Anyone can pack on pounds of solid lean muscle! Do you want big arms, a wide back, powerful shoulders, a huge chest, rippling thighs and muscular calves? If you want to discover how, then you’ve come to the right place! Whether you’re already carrying some good muscle mass and want to pile on even more, or if you’re just starting out and want to get huge QUICK, then take a look at what we have on offer. You won’t look back…
Protein is formed from amino acids. Many of the 21 amino acids can be made by the body, but the nine essential amino acids must be provided by the diet. These are: isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, valine, and histidine. Arginine is also essential for children for healthy growth. Fact is that when any of the above is in short supply, it forms a weak link in the chain and hampers the function of the others. Both whey protein concentrate and egg albumin, provide almost 100% of the necessary amino acid mix, followed by fish and meats at about 80%, and casein and soy at roughly 75%. Many other plant foods provide less than 50% of the amino acid spectrum.
Unfortunately, a 100g serving of lean steak supplies only 25g of protein, accompanied by a 15g blob of fat! Remember, although it looks lean, the fat is contained within the meat and cannot be seen, but still it is present. A lean loin of pork would give you 23g protein and 29g fat. So it would seem that it is hard to even score a draw between proteins and fats in this food group. Some skinless chicken and turkey are leaner, as indicated by Table 2. With the exception of soy, most vegetable food sources supply proteins in the wrong ratios for human nutrition, especially if you are active. It needs to be combined with other vegetable food sources, within a decent time limit to fill the necessary amino acid spectrum. You can calculate your protein needs from Table 2.
Low fat foods, eat these
Food Type (100 grams)
Protein (grams)
Fat (grams)
Water (grams)
% Protein to Fat
Egg whites (scrambled)
9
0
89
Full
Shrimp (steamed)
17
1
81
17.00
Tuna (water packed)
24
1
74
24.00
Clams (steamed)
12
1
84
12.00
Mussels (steamed)
17
2
79
8.50
Turkey breast (skinless, roast)
23
2
74
11.50
Lobster (steamed)
22
4
73
5.50
Trout (grilled, dry)
24
4
71
6.00
Chicken breast (skinless grilled)
26
4
69
6.50
Crab (steamed)
20
5
73
4.00
Salmon
20
13
66
1.54
High fat foods, try and avoid
Beefsteak (lean, grilled)
25
15
57
1.67
Pork Loin (roast)
23
29
46
0.79
Fatback bacon
12
70
17
0.17
Butter
0.5
82
16
0.01
Table 2 Carefully check out the last column relating proteins to fats. Obviously the higher the score, the better the source for a sports person Still it would be tough for an individual weighing 100kg, to consume 220g of pure protein without using supplements. He would more or less need the following every day:
2 x 170g tins of Tuna:
82g
4 x Egg whites:
18g
200g Turkey breast:
46g
2 x 100g Chicken Breast:
52g
100g Lobster:
22g
Total:
220g
This does not take into account any of the other food groups, which also needs to replenish carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals on a regular basis. Oh yes, and did I mention, the above must be spread out over 4 to 6 meals?
Protein Supplements - Protein supplements come in three forms:
Intact protein:
E.g. casein, they are polypeptides (many amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds)
Hydrolysates:
Intact protein that has been digested to the extend that only two amino acids (dipeptides) or three amino acids (tripeptides) are bonded together.
Free-form amino acids:
Separate amino acids not bonded together.
Contrary to what one would think, hydrolysates is the best absorbed, since the human body has developed a special transport system for hydrolysates, not available to free-form amino acids. The body retains hydrolysates better, it causes better nitrogen retention, aids recovery, and produces a growth hormone that stimulates muscle growth. When 2 or 3 amino acids are bonded together, they carry information valuable to the body, thereby getting preference.
Protein Supplements are mostly a blend of the following:
• Whey Protein Concentrate and Isolate
• Casein
• Egg Albumin
• Soy
The reason why a blend is preferable is that it provides a variety of amino acids over a wide time span for maximum absorption, thus continuously feeding cells.
