The Relationship Between Protein and Muscle Building
Do Proteins Build Muscle?
The Answer To This: NO!
Proteins provide essential amino acids for new cell formation in muscles.
For example;
An individual who takes “high protein or protein powders” for muscle formation sits on a chair for 1 month. What do you think will be the last situation?
Reply
- Muscle formation is not observed. Because the muscles have not been exposed to any external stimulus such as weight lifting.
- An increase in body weight is observed. Because the additional energy taken from the proteins is not spent and is stored as fat.
So How Does Muscle Build? Let’s explain it simply;
Studies so far cannot explain the exact muscle formation mechanism.
Therefore, as a general definition;
Continuous stimulation of certain muscles results in a constant accumulation of nutrients and protein in these muscles. For this reason, the cells here will develop more and increase in volume.
This is how our existing muscles develop.
That’s why when you go to a gym and work out for about 2 hours, your muscles feel “swelling”. This bloating is a feeling caused by the constant stimulation of your muscle cells, resulting in an increase in volume and does not have a meaningful persistence.
In conclusion;
- Muscle growth is experienced due to increased protein synthesis in strained muscles.
- Muscle enlargement experienced in the first few weeks of exercise is not significant and may not be permanent. A significant part of this is thought to be oedema-related.
- Therefore, muscle development studies conducted by people who have not exercised before may have misleading results if they do not take into account the effect of edema.
- Muscle growth appears to be an intrinsic quality, not of a systemic nature. So when you work a single muscle, not all of them are developed; only the muscles and muscle groups you work will develop.
- Testosterone has a certain role in muscle development and may explain why men have larger muscles than women. However, its exact role in muscle development is not yet clearly known.
- The only tool that allows you to direct muscle development is to go under load. Other physical training can increase your overall strength or stamina; but it will not serve to increase your lean body mass.
- Insulin and insulin-related growth factors play some role in muscle development. However, insulin supplementation does not enhance muscle growth and can lead to serious health problems.
- Genes influence a person’s ability to build muscle to a certain extent. Different types of muscle fibers can be found in different amounts in different people. This may explain why some people are more successful in certain sports.
So, how is protein requirement calculated?
- The most important thing to note here is that if you are going to do exercise or a professional sport, you should definitely get help from a dietitian.
- Protein is necessary for the repair of body tissues and the synthesis of new protein required by exercise.
- Protein requirements of active people and athletes have not been clearly defined.
- If your body weight is much more than your ideal weight, the requirement calculation should be made according to your ideal body weight.
!! The amounts written in the table are general values, depending on the person, the type of exercise/training performed, the hour, whether you are a professional athlete, whether you are in an injury period, whether you are out of season, your age, height, weight, position, etc. varies according to many situations. For this reason, you should definitely arrange your nutrition by getting help from a dietitian working in the field of athletes.
Negative Effects of High Protein Intake
- The necessary level of intake of carbohydrates, which is necessary for muscle fuel, is prevented.
- The body only uses 20-25 g of protein at a time (for example, 250 g of chicken breast meat for lunch contains 70 g of protein). Less than half of this protein is used or stored as fat.
- In addition, it is a wrong way to make protein-restricted meals for breakfast and lunch and to close this gap at dinner.
- Urea, the breakdown product of protein, is excreted in the urine. Therefore, fluid consumption should also be increased. However, this may cause you to go to the toilet frequently during exercise or competition.
- High protein foods are also high in fat.
The Relationship Between Protein and Muscle Building
Do Proteins Build Muscle?
The Answer To This: NO!
Proteins provide essential amino acids for new cell formation in muscles.
For example;
An individual who takes “high protein or protein powders” for muscle formation sits on a chair for 1 month. What do you think will be the last situation?
Reply
- Muscle formation is not observed. Because the muscles have not been exposed to any external stimulus such as weight lifting.
- An increase in body weight is observed. Because the additional energy taken from the proteins is not spent and is stored as fat.
So How Does Muscle Build? Let’s explain it simply;
Studies so far cannot explain the exact muscle formation mechanism.
Therefore, as a general definition;
Continuous stimulation of certain muscles results in a constant accumulation of nutrients and protein in these muscles. For this reason, the cells here will develop more and increase in volume.
This is how our existing muscles develop.
That’s why when you go to a gym and work out for about 2 hours, your muscles feel “swelling”. This bloating is a feeling caused by the constant stimulation of your muscle cells, resulting in an increase in volume and does not have a meaningful persistence.
In conclusion;
- Muscle growth is experienced due to increased protein synthesis in strained muscles.
- Muscle enlargement experienced in the first few weeks of exercise is not significant and may not be permanent. A significant part of this is thought to be oedema-related.
- Therefore, muscle development studies conducted by people who have not exercised before may have misleading results if they do not take into account the effect of edema.
- Muscle growth appears to be an intrinsic quality, not of a systemic nature. So when you work a single muscle, not all of them are developed; only the muscles and muscle groups you work will develop.
- Testosterone has a certain role in muscle development and may explain why men have larger muscles than women. However, its exact role in muscle development is not yet clearly known.
- The only tool that allows you to direct muscle development is to go under load. Other physical training can increase your overall strength or stamina; but it will not serve to increase your lean body mass.
- Insulin and insulin-related growth factors play some role in muscle development. However, insulin supplementation does not enhance muscle growth and can lead to serious health problems.
- Genes influence a person’s ability to build muscle to a certain extent. Different types of muscle fibers can be found in different amounts in different people. This may explain why some people are more successful in certain sports.
So, how is protein requirement calculated?
- The most important thing to note here is that if you are going to do exercise or a professional sport, you should definitely get help from a dietitian.
- Protein is necessary for the repair of body tissues and the synthesis of new protein required by exercise.
- Protein requirements of active people and athletes have not been clearly defined.
- If your body weight is much more than your ideal weight, the requirement calculation should be made according to your ideal body weight.
!! The amounts written in the table are general values, depending on the person, the type of exercise/training performed, the hour, whether you are a professional athlete, whether you are in an injury period, whether you are out of season, your age, height, weight, position, etc. varies according to many situations. For this reason, you should definitely arrange your nutrition by getting help from a dietitian working in the field of athletes.
Negative Effects of High Protein Intake
- The necessary level of intake of carbohydrates, which is necessary for muscle fuel, is prevented.
- The body only uses 20-25 g of protein at a time (for example, 250 g of chicken breast meat for lunch contains 70 g of protein). Less than half of this protein is used or stored as fat.
- In addition, it is a wrong way to make protein-restricted meals for breakfast and lunch and to close this gap at dinner.
- Urea, the breakdown product of protein, is excreted in the urine. Therefore, fluid consumption should also be increased. However, this may cause you to go to the toilet frequently during exercise or competition.
- High protein foods are also high in fat.
I wish you a healthy and active days.
dit. Seyma ÖZKAN
