Why a good supply of protein is vital for muscle-building

11 December 2018

When you’re looking to build muscle for both strength and aesthetic purposes, having a solid supply of natural and supplementary protein sources is vital to ensuring that your muscles grow and recover fully following every workout. Proteins are the food stuffs that allow our body to build muscle and kickstart the internal processes such as glucose uptake and synthesis that provide the catalyst for muscle growth following workout. Generally, proteins can be found in many foods,with the most common sources being meat and dairy. In addition to these natural sources of protein, many body builders and people looking to gain muscle also opt for using supplementary protein sources, such as protein shakes.

But why is protein so important for muscle building, and what’s the science behind it?

Repair and Restore

Following a heavy workout or after attending a Fitness Bootcamp, that pain we feel in our muscles and joints is the damaged muscle fibres that have occurred as a result of lifting weights and contracting our muscles. Muscle growth occurs when the rate of muscle synthesis is greater than the muscle protein breakdown.

In layman’s terms, this means that however much we break down our muscles during exercise we must compensate for this with a greater intake of protein. However, this intake of protein can be difficult to implement in your diet, so it’s important to prepare yourself with post-workout protein sources like protein shakes as well as solid protein heavy meals featuring food such as chicken, eggs, and vegetables to help kickstart muscle synthesis and encourage hypertrophy, otherwise known as muscle growth.

How can I transform the amount of protein in my diet?

The proteins we ingest are made up of smaller chemicals called amino acids. These amino acids are found in lean meats, poultry and fish, eggs, seeds and nuts. These amino acids are vital for encouraging muscle synthesis following a fitness boot camp, as well as providing you with an energy source that has been lost through exercise.

Before you attempt to build muscle it’s always a good idea to assess your current diet and look into how you can adapt it to include more protein. Protein intake soon after exercise is said to have the best effects when it comes to building muscle, as your body is craving those amino acids that are necessary to repair your broken muscle fibres.

This is where protein shakes and supplements come in. Protein shakes provide a focused and intense protein source that can be easily ingested soon after the workout, meaning you can get all the protein you need as soon as possible following your workout and reap the best results.

What happens if I don’t get the protein I need following workout?

It’s important that following a workout you restore the protein balance in your body so that your muscles can repair and grow. Failing to do this can cause a protein deficiency that is symptomatic of muscle wastage and shrinkage, otherwise known as atrophy, as well as developing more serious conditions like lethargy and anaemia.

Always ensure that when you’re in the business of building muscle you have a solid source of protein to help your body repair and recover the way it should.