7 products for muscle growth

Why we need protein

You should know that protein, or to be precise, amino acids it contains, serve as a construction material for your muscle. But, apart from counting protein in your meals, you should also keep in mind its valuability and digestibility. Thus, products with the highest (level 1) of Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) are easily assimilated  and serve as a source of pure protein.

So let’s review these star products together.

Best protein products

Milk

Milk stimulates protein synthesis in your muscle. Drinking milk after every training combined with strength workouts for 12 weeks increases muscle hypertrophy and lean muscle mass. It is also curious that whole milk provides you with 2.8 more treonin (an indispensable amino acid that plays an important role in building muscle protein) and 80% more fenilalanin (another amino acid that is part of your body protein) than skimmed milk.

 Cottage cheese

Cottage cheese is 70% made of casein, slower digestible protein complex. It means that the blood amino acid level increases slowly and stays heightened during 6-8 hours. That’s why it is recommended to consume it before making a long break between meals, e.g. before going to sleep. It helps to support anabolism before  you have your next meal. Apart from that, cottage cheese contains enough calcium which is needed for muscle contraction and plays an important role in amino acid and creatine flow.

Eggs

According to research, 15g egg white protein contains 1 300 mg leucine, which enhances the maximal anabolic response of skeletal muscle, stimulating its synthesis independently from other amino acids, and slowers protein catabolism, and thus helps to build muscle. 100g of egg yolk also 3.44 mg zinc, that is indispensable for insulin-like growth factor that provokes muscle growth. Please note that some dietitians recommend to consume no more than 4 eggs a week because of high (200-300 mg) cholesterol levels, while others suggest that only 30% of earth’s population is hypersensitive to diet cholesterol, while for other 70%  it is allowed to consume one egg a day.

Beef

Beef contains high-quality protein that has all indispensable amino acids in the same proportion as human muscles. Beef protein, being as effective as whey protein, has a positive effect on fat-free body mass increase. Research proves that exercising combined with daily consumption of 240 g beef stimulates the synthesis of muscle protein for young and elder individuals.

Chicken Breast

It is scientifically proven that hydrolysat of chicken protein is as important for growing lean muscle mass as beef and whey protein. Bodybuilders – and me personally – love it since it contains only 1.9 g of fat per 100 g. If your cholesterol levels are at the norm, choose chicken breast over other parts of chicken (100 g chicken breast contains 53 mg cholesterol, while 100g chicken thighs are 82.9 mg cholesterol-rich).

Fish (trout, salmon, cod)

Apart from the above-mentioned species, around 20g of easily-digested protein is contained in tuna, chum and pink salmon and mackerel. Beyond that, fish is low on calories and contains unsaturated fatty acids that are great for your health. According to research, an 8-week long daily intake of 4g Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids augments the muscle protein anabolic response to hyperaminoacidemia-hyperinsulinemia in healthy young and middle aged men and women and increases the protein muscle concentration and the volume of muscle cells.

Chickpea

Chickpea contains complex indispensable amino acids, such as leucine, isoleucine and valine, needed for muscle growth, as well as glycine, arginine and methionine, responsible for keratin synthesis. Scientists have found out that the nutritional value of 4 spoonful of hummus (mashed chickpea) provide 14g of plant fiber, 25 g of cellulose and whole load of vitamins and minerals. This legume will serve as a great replacement of meat for vegetarians and can become a tasty garnish.

Congrats for finishing reading this scientifically-proven article. So now you know what to grab to build your muscle.