- How much protein do you need to gain muscle?
- Is a protein shake the same as protein that I eat?
- What is the best source of protein?
Recently, I posted blogs about pea and rice protein, which led to a bunch of questions about protein, in general. Here are the top questions I get:
Protein is such a mystery! How much should I eat? What kind should I eat?
No matter how you are looking to transform your body, protein is needed. It’s the foundation for how muscle is built!
1) Can you only eat 25-30 grams per serving because your body won’t process the extra? Does your stomach and small intestine have a nutritional value counter? Probably not. “MORE” isn’t always better. Protein synthesis starts and initiates the muscle-building/repairing process, you can’t turn it on “more” in one meal. It doesn’t go in overdrive. Suggest dividing up your protein so you aren’t hitting your system hard at 1 time with a heavy dose for digestion. Across multiple meals will actually help you boost protein synthesis many times over the course of a day.
2) Do I have to eat real food or can I just drink protein shakes? Up to you and do whatever is going to keep you on track and focused. Protein Shakes surely are convenient and can save the day sometimes in a pinch. But whole foods provide more nutrients and micronutrients. Your body additionally has to work harder to break down solids than the liquid. The final aspect is you get sick of drinking your meals and just want to chew sometimes. So space it out.
3) What is the BEST protein source?
A complete protein is a source that contains adequate amounts of all nine essential amino acids. These are deemed “essential” because your body can’t make them on its own. Most animal protein sources like beef, fish, milk, eggs, and poultry—are complete. Protein quality is measured in a variety of ways. One of the ways is by the Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acids Score. Casein, whey, egg white, and soy protein all fall into this category, so these are all amazing protein sources.
4) Can I gain fat from eating too much protein? You think because protein is the building block to building muscle that you can’t overeat protein, right? Wrong. if you eat more calories than your body needs, the excess can go to fat deposits.
5) Will more protein help me build muscle faster? Depending. Not all protein goes towards muscle building. It lends into the energy side as well. General rule of thumb when you are looking to build muscle, lean out, and ensure you are getting enough protein per day – shoot for 1 gram per your bodyweight. So if you weigh 140, shoot for 140 grams. You DO need fats and carbs! That’s a whole other topic!