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●Phenylaline

●Threonine

●Tryptophan

We can now see that not all proteins are equal in value. A food which contains all of the essential and non-essential amino acids is called a complete protein. These are clearly the ones that bodybuilders should be focusing on.

Zero nitrogen balance will prevent the body from cannibalizing itself. That’s all good and well if you want to stay the same size. But we’re bodybuilders – staying the same size is not part of the game plan. We want to max out those skeletal muscle cells. That means we need to move from zero nitrogen balance to

That’s what a recent news report tallied that the line-up at a physique contest consumed – in one day. So, it’s not surprising that most people view bodybuilders as protein junkies, shoveling the stuff into their oversized frames by the bucket load. The reality is not that different. Muscle heads the world over are, indeed, overloading on protein - they have been for decades. But do they really need to? What’s the muscle protein connection anyway? And just how much of it is needed to stimulate optimal muscle growth? Let’s get up to speed with a little protein 101.

What it is / What it does

Protein has rightly been called the building block of the human body. Everything - from the tip of your head to your big toe - is made from it. After water, protein is, in fact, the most abundant substance in your body - and about 70% of it can be found in your skeletal muscles. Rather than sitting idle, the protein in your body is constantly being lost and broken down due to natural bodily functions. That’s why your body needs to constantly replace its protein stores in order to maintain itself. This process of cell repair starts when you chow down a chicken breast. As it passes down the throat, the proteins in your piece of chicken are separated by enzymes (which are also proteins) into sub-units called amino acids.

The amino acids then enter your cells and, under direction from the DNA, repair and rebuild them. Without adequate protein this process just cannot take place. Carbohydrates and fats don’t cut the mustard because they lack one vital ingredient - nitrogen. Nitrogen is only present in protein, and without it you are literally wasting away. So, to be in a position to replace lost muscle we need to be in what is called a zero nitrogen balance (that’s when you’re taking in adequate amounts of nitrogen to replace the amount that is being lost by your body’s everyday functions).

The Essential Proteins

When we talk protein, we’re really referring to amino acids, from which they are formed. There are 20 amino acids that are needed by the body for growth. These 20 amino acids can form into an untold number of configurations to make all manner of molecules. 11 of the 20 can be manufactured within the human body. That leaves 9 that have to come via the mouth. These are the essential amino acids:

●Histidine

●Isoleucine

●Leucine

●Valine

●Lysine

●Methionine

●Phenylaline

●Threonine

●Tryptophan

We can now see that not all proteins are equal in value. A food which contains all of the essential and non-essential amino acids is called a complete protein. These are clearly the ones that bodybuilders should be focusing on.

Zero nitrogen balance will prevent the body from cannibalizing itself. That’s all good and well if you want to stay the same size. But we’re bodybuilders – staying the same size is not part of the game plan. We want to max out those skeletal muscle cells. That means we need to move from zero nitrogen balance to

ightly been called the building block of the human body. Everything - from the tip of your head to your big toe - is made from it. After water, protein is, in fact, the most abundant substance in your body - and about 70% of it can be found in your skeletal muscles. Rather than sitting idle, the protein in your body is constantly being lost and broken down due to natural bodily functions. That’s why your body needs to constantly replace its protein stores in order to maintain itself. This process of cell repair starts when you chow down a chicken breast. As it passes down the throat, the proteins in your piece of chicken are separated by enzymes (which are also proteins) into sub-units called amino acids.

The amino acids then enter your cells and, under direction from the DNA, repair and rebuild them. Without adequate protein this process just cannot take place. Carbohydrates and fats don’t cut the mustard because they lack one vital ingredient - nitrogen. Nitrogen is only present in protein, and without it you are literally wasting away. So, to be in a position to replace lost muscle we need to be in what is called a zero nitrogen balance (that’s when you’re taking in adequate amounts of nitrogen to replace the amount that is being lost by your body’s everyday functions).

The Essential Proteins

When we talk protein, we’re really referring to amino acids, from which they are formed. There are 20 amino acids that are needed by the body for growth. These 20 amino acids can form into an untold number of configurations to make all manner of molecules. 11 of the 20 can be manufactured within the human body. That leaves 9 that have to come via the mouth. These are the essential amino acids:

●Histidine

●Isoleucine

●Leucine

●Valine

●Lysine

●Methionine

●Phenylaline

●Threonine

●Tryptophan

We can now see that not all proteins are equal in value. A food which contains all of the essential and non-essential amino acids is called a complete protein. These are clearly the ones that bodybuilders should be focusing on.

Zero nitrogen balance will prevent the body from cannibalizing itself. That’s all good and well if you want to stay the same size. But we’re bodybuilders – staying the same size is not part of the game plan. We want to max out those skeletal muscle cells. That means we need to move from zero nitrogen balance to

hicken are separated by enzymes (which are also proteins) into sub-units called amino acids.

