Do You Need Protein Powder To Build Muscle?

If you've ever been to the gym for the health benefits or getting abs- of course, you may've heard that a proper meal after a workout has to include a 4-ounce chicken breast! 

If there's one piece of advice for gym-goers that's way too misleading, it's the "Muscle-Gain" Products that are advertised as magic pills that do wonders for everybody, and in just a week! It just sounds too good to be true.

I admit that I'm not some guy with a Ph.D. in dietary requirements and I have no qualms with those who write Protein Powder cookbooks either.

In fact, I like reading articles on health and fitness. And the craze with protein supplements is something that has been steadily growing over the years.

In this article, I lazily talk about whether you actually need protein powder to build muscle. Lazily- because I don't feel like boring you to death with mumbo jumbo facts on nutrition and frankly, I'm too lazy to do the work. Since I have a degree in Plant Science and I am in pretty good shape- thanks to my diet and workout plans, I like to think that I can shed some insight into the topic.

Let's get started!

How much protein do you really need?

The more protein shakes you gulp, the stronger your muscles get, right?

Not exactly. Unsurprisingly, the human body doesn't quite work that way. I say unsurprisingly because- our body doesn't gain the muscle we need to. Downing protein supplements have no significant benefits unless you are malnourished.

There are many things that determine how much protein you need every day. Things like age, how tall you are, how obese you are, how you spend your days, how much muscle mass you already have, and so on. If you have a bit of muscle mass in the right places, you'll need a higher protein intake than somebody who does not.

If you want to skip that talk, 0.36 grams per pound is a fair estimate of how much protein you need per day. If you're 180 lbs, you would need 180 times 0.36 grams of protein which amounts to about 65 grams.

That's not much, right? If you don't binge on junk food all the time, you should be getting all your nutrients from your everyday food! You just need two servings of a 4-ounce chicken breast to get around 60 grams of protein which is roughly about the daily requirement.

A glass of milk has 6.8 grams, an egg has 8 grams and a cup of soybeans has 30 grams.

How much protein do you need if you want to build muscle and get bulkier?

Nobody wants to be scrawny or feel weak, right? There's a reason why girls swoon over Dwayne Johnson and it's not because of his acting skills!

I would be lying if I said I know how much protein you need to get that dream of yours. The truth is, many experts argue on this topic and we're not going to get into that.

I'm going to be quick about it here. How much protein you need is entirely dependent on your physiology and level of activity. Proteins are the building blocks of muscle- so if you want muscle, you need to put in the protein and adjust your exercises accordingly. Muscle growth doesn't happen overnight and it's a combination of your diet plus your training intensity.

That said, 0.6 - 0.9 grams per pound of body weight is the recommended value for people who are physically very active. Even if you're on a balanced diet and have a healthy intake of some protein per day, it's quite hard to get to the required level.

Getting your Protein from Diet Supplements Versus from Food?

I know what you may be thinking.

"So I just need to eat eggs and chicken breasts or fish and I'll be able to meet the requirements easily!" 

Well.. kind of. Hear me out its not just animal products that are full of protein. There are many plant-based foods that are more than adequate for your adequate needs.

I've been a vegetarian for over a decade now, so trust me- I know. I don't eat eggs either, and I don't feel bad or crave meats at all.

There are many types of protein powder, and there's even hemp protein if you'd like to see for yourself.

Focusing on the time of your intake than making a fuss over grams of Protein

An average person focuses too much on weight management and protein diet that he fails to see the bigger picture. What's more important than measuring protein intake is how you complement it.

If you're not doing workouts and binging on Chicken Wings and Pizzas all the time, protein diet will do little for you. 

Watching the time of your intake and keeping diets spaced throughout the day is as important as choosing what sources you choose to fulfill the requirements of your protein diet.

Do you really need Protein supplements

A proper meal already consists of optimal amounts of nutrients to help you build the best physique. It's easy to get caught up in "muscle-gain" products that claim to do wonders but it all boils down to nutrition and daily activity when it comes to building fat and weight loss. 

Professional athletes are always trying to better themselves- be it by rigorous exercises or getting deep into illegal sports supplements like steroids. An innocent recovery smoothie of Protein powder may not seem like much but it points to the fact that we want quick gains.

Experimenting with many types of protein powder to see which you like in your recovery smoothie is also a great idea.

If you're still digging the idea of using protein powder as a convenient source, that's okay too!

My Experience

In my personal experience, I cannot say how animal protein compares to veggy protein. I do consume dairy sometimes but that leaves me feeling bloated so I pretty much avoid it.

In recent years, I've focused on muscle protein synthesis by watching my diet and following that with workouts. I've never really focused on how much protein per kilogram I consume. 

My goal has been to improve my physical performance while maintaining body weight. Weight loss is an added bonus but I don't check how much weight per day I've lost thanks to my diet. Body fat, to me, is a vital thing- as important as muscle, and so, I try not to go overboard on my intake of protein.

Since I don't eat meat, my limited sources of protein include plants. I do consume some whey protein supplements sparingly but other than, my daily protein requirements mostly come from plants. 

My healthy intake of adequate protein from my diet has helped me achieve a lean body mass. So, I'm a firm believer that protein from food could be just as effective as any supplement.

I've always had a solid exercise routine and steered clear of illegal products and instead focused on quality protein powder whenever I've needed to. Among the various forms of protein, eggs are probably the complete protein source that are also incredibly convenient. 

Final Thoughts

Protein is essential for muscle growth but the daily requirements are usually met by even the simplest of balanced diets, so you don't need to worry about protein supplements at all.

Unless you're one aspiring to be among professional athletes, your diet requirements are probably already met if you are following a nutritious balanced diet.

Unless you're doing heavy weight-lifting or on a strict fruit diet, you probably don't need the extra protein for peak physical performance.

FAQ

Are there any drawbacks to taking protein powders?

Protein powders are great at being an easy source to replenish your essential amino acids.

The cost is an obvious drawback. You could always save up on that by making your homemade Protein shake!

Other than that, you may feel bloated or nauseous.

Which is better; plant-based protein or animal protein?

Experts say that plant-based proteins may lack some amino acids but overall, they pack more nutrients per calories. Plants also contain fibres and help your digestion.

Animal proteins can cause indigestion and red meat consumption is linked to increased levels of blood pressure and cancer- so we consider plants to be the healthier choice.