Why you need protein to grow

It is an established fact that a high protein diet is essential for muscle building and growth. Muscles like all other forms of body tissues are made up of proteins. Proteins form the basic building block for any kind of muscle growth to occur. The proteins from high protein dieting regimes are also necessary for the generation of all forms of tissues like hair, nails, bones, muscles, hormones, enzymes, antibodies and many others. For any form of growth to occur, proteins are needed. Of particular interest for bodybuilders is the fact that 60-70% of all proteins are found in muscles. Given this fact, it is not surprising that there is a lot of hype amongst bodybuilders on high protein diets for muscle building. Let us try and get a better understanding of how this type of eating regime helps muscle building.

Proteins are made up of smaller units called amino acids. These are truly the smallest building blocks for the body to use to build muscles in a high protein diet. There are about twenty types of amino acids, and all of these can be combined in various permutations into proteins for muscle building. Of these twenty, there are two types of amino acids - non-essential and essential amino acids. The non-essential variant can be produced by the body when needed. Whereas the latter type of amino acids need to be ingested through a high protein diet. Of particular concern to bodybuilders are the essential amino acids since these cannot be created by the body. They are nonetheless essential for muscle building. That is why it is not uncommon to see bodybuilders scrutinizing their foods and supplements to ensure that essential amino acids are found in what they eat.

In planning their high protein eating plans, bodybuilders often look for different sources of proteins in their foods. First on the list are complete proteins. These are essentially a balanced combination of essential and non-essential proteins found in the food types of an eating plan. Examples of complete protein sources include, lean meat, seafood, egg whites, fish, protein powder and milk. The second type of proteins is the incomplete protein source that can be found in most grains, legumes and beans. There are certain amino acids missing in this category, but they are nevertheless necessary in any eating plan as some amino acids from this incomplete source are not found elsewhere. Finally, there is vegetarian protein source. The protein from this source is found in vegetables and plant products only. To many bodybuilders, determining the source of their protein is very crucial to ensure that their hard training regime will reap ma
ximal muscle growth. Sometimes, bodybuilders ingest so much protein into their system through their high protein diet, that it can become counterproductive in their quest for muscle growth.

So does, a high protein diet really leads to solid muscle growth? There are two schools of traditional arguments here. On the one hand, conservative dietitians and medical community has long argued that the body only requires its Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of protein, which is approximately 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. Anything in excess will be wasted. On the other side, 'protein pushers' with their prescribed high protein diet recommends taking 400-500 grams of proteins in a single day. This is way in excess of the RDA. Modern research has shown that, increased training activities have resulted in an increased utilization of proteins within the body.

Therefore, extra protein is actually required to stimulate maximal muscle growth. In other words, for any hard training bodybuilder, the extra protein stipulated in an eating plan makes sense. However, it is also wise to not over consume proteins, as there are side effects and detrimental effects to muscle growth. It is important to strike a balance between taking in more proteins in a high protein diet to induce growth, and at the same time, ensure that only the required amount is consumed to prevent side effects from occurring.

Mike Mass