Protein Supplementation

Protein-powder is a very popular supplement, and is available at most local drug and health food stores. Before proteins can be used for muscle hypertrophy in the body, they must be broken down to amino acids in the liver. In the liver, they can be resynthesized into muscle proteins, and transported to the muscles for hypertrophy.
Obviously, if the proper stimulus is given, the more amino acids responsible for muscle growth that are present in the body, the more muscle hypertrophy will occur. Simply put, the more protein in the body, the more muscle hypertrophy will occur.
Studies show that ingestion of protein with carbohydrate increases insulin and/or growth hormone level, thus assisting the process of muscle growth. The intake of protein and carbohydrate before exercise boost the efficiency of the workout and lessens recovery time, allowing the athlete to endure more vigorous training sessions. As much as 1.3 to 1.8 g of protein for every Kg of body mass, or 2.2 g at high altitudes, is recommended for weight trainers per day. It is shown that 20 calories per pound of body mass is required to sustain muscle mass, and 25 to 30 calories per pound to actually build muscle mass. Thirteen to seventeen percent of those calories should come from proteins, with twelve to sixteen percent coming from fats, and the rest obtained from carbohydrates.
Tests show that taking protein supplements along with creatine monohydrate works better than just taking protein supplements alone. The positive effects include leaner tissue mass, and increase in bench press power. Another independent study shows how a combination of protein and creatine helps boost muscle GLUT-4 (glucose transport proteins) matter and increases glucose tolerance in the athlete. Human subjects’ right leg was immobilized for the time period of two weeks, and then resistance exercises were put in place for six weeks. GLUT-4 content was decreased in creatine-taking subjects, creatine and protein-taking subjects, and placebo-taking subjects during the 2 weeks of immobilization. When the resistance exercise program was introduced, the GLUT-4 content in creatine-taking subjects were up by 24%, creatine and protein-taking subjects’ GLUT-4 content were increased by 33%, while placebo-taking subjects’ GLUT- content remained constant. Muscle glycogen content in both creaine-taking and creatine and protein-taking subjects, but not placebo-taking subjects.