Supplements like protein shakes and bars have been flooding the U.S. and international health-food markets for over a decade now, and they are available in almost every supermarket around America. But are they effective in building muscle and if so, how do they work?
Your body uses protein for many processes, from the release and regulation of hormones (including testosterone) to the building of many important bodily tissues, from bone and skin to — you guessed it — muscle. About 16% of your body weight is made up of protein, but the human body has no readily-available way to store it (unlike less-popular fat).
This means that it is especially important to take plenty of protein to feed your body when you want to build muscle, because if you don’t, your body will begin breaking down and literally digesting the muscles you have, resulting in losses instead of gains, no matter how much you work out.”
One important way protein shakes and other supplements help you to build muscle is by simply providing additional nutrients for your muscles to use. This allows them to grow larger and stronger, repairing the tearing you inflict during strenuous strength-training exercises that causes soreness and inflames or “pumps” your muscles up after working out.
But just as important as getting enough nutrients is the timing of consuming them. With protein in particular, you only have about an hour of post-workout time to deliver protein to your muscles if you want it to have the maximum effect possible. And you’ll be even better off if you take it sooner than that.
This is because right after working out, your muscles are ready to absorb those special nutrients directly and quickly, which will help you realize those tremendous gains you’re working out so hard for. Taking protein shakes and other supplements, then, helps to build muscle by fulfilling the need of both a protein and a quickly-available source of nutrients to absorb immediately after a workout.
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