Optimum Protein Assimilation for Muscle Growth
by TrainerJ
Yes protein is important for building muscles and all and the musclehead hardcore stardard seems to be 1.5 - 2 gr per lb of lean bodyweight- and this should work... however really it is NOT just how much protein you take in, but also the quality of the protein...
Also it is not just how much protein that you consume, but how much that your body actually assimilates...
Other things come in to play also:
If you drink any liquid with a protein meal you are greatly reducing the amount of protein you think you are taking in.... water, tea, juice, diet drinks, coffee, etc., will dilute stomach acids greatly and your delicious grilled chicken will be partially digested and just pass through without your body getting the necessary nutrients to grow... so where you think you are eating 50grms of protein, your body may only be absorbing 20...??? hmmmmm...
I know this sounds bad and not right, and I know a hot meal with a cold drink is awesome and everyone does it, but at least you may want to reduce the amount of liquid consumed with your musclebuilding meal...
...for instance, maybe just one drink instead of refills... or better yet just 1/2 that drink... or even better yet just a few ounces to wash down any supplements you may be taking with your meal...
Yes you need to drink maybe a gallon+ of water a day - but the majority of this intake should be between meals! The best way would be to drink plenty of water 1st thing in the morning as you are in a slightly dehydrated state from not drinking all night - approx. 20-30 minutes before breakfast, and then drink approx. 30 minutes before each meal throughout the day!!
What this also does is cleans your stomach which makes for a healthy digesting environment for your protein (and other foods) to get the full benefit of digestion which may lead to more muscle growth!!!
Also red meat (which I eat almost daily) is even harder to digest as the human body does not produce quite enough hydrochloric acid to digest red meat sufficiently (I take digestive supplements to help), so eating your $25 big huge man-size 75 gr protein steak and then drinking liquid may not be the best for musclebuilding.....
This stuff may sound far-fetched to some of you guys but it is not if you just think about it and how things work.
There are exceptions to all this I'm sure as someone here in VIP land may drink 1 gallon of water with their 5 lb chicken meal and still look like a Jay Cutler.
There is much more to bodybuilding then most people think... it's not just lifting weights and drinking a protein drink and taking roids...
