7 Ways to Build Muscle by Maximizing Dietary Protein

Are you looking to build muscle to make your bones stronger or increase your lifespan? Are you looking to make muscle building a hobby or you want to get stronger healthy wise? Did you know that even skinny guys can pack on muscle?

No matter what your goals are, when it comes to muscle building, you have to start somewhere. Most likely, you must be thinking that you have to eat and exercise more to gain muscles. And that’s what it is. However, you need to know what to eat and how to exercise for you to build muscle and strength.

Proteins have been proven to be one of the most important elements to add to your diet during muscle building. You must be aware of the benefits of proteins for your health and wellness. So, you should always add proteins to your diet whether you are working out or you are looking to build muscles. But before you start adding proteins to your diet for muscle building, read these 7 principles so you don’t get things wrong during the process.

1. Understand the Protein Quantity You Need To Build Muscle Fast

This is where most people get everything wrong during their muscle-building journey. You know you need proteins to build muscle, but do you know how much of it is recommended? Are you getting enough of the recommended protein quantity?

According to the Journal of International Society of Sports Nutrition, the recommended quantity of protein for each pound of body weight is about 0.64-0.9 grams. This means that if you weigh 150 pounds then you need about 96 to 135 grams of protein daily to build muscles fast.

This is especially important if you are lifting weights. Taking more proteins will help to promote muscle repair, recovery, and growth. Also, make sure you take different kinds of protein. For instance, you need to eat foods like eggs, fish, meat, etc. If you don’t have the time to prepare solid foods, you can use protein powder supplements as well.

2. Consider Protein Supplements

Life is busy and is even busier for people who are always on the go. That means getting a few hours, let alone minutes to prepare solid foods can be difficult. That’s where protein shakes can become helpful.

Also, sometimes you may not get enough protein. Supplements are good for filling in the gaps when your regular meals are not enough.

3. Consume Protein Before Workout

Usually, when it comes to muscle building, people have been made to embrace the importance of proteins after working out. This is especially true when it comes to protein shakes. However, consuming protein at least half an hour before a workout can help to boost your energy, too.

In fact, certain proteins like branched chain amino acids supplement your energy during strength training. Besides, these proteins facilitate muscle recovery and growth which keeps you stronger and powerful during workouts.

The good thing about these proteins is that they are more easily absorbed into your bloodstream than solid proteins that your liver has to process.

4. Consume Protein After Workout

Consuming protein before workout is as important as doing it after workouts. This is what most bodybuilders don’t need to be reminded of, after all. Ideally, taking protein after working out helps with repairing muscle damage.

Generally, during strength training and workout, your muscles get micro-tears due to the contractions caused. Consuming protein after workouts will, therefore, help to repair the torn muscles.

5. Understand Which Protein Supplements to Consume

When you go out there, you will find a ton of protein supplements from different brands. Surprisingly, none of the brands will claim to sell sub-standard protein supplements.

So, how do you know which protein supplement to use?

Choosing the best supplement can be difficult. But it doesn’t have to be difficult for you. Just check both the quality and quantity of amino acids in a scoop that is recommended for consumption.This is where you need to use the Biological Value to know the recommended percentage of the protein your body needs. Protein supplements with high BV are recommended for muscle building, because they are closely matched to the needs of the human body. Low BV proteins are missing key amino acids that your liver must then synthesize from others.

6. Know When to Use Protein Supplements and When to Rely on Protein From Foods

Generally, protein supplements are just that. They are used to supplement the protein you probably are not getting from your daily meals. That means that you should aim to get much of your protein from healthy foods. Then, supplement your diet with protein shakes.

7. Get a Good Night’s Sleep

This sounds like a no-brainer but many people don’t know. Muscle building is accompanied by repair and recovery. If you aren’t getting enough sleep then it will take longer before you add a pound to your muscle since your torn muscle tissues aren’t getting repaired. Make sure you are getting 7-8 hours of sleep every night as recommended by The National Sleep Foundation.

Final Word

Muscle building is no easy task. You have to sacrifice a lot of time and you have to push yourself past your abilities. We hope this article will help you with your muscle-building journey.