Protein powder can be used to supplement your daily protein requirements or increase the amount of protein in order to help facilitate muscle growth. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, roughly 20 percent of your total daily calories should come from protein. This means that for a 2,000 calories diet, around 400 calories should come from protein. While protein powder itself doesn't make you stronger, it's function and use does in fact aid in muscle growth.
Protein Powder
Protein powder is often found in the form of whey isolate or casein. Whey isolate is a form of protein powder that is taken from cow's milk and contains all essential amino acids. It's highly digestible by your body that makes it a great source of protein for your muscles, especially after a workout. Casein protein powder digests much slower making it an ideal protein powder to ingest before bed or before a long break in between meals.
Protein Powder and Muscle Growth
Simply ingesting protein powder will not make you stronger. In order for protein powder to be useful and to give you added strength, you will have to perform some kind of resistance training while taking the protein powder. Since lean muscle mass is built using protein, any protein you ingest will find its way towards working muscles. According to the American Council on Exercise, after a long hard workout, your muscles use protein to repair themselves and become stronger as a result. This is how protein powder can contribute to overall strength gains.
Carbohydrates and Fats
For protein powder to do its job as a muscle builder, you need to make sure you are consuming the proper amount of calories from carbohydrates and healthy fats. Simply ingesting high amounts of protein powder and not eating enough carbohydrates or fats will not make you stronger. In fact, if you are deficient in fats and carbohydrates, your body will begin to breakdown muscle mass and begin to use protein for energy. This will cause your muscles to become smaller and weaker.
Considerations
Before taking any protein supplements, consult your physician. Most protein powders are safe, but many have not had their claims thoroughly verified by the Food and Drug Administration. Some protein powders can have side effects and may do more harm to your diet than good. When in doubt always get your protein from animal or plant sources and only use protein powder under the supervision of your doctor.
References
- "American Council on Exercise Personal Trainers Manual"; Cedric X. Bryant; 2003
- "ACSM's Resources for the Personal Trainer"; American College of Sports Medicine; 2010
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