As you know, there are a lot of different protein powders on the market today and I have heard a lot of conflicting reports on which type of protein powder to take. Some people say that Whey Protein is the ultimate protein and others say that it is even better to incorporate different sources of protein into a shake. Based on your experience, what do you find works best?
Great question. Hands down the best protein I have ever used is Probolic-SR by MHP. Needless to say, protein powder is an extremely important part of my daily nutrition program. Because of this, I have really tried to become as much of an expert on protein as possible. I have read a lot about the topic and have also tried many different types of protein powder. What I have found is that different sources of protein have very important differing characteristics.
1. They have different digestion rates (Fast, Medium and Slow)
2. They have different levels of the 5 most critical Muscle BuildingAmino Acids (Glutamine, Leucine, Isoleucine, Valine and Arginine)
Digestion rates and muscle-building amino acids are of vital importance because the whole idea behind building muscle is to stay anabolic. Amino acids create an anabolic environment and prevent muscle Tissue Breakdown in the body but the rate at which they enter and exit the blood can determine how much muscle you build. Whey protein for example is an excellent source of protein because it is high in the critical muscle building amino acids and digests and feeds muscle the fastest.
The only downside is that it does this for a very short period of time and then exits the body. Fast in equals fast out. So while whey protein is great, it only keeps you anabolic for a very short period of time. Because of this, I always want to use a protein powder that has whey protein for the fast release but also incorporates a blend of other proteins such as Soy and Casein which have high levels of the critical muscle building amino acids but different digestion rates than one another. Soy Protein happens to be richer in Glutamine and Arginine than whey protein and has a medium release profile meaning that it digests at a slower rate than whey but feeds muscle tissue for a longer period of time.
Casein Protein digests the slowest, has a great mix of the critical amino acids and happens to last the longest in the body. That is why my choice is Probolic-SR by MHP. Probolic-SR contains all 3 proteins (Whey, Supro Soy and Casein) to achieve that fast, medium and slow release profile of key amino acids. What is amazing is that Probolic-SR is then further enhanced with the critical muscle building amino acids and has the world's first and only exclusive12-hour time released technology. This technology is a breakthrough of monumental proportions as it literally supplies muscle building amino acids directly to muscle tissue for 12 continuous hours.
TRYING TO ADJUST MY DIET TO PUT ON Lean Muscle MASS
I am 160lbs with about 9 or 10% body fat. I am trying to adjust my diet to put on lean muscle mass. What should I include in my diet and what supplements do you suggest?
The key to gaining lean muscle mass is to strategically Increase Your calories over a set period of time. Determine the number of calories you currently take in per day on average. This is the average calories your body demands to maintain 160lbs. Then begin increasing your calories about 40-50 calories a week for 12 weeks. This will boost your caloric intake to about 480 to 600 calories per week.
Training intensity should be moderate using heavy poundage with a 4-8 rep range. The next 8 weeks maintain new caloric intake and increase training intensity, by decreasing poundage and increasing reps from 12-15. Repeat the cycle. When you increase your calories, they should come from clean sources of proteins, carbs, and essential fats. You should be taking in about 5-6 meals per day spaced 2-3 hours apart. Try to taper down complex carbs in the evenings and do more proteins and fibrous carbs. Be sure to include essential Fatty Acids like nuts a couple times per day. As for supplements, I suggest a good creatine. A mass powder can also be helpful if taken consistently a couple of times per day.
But these shakes should not replace solid food meals. They can accompany a meal or be separate, your choice. I have gotten exceptional lean weight gains in the offseason from supplementing with MHP's Up your Mass. So train hard, increase calories, and add Lean Mass. If you have questions for IFBB Pro Tricky Jackson send them
