Protein supplements get a lot of hype, especially when it comes to packing on muscle mass. While you do need extra protein in your diet when your fitness goal is to get muscular, you can easily get all the protein you need through your diet. However, nutrition is only part of the muscle-building equation. You also need an appropriate strength-training routine and enough rest to allow your muscle tissue to heal.
Because muscle tissue is protein-dense, your daily diet needs to include sufficient quantities of this nutrient to support an increase in muscle mass. Consuming 1 gram of high-quality protein – containing all essential amino acids – for each kilogram you weigh provides the building blocks to improve your body’s muscle-to-fat ratio. Whole foods are a better protein source than protein powders, as the variety of protein-rich foods you can choose from also offers the carbohydrates, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals your body needs to support its general maintenance as well as your exercise routine.
Exercise
Getting muscular involves incorporating strength training into your fitness sessions. Muscle grows when you subject it to progressive overload, or a gradual increase in the workload you place on the tissue. As you do so, your muscle fibers experience normal microscopic tears, and it is the process of repairing the muscle damage and rebuilding the fibers to be even stronger – with the help of your whole-food proteins – that increases your muscle mass. At a minimum, aim for two full-body workout sessions each week that include performing between eight and 12 repetitions of 10 or so different resistance exercises. Working large muscle groups before smaller ones enhances your overall gains by allowing you to intensely exercise larger muscles before fatigue sets in.
Rest
Your muscles need time to repair the damage you have inflicted through your workouts. During these rest periods, the protein you consume through meats, milk products, fish and combinations of plant proteins that provide all your essential amino acids serves to replenish injured muscle fibers and build new ones. Each muscle group you work needs a day or two of rest before being subject to further overload. Taking in your nutrition through whole foods rather than supplements provides not only protein but also the vitamins and minerals your muscles need for optimal growth, and it supplies you with carbohydrates to replace spent glycogen stores in anticipation of your next workout.
Although protein powders are a handy method of consuming this nutrient, with a little planning, you can replicate the convenience with whole foods and benefit from all they offer. For instance, chocolate milk makes a healthy post-workout snack, providing protein, carbohydrates, calcium and vitamin D. Popping a container of frozen chocolate milk in your gym bag and letting it thaw as you exercise allows you to enjoy a refreshing, nutritious beverage following your workout. You might also include other grab-and-go protein-rich snacks like peanut butter on a whole-wheat bagel or cheese and whole-grain crackers. In this way, you can promote improved muscle mass while avoiding protein supplements.
Original article and pictures take healthyeating.sfgate.com site
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