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Protein supplement - which one to choose and is it needed at all?

Protein supplements are classics of this genre among athletes. And among people who are completely green in the subject, different legends are formed about them (as well as about creatine). I myself have heard from people that protein is steroids, or that it is "food", or that you will be "square" after consuming them. Authentic! However, a protein supplement is nothing more than a food product that contains protein (of various origins: for example, eggs, whey, soy). In other words: a protein supplement is used to enrich the exerciser's diet with protein, which is the main building block of muscle. Simply taking a protein supplement (no exercise) can only get you ... diarrhea, not muscle gain.

By ROBINSON JAMES HERBERTPublished 3 years ago 10 min read
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Protein supplement - which one to choose and is it needed at all?
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Protein supplements are classics of this genre among athletes. And among people who are completely green in the subject, different legends are formed about them (as well as about creatine). I myself have heard from people that protein is steroids, or that it is "food", or that you will be "square" after consuming them. Authentic!

However, a protein supplement is nothing more than a food product that contains protein (of various origins: for example, eggs, whey, soy). In other words: a protein supplement is used to enrich the exerciser's diet with protein, which is the main building block of muscle. Simply taking a protein supplement (no exercise) can only get you ... diarrhea, not muscle gain.

What is a protein supplement for?

As I said above: supplement the diet with protein in athletes. People who exercise regularly in the gym have an increased need for protein. According to the sources I rely on, the minimum protein intake for strength training is 1.4 grams per pound of body weight. There are also studies showing that consuming more than 2.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight does not have any additional effects when combined with exercise.

Protein requirements are controversial, but it can be assumed that the safe range is 1.4 g to 2 g per kilogram of body weight (for people involved in sports). In fact, it doesn't really matter if you are gaining weight or losing weight. In the first case, protein is a building block from which the body can synthesize proteins and build muscle.

Secondly, Protein intake helps prevent excessive muscle loss and also helps regulate hunger. Air conditioner can also just replace food from time to time (although it should only be used as a last resort). It is also common practice to consume protein supplements immediately after exercise (for fear of catabolism (muscle breakdown)).

However, a separate text should be devoted to this topic. You may have also heard different versions of legends about "anabolic windows", etc. To clarify this, I will cite one study that proves that protein absorption immediately after strength training is impaired (in other words, when you drink protein immediately after exercise, you only digest a small amount of protein (part of that). and also helps regulate hunger.

Air conditioner can also just replace food from time to time (although it should only be used as a last resort). It is also common practice to consume protein supplements immediately after exercise (for fear of catabolism (muscle breakdown)). However, a separate text should be devoted to this topic. You may have also heard different versions of legends about "anabolic windows", etc.

To clarify this, I will cite one study that proves that protein absorption immediately after strength training is impaired (in other words, when you drink protein immediately after exercise, you only digest a small amount of protein (part of that).

And also helps regulate hunger. Air conditioner can also just replace food from time to time (although it should only be used as a last resort). It is also common practice to consume protein supplements immediately after exercise (for fear of catabolism (muscle breakdown)). However, a separate text should be devoted to this topic.

You may have also heard different versions of legends about "anabolic windows", etc. To clarify this, I will cite one study that proves that protein absorption immediately after strength training is impaired (in other words, when you drink protein immediately after exercise, you only digest a small amount of protein (part of that).

Air conditioner can also just replace food from time to time (although it should only be used as a last resort). It is also common practice to consume protein supplements immediately after exercise (for fear of catabolism (muscle breakdown)). However, a separate text should be devoted to this topic. You may have also heard different versions of legends about "anabolic windows", etc. To clarify this, I will cite one study that proves that protein absorption immediately after strength training is impaired (in other words, when you drink protein immediately after exercise, you only digest a small amount of protein (part of that).

Air conditioner can also just replace food from time to time (although it should only be used as a last resort). It is also common practice to consume protein supplements immediately after exercise (for fear of catabolism (muscle breakdown)). However, a separate text should be devoted to this topic. You may have also heard different versions of legends about "anabolic windows", etc.

To clarify this, I will cite one study that proves that protein absorption immediately after strength training is impaired (in other words, when you drink protein immediately after exercise, you only digest a small amount of protein (part of that). However, a separate text should be devoted to this topic. You may have also heard different versions of legends about "anabolic windows", etc.

To clarify this, I will cite one study that proves that protein absorption immediately after strength training is impaired (in other words, when you drink protein immediately after exercise, you only digest a small amount of protein (part of that). However, a separate text should be devoted to this topic. You may have also heard different versions of legends about "anabolic windows", etc.

To clarify this, I will cite one study that proves that protein absorption immediately after strength training is impaired (in other words, when you drink protein immediately after exercise, you only digest a small amount of protein (part of that).

Do you need a protein supplement?

If you can manage to get the right amount of protein in your diet, you don't need protein supplements (there are many excellent sources of protein as well). It is easy to use the concentrate.

First of all: even with a well-planned diet, there may be days when you can't eat the right amount of protein, then it's very easy to supplement with a supplement. Second, the need for protein can be so high that it can be problematic (or quite expensive) to consume all protein from food alone. For example, with my current protein needs, I would have to eat (in chicken tongue) about 0.73 kg of chicken breast every day (or about 18 large eggs).