The amino acids then enter your cells and, under direction from the DNA, repair and rebuild them. Without adequate protein this process just cannot take place. Carbohydrates and fats don’t cut the mustard because they lack one vital ingredient - nitrogen. Nitrogen is only present in protein, and without it you are literally wasting away. So, to be in a position to replace lost muscle we need to be in what is called a zero nitrogen balance (that’s when you’re taking in adequate amounts of nitrogen to replace the amount that is being lost by your body’s everyday functions).

The Essential Proteins

When we talk protein, we’re really referring to amino acids, from which they are formed. There are 20 amino acids that are needed by the body for growth. These 20 amino acids can form into an untold number of configurations to make all manner of molecules. 11 of the 20 can be manufactured within the human body. That leaves 9 that have to come via the mouth. These are the essential amino acids:

●Histidine

●Isoleucine

●Leucine

●Valine

●Lysine

●Methionine

●Phenylaline

●Threonine

●Tryptophan

We can now see that not all proteins are equal in value. A food which contains all of the essential and non-essential amino acids is called a complete protein. These are clearly the ones that bodybuilders should be focusing on.

Zero nitrogen balance will prevent the body from cannibalizing itself. That’s all good and well if you want to stay the same size. But we’re bodybuilders – staying the same size is not part of the game plan. We want to max out those skeletal muscle cells. That means we need to move from zero nitrogen balance to

that is being lost by your body’s everyday functions).

The Essential Proteins

When we talk protein, we’re really referring to amino acids, from which they are formed. There are 20 amino acids that are needed by the body for growth. These 20 amino acids can form into an untold number of configurations to make all manner of molecules. 11 of the 20 can be manufactured within the human body. That leaves 9 that have to come via the mouth. These are the essential amino acids:

●Histidine

●Isoleucine

●Leucine

●Valine

●Lysine

●Methionine

●Phenylaline

●Threonine

●Tryptophan

We can now see that not all proteins are equal in value. A food which contains all of the essential and non-essential amino acids is called a complete protein. These are clearly the ones that bodybuilders should be focusing on.

Zero nitrogen balance will prevent the body from cannibalizing itself. That’s all good and well if you want to stay the same size. But we’re bodybuilders – staying the same size is not part of the game plan. We want to max out those skeletal muscle cells. That means we need to move from zero nitrogen balance to

>

●Phenylaline

●Threonine

●Tryptophan

We can now see that not all proteins are equal in value. A food which contains all of the essential and non-essential amino acids is called a complete protein. These are clearly the ones that bodybuilders should be focusing on.

Zero nitrogen balance will prevent the body from cannibalizing itself. That’s all good and well if you want to stay the same size. But we’re bodybuilders – staying the same size is not part of the game plan. We want to max out those skeletal muscle cells. That means we need to move from zero nitrogen balance to positive nitrogen balance, where we have spare amino acids for new muscle growth. All of which leads to the million dollar question – how much more protein does a bodybuilder need than a “normal” person?

The Great BodyBuilding Debate

Welcome to the great debate - one that has been raging for well over a century. It’s essentially been a debate between lab coated pencil necks who claim that bodybuilders need little more than the Food and Drug Adminstration’s Recomended Daily Allowance (RDA) and in the trenches, muscle heads who happily triple or even quadruple that figure. On the face of it, the muscle heads seem to have the logic: more protein = more construction material = more muscle. Like most things in life, however, it ain’t that simple. Consuming more protein than your body can utilize over a prolonged period of time can result in an increase in fat storage. That’s the last thing that any serious bodybuilder wants. Too much protein can also lead to an abundance of urea in the body. Urea must be eliminated from the body via the liver and kidneys.

Too much protein for too long, then, can place undue strain on these vital organs. That being said, weight training definitely increases the body’s need for protein. When you’re working out, you’re actually causing micrscopic tears to your muscle fibers (that’s what causes those post workout muscle aches). Protein is needed to repair the cell, making it bigger and stronger. Just how much is still unclear. Recent studies with strength trainers suggests that one gram of protein for every pound of bodyweight is about ideal. That’s roughly double the RDA. As we’ll see, this will change as you zero in on a competition, but use the one gram figure to base your muscle building needs upon, and you’ll be well on track.

Timing Is Everything

Eat all of that protein in one, two or even three sittings and you won’t be doing it justice. For optimal utilization you need to eat your protein every three waking hours - planning it so that one of those meals comes on the heels of your workout. For most people that means five meals per day. Here, then, is a simple formula to work out how much complete protein you need at each sitting:

Bodyweight (lbs) x 1 = grams of protein per day.

Divide by 5 (number of meals) = grams per meal.

The Prize Proteins

Complete proteins – those containing all 20 amino acids - come from meat, eggs and dairy products. Many of these food