The Importance of Protein in Muscle Building

A Few Nutrition Basics:

Every athlete or bodybuilder needs to know how important proper nutrition is. A healthy diet absolutely has to be one of the critical building blocks in any training regime. This includes consuming the appropriate number of calories, as well as eating the correct ratio of protein, carbohydrates and fats, at the right times. Protein, fats and carbohydrates are all know as “macro-nutrients”. This means our bodies need them in large quantities. All these macro-nutrients have their own functions within the body. However, they also interact in order to perform these functions properly. Specifically, this article will look at the importance of protein in muscle building, including some interesting facts you might not know.      

                                  

How Much Protein is Normally Found in Muscle?

Interestingly, next to water (60-70%), the largest component of muscle cells is protein. Approximately 20% of your muscle tissue is made up of protein. This fact alone should convince you that proper protein intake is essential in any muscle building regiment. Without it, it is next to impossible to maintain the muscle mass you already have, let alone build more!
 Functions of Protein and Nitrogen in Muscle Building:
As well as being necessary for growth and new tissue production, protein is also very important for the repair of tissues that have broken down. In fact, muscle breakdown is actually what happens when you exercise or lift weights.

 Positive Nitrogen Balance:

One of the most important components of protein is nitrogen. Nitrogen is also essential for tissue building. A “positive nitrogen balance” is your goal. This is when you have enough protein available, for your body to function properly, and enough to build muscle too! [i]
 Negative Nitrogen Balance:
When you have a “negative nitrogen balance,” you do not have enough protein. Therefore, your body will go into a “tearing down” state. This is the main reason why eating enough protein is essential to your training program. If you workout, without the right amounts of protein, you will actually be breaking down AND damaging your muscle tissues, not building them up.

How Much Protein is Needed to Build Muscle?

Most experts today are in agreement with the fact that 1.0 to 1.5 grams of protein, per pound of body weight, is optimal for the growth of muscles. For example, a 200 lb. male will need somewhere between 200 to 300 gm of protein daily, to build muscle mass. Excellent food sources of protein are found in lean beef, turkey, chicken, fish, eggs, soy and nuts. So, definitely include these in your diet plan, if you want to build muscle. Perhaps, the best way to keep your intake of protein at ideal levels, throughout the day, is by drinking good quality protein shakes, such as whey protein. In order to get the most out of your intake of protein, you have to make sure you consume reasonable quantities of carbohydrates and fats too. This will ensure your body cells build necessary protein.
 When Should Protein be Taken to Build Muscle?
The proper timing of protein intake is also critical to keeping your body in that “positive nitrogen balance’ state mentioned above. Athletes and bodybuilders alike should consume protein every three to four hours over the course of the day. It should also be evenly distributed over five to six meals. For example, try having two to three main meals, supplemented with two to three high protein snacks (shakes, etc.).

Rates of Protein Synthesis after a Workout:

Protein synthesis is the process by which cells of the body generate new proteins.
Taken from a study in the Journal of Applied Psychology (2000), rates of protein synthesis are compared in three different workout conditions:

• Compared to values before a workout, protein synthesis went up by 100% after weight training.
• After weight training, with high levels of amino acids (used to synthesize protein) in the blood, protein synthesis increased by 200%, as compared with normal amino acid levels post training.
• Post workout, with high levels of both amino acids and insulin in the blood, synthesis of protein went up by 400%. This is compared to normal levels of insulin and amino acids, post weight training.