per kilogram of body weight per day for 5–7 days, then follow with at least 0.03 g/kg/day either for three weeks (if cycling) or indefinitely (without additional loading phases).
For a 180 lb (82 kg) person, this translates to 25 g/day during the loading phase and 2.5 g/day afterward, although many users take 5 g/day due to the low price of creatine and the possibility of experiencing increased benefits. Higher doses (up to 10 g/day) may be beneficial for people with a high amount of muscle mass and high activity levels or for those who are non-responders to the lower 5 g/day dose.
Stomach cramping can occur when creatine is supplemented without sufficient water. Diarrhea and nausea can occur when too much creatine is supplemented at once, in which case doses should be spread out over the day and taken with meals.” (Examine)
In general, be cautious with adding supplements that you may be unsure about. Always consult with your doctor and read the instructions on the packaging. A lot of issues can be avoided if you follow the recommended directions. Remember that the best way to create the desired look is to have a balanced diet and get enough rest.