Concentrate, isolate or protein hydrolyzate, how are they different?

There are three main types of protein supplements. Protein concentrate is the cheapest option with the least processed protein. Protein Isolate - Contains more protein per 100g than concentrate, and in the case of whey-derived proteins, it is fat and lactose free.

Protein hydrolyzate (the most expensive) also has a high concentration of protein as an isolate, but in addition, proteins undergo a hydrolysis process that should improve protein absorption. The latter finding is actually backed by research (although this does not mean that the protein isolate is much less effective on the hydrolyzate). However, one thing is for sure: Protein hydrolysates are the highest quality and most expensive.

How to use and dose a protein supplement?

Once you know your macronutrient distribution and you know how many grams of protein you need per day, and you are counting macronutrients, you do not need to follow the manufacturer's recommendations for dosage of the supplement.

In all honesty, all of the dosage recommendations on the labels of these supplements don't really matter (due to what I wrote earlier). I know (especially for newbies) "breaking down macronutrients" and counting calories can seem intimidating, but we live in the 21st century, and this is extremely simplified (I use Lifesum for this, another option is MyFitnessPal).

If you don't feel like counting, you can take a protein supplement in the morning and evening. As I wrote in my text on muscle recovery, a high protein breakfast and a high protein dinner can help speed up muscle recovery. By the way, it is also worth mentioning here, that lunch should consist not only of proteins, but also carbohydrates (possibly only carbohydrates).

The method of consuming carbohydrates at night is called "carbohydrate loading" and is designed to effectively replenish muscle glycogen stores before the next workout. This is just a sketch of the "carburetor reverse loading" method that deserves a separate text.

Which protein supplement should you choose?

First, avoid concentrates (unless you really have the money to buy a higher quality protein, buying a concentrate is ultimately acceptable - you just need to take in more). Concentrates of the lowest quality and low in protein (compared to isolates and hydrolytes).

Also, if something is supposed to be a “protein supplement,” it is natural that we want to have as much protein in it as possible (say at least 85%). It's a good idea to take a quick look at the ingredients and see what comes up first (ingredients are always listed in descending order, that is, from highest to lowest).

Anyway, the branched chain amino acids (called BCAAs) like leucine, isoleucine and valine should be at the top of the ingredient list. You should also avoid protein supplements containing a mixture of plant proteins . This is due to the fact that plant proteins are poorly absorbed. In particular, men should avoid soy proteins (consuming large amounts of soy is associated, for example, with a deterioration in the quality of the sperm source).

Which protein supplements do I use?

Protein supplement - which one to choose and is it needed at all?

The most commonly used protein supplement is Optimum Nutrition - Whey Gold Standard (shown next to it). This is the product of a well-known American company, which is still slightly less known in Poland. This protein is currently available in Poland in 12 flavors .

In the US, Gold Whey is the top-selling protein supplement, in other words, the Lord of the Rings protein. 😉Let's move on to more serious reasons related to the fact that I choose this particular air conditioner. It should be borne in mind that the production of a protein supplement is not as low-budget as it seems to people. In other words: you cannot produce a very cheap protein supplement (if it has to contain the stated amount of protein).

If protein isolate is too cheap, chances are high that, for example, "Amino acid jumps" or other fraudulent conduct. The idea behind introducing amino acids is that useless amino acids are added to nutrients, which can then be classified as proteins in tests (the point is that standard tests take into account the nitrogen content of the food).

In short, technically okay, but this very cheap supplement actually contains a lot less protein than the label claims. These foods often contain a lot more fat. Sometimes the discrepancies in product labels are extremely large (for example, instead of 1 g of fat per 100 g, actually 8 g of fat in the middle), and even in Poland there are cases when companies have contacted us after testing their products. To summarize the above paragraph in a nutshell, a protein supplement cannot be too cheap and should be trusted by the brand. It's the same with Optimum Nutrition.

In addition, it is too big a brand to produce any commercials in stock (and given the competitiveness of the US market, every competitor simply stumbles). In addition, the products of this brand are certified by various institutions, and the brand itself tests its own batches of products. All this makes me trust these products, and I can be sure that I receive a product with a label that matches the content. In addition to Whey Gold Standard itself, I sometimes use another classic protein supplement - Syntha from BSN (it has a slightly thicker consistency than Gold Whey). the products of this brand are certified by various institutions, and the brand itself tests its own batches of products.

All this makes me trust these products, and I can be sure that I receive a product with a label that matches the content. In addition to Whey Gold Standard itself, I sometimes use another classic protein supplement - Syntha from BSN (it has a slightly thicker consistency than Gold Whey). the products of this brand are certified by various institutions, and the brand itself tests its own batches of products.

All this makes me trust these products, and I can be sure that I receive a product with a label that matches the content. In addition to Whey Gold Standard itself, I sometimes use another classic protein supplement - Syntha from BSN (it has a slightly thicker consistency than Gold Whey).

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About the Creator

ROBINSON JAMES HERBERT

I'm a worshiper of creativity and knowledge. I'm a researcher of many sectors. I like to write my own view on various subjects, and also like to write about techniques and tips. Follow me to get amazing information and tips.

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