Do You Need Protein Powder To Build Muscle?
One question that many individuals will the goal of building muscle ask themselves is whether or not they must be taking protein powder to get optimal results. For many, the thought process is that there is something about protein powder that just sparks better muscle growth.
This isn’t the case.
While protein powder can definitely help you build muscle, it alone is not just going to work some sort of magic on your body. You need to keep things in context.
Total Protein Needs
The first reason protein powder can help you build muscle is simply because it can help you meet your protein requirements for the day. In order to optimally build muscle, I would recommend taking in, at minimum, one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. While you can take more than this if you like, taking 4-5 grams per pound a day is not going to make you build muscle any faster, if anything, protein intake at that level is just going to hinder your results.
Anywhere between 1-1.5 grams/lb is sufficient and safe to consume. If protein powder makes it easier to meet your needs, then you’re better off. It’s typically better to consume real food when you can, but if it means the difference of not meeting your needs or meeting them, go with that protein powder. This factor in particular really applies to vegetarians who often are short on their protein intake due to food selection.
Total Calorie Needs
Next up, along with meeting your protein needs, using a protein powder can also make it easier to meet your total calorie needs as well. Since liquid calories do not fill you up in the same manner as solid food calories do, if you’ve got exceptionally high calorie requirements, supplementing your usual meals with one or two protein shakes can be a good way to get those calories in.
If you don’t meet your daily calorie requirements, you aren’t building muscle.
Speed Of Digestion
In some instances, it will actually be preferable to choose a protein powder over solid food. This will be most notable right before and after the workout period when you want something quick digesting so the amino acids can get into the blood stream ASAP.
Most solid food-form protein does take a slightly longer time to digest, so opting for a good whey concentrate will speed this process up.
The Convenience Factor
Lastly, protein powder is convenient. For those who are students and can’t cook in their dorm rooms or simply have a busy career that doesn’t allow for much food prep time in the morning, a protein powder can help you maintain balance throughout the day and fill gaps when you can’t get a good solid source in.
Keeping some protein powder in your desk along with some nuts or whole grain crackers can make for a much better afternoon snack than something out of a vending machine. There’s no denying that many people do enjoy the convenience factor of protein powder.
So, keep these points in mind. Must you consume protein powder to build muscle? Certainly not. Will consuming protein powder make building muscle easier – chances are, yes. Just don’t get yourself mixed up – protein powder does not contain some type of magical ingredient that will have you growing muscle overnight.
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