You can barely walk into a store before you are bombarded with protein products. Bars, yogurts, Dairy drinks, quark with added protein—you name it, and that magic word, is listed on it. One thing is certain: this supplement is important.
Muscle Recovery
Protein is actually the “building material” of your body — and in sports, it becomes even more important. Your muscles, tendons, enzymes, and even parts of your immune system are made up of amino acids, the building blocks of protein. During strength training or any other form of intensive sport, small tears occur in muscle fibers. The amino acids in it help repair them and rebuild them stronger. That process is called muscle protein synthesis. Therefore, with a certain intake, you will experience less muscle soreness.
Without enough protein, you recover more slowly. After all, muscles do not grow during the training itself, but during recovery afterward. Training is the signal; protein provides the building material. It also helps you recover faster between workouts. In other words, your performance remains more stable because muscle protein synthesis occurs more quickly. The recommended amount for bodybuilders is between 1.6 and 2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight. Example: if you weigh 90 kilograms, you consume 144 to 198 grams of protein per day. This is distributed between your meals and your supplements.
Which type is best?
Actually, there is no bad type of protein; instead, we need to look at the most effective one for the moment. Whey is absorbed the fastest, and therefore offers the quickest results. The amino acids in this protein ensure that they enter the bloodstream the fastest, allowing them to work directly from muscle damage to muscle repair and growth. It is ideal for after exercising, but you can also take protein during the night, when you are recovering. This does not need to be fast-acting, and casein works perfectly well for that. Whey has an absorption rate of approximately 8 grams per hour, while casein has a rate of 6 grams per hour.
Additionally, there is a egg variant, which also falls under the slow-release types and has an absorption rate of approximately 3 grams per hour. If you are lactose intolerant, egg protein could be an excellent substitute. Beef- and vegetarian types can also help with this. These also fall under the slow variants, although the beef variant is absorbed slightly faster than the vegetarian types, because the structure of the vegetarian variant is slightly more difficult to digest.
What else does protein help with?
Besides promoting hypertrophy, it also helps limit muscle loss during your cutting phase. If you eat less while cutting, your body will also start breaking down muscle mass. This intake helps you preserve muscle mass. Another benefit is satiety by influencing hormones in your gut and brain, slowing down digestion, and keeping your blood sugar levels stable.
You will also notice that your connective tissue recovers faster, because connective tissue is literally built from proteins. Think of tendons, ligaments, cartilage, fascia, and even parts of your skin — these consist largely of structural proteins such as collagen. However, an overkill of protein is pointless, as research shows that there comes a point where extra yields little additional muscle growth.
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