Protein 101: The Best Sources Of Protein For Building Muscle
All protein is not created equally.
There’s a distinction between the best sources of protein for building muscle and the.. others.
The not up to snuff proteins.
No offense you other proteins, but we must separate the real from the fake, the good from the great..
The Titans from the wannabe Titans.
In this article we get into what a protein is, why it’s so important, how much you should consume daily, what makes a good source, and what sources of protein you should actually pull out your wallet for.
Let’s go!
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What Is Protein
The grandaddy of muscle. The mack of macronutrients.
Protein.
Protein is a macronutrient that comes in at 4 calories per gram and is comprised of an array of molecules called amino acids.
That’s all protein is - a collection of amino acids.
Protein’s main job is to repair and synthesize cells, yet in times of need or excess can be converted into an energy source that’ll be immediately used or stored as body fat.
Yes.. protein has the ability to be stored as body fat if you’re recklessly in a calorie surplus.
Protein is largely responsible for the development of muscle, hair, skin, nails, tendons, ligaments, organs, enzymes, hormones, and now I’m out of breath.
Like I said - the mack of macronutrients.
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Why It's Important To Eat Protein
The “to the point" reason protein is essential is you need essential amino acids.
Remember the molecules I mentioned protein is made of? Well there are 20 kinds of those molecules. And 9 of those molecules are essential.
Your body is unable to construct those amino acids, therefore an outside source is to be relied on.
Furthermore, you're unable to store them for later use, so it's on you to bring them 'thangs' in on a consistent basis.
That's the crucks of it all, but to put it in real world terms think about the muscle building process.
You lift weights. Muscle tissue tears. You want that muscle tissue to repair. Given requisite resources, the targeted muscle will repair better equipped to handle a similar stimulus in the future.
Requisite resources is enough total calories for normal bodily functions, and enough to do a little more.
The thing is, even if you provide enough total calories and enough to do a little more..
If you leave protein out of that mix - IT WON'T MATTER.
No protein, no gains.
It's like the core curriculum. I don't care what your major is, you have to take these classes if you want to walk that stage. Protein is “these classes.”
And that's just the adding/retaining muscle side of protein intake, there's also the other side we often take for granted.
Protein is everywhere in your body.. over 10,000 variations are inside of you in fact.
More specifically between 10,000 and several billion [11].
(incoming very long sentence)
Protein supports puberty, helps with general growth & development, a healthy pregnancy, aids in the fight with illnesses, I have to mention building muscle again, but also muscle retention, healthy hair, skin, & nails, your level of energy, hormonal activity (even testosterone), good working memory, and overall cognitive health.
Yes, consuming protein helps prevent cognitive decline as you age.
So even if you're like me and the motto is "show me the muscle".. the money too by the way (shout out to Jerry Maguire).. you should have a focus on keeping your protein intake at minimum at base level because if you don't..
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What Happens If You Don't Eat Enough Protein
Prepare your farewell speech because that muscle you worked so hard for is out the door!
What happens when you don't consume enough protein from a bodybuilding perspective is you won't maximize protein synthesis. Deeper than that, you won't gain muscle to the degree you could based on your work output.
If you happen to be protein deficient, the deeper than that gets deeper than that.
Side Effects Of Low Protein Intake
Little to no muscle growth
Many cells will die
You'll age faster
Memory loss
Varying degrees of cognitive impairment
Decreased skin elasticity (more wrinkles)
Brittle nails
Thinning hair
Slow recovery from workouts
Weakening of muscles
Decreased bone density and development when younger
Bones break more easily
Prone to injury
Anemia
Edema (swelling)
Fatigue
Injuries take longer to heal
Sickness lingers
Compromised immune system (sick more often)
Protein deficiency is not consuming enough protein to handle the needs of the day.
Different people different needs, of course.
Athletes need a good deal more than the sedentary Jacks and Jills.. still we all need protein for survival.
When protein deficient, your body just functions differently. Less effectively.
It’s a continually degenerative handicap.
But to reiterate, if your nutritional habits fail to include adequate protein.. muscular growth isn’t possible and maintenance will fall into the unsuccessful column, as well.
Ensure you abide by your protein needs based on your lifestyle (that was my segue to get you to skate on over to the how much protein per day section).
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How Much Protein Per Day To Build Muscle
There’s an exhausting debate on home much protein per day to build muscle. However according to reputable studies, 0.7-1.2 grams per pound of body weight will get the job done and maximize protein synthesis in weight training athletes [2].
Regardless of where you fall in this debate, one agreement between all parties is: the more physically active you are, the more protein you can benefit from.
A sedentary individual would get by with a minimum of 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight daily [10]. But we won't be sedentary will we??
Still the reason for this distinction remains: different lifestyles, different requirements.
A less active lifestyle calls for protein to handle basic needs for simply continuing life and/or a certain quality of life.
An athlete follows a higher protein diet due to the needs of every human on Earth, with the addition of an endless need to recover from the demands placed on their body.. protein is a major part of that.
But the how is how we handle business in this muscle building world.
I can tell you who, what, when, where, and why.. the how is where a lot of those that know the reasons still fall short.
Note: whether your goal is to gain, lose, or maintain body fat - your protein intake shouldn't fall below the baseline level. Keep it up.
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How To Eat Enough Protein To Build Muscle
They say if you want success you have to plan for it. So when it comes to advancing enough protein through your digestive tract - you have to plan for it. To eat enough protein to build muscle:
First and foremost you have to set a daily protein intake goal, once you know the goal you know what to aim for.
Next know exactly what will get you to that daily goal for the week. With that known, go ahead and do your shopping for these sources of protein.
Regularly track your macros and if you're doing that you are tracking calories by the way. Knowing how much dietary fat, carbs, and protein you consume will allow you to manipulate your body at will.
But back to the topic.. how would you know if you're hitting the protein goal if you weren’t tracking? Tally it up.
I also suggest spreading your protein servings through the day for ease of consumption.
20-40 grams in a given sitting will maximize protein synthesis [7]. Still it's fair to eat more and your body will manage to get around to using the higher intake, despite previous myths [8]. Good information if you're interested in fasting. There's actually no practical upper limit for a single sitting of protein munching, so rock out as you see fit [9].
Meal prepping is an optional tool, I like to cook for the day each morning personally. Yet if you're not against it you can chef up days of meals at a time, shakes are part of that too.
Hitting hot “you need some protein right now” spots like first thing in the morning, immediately after a lift, or downing a shake before bed will keep you on the good side of the margin. Notably when short on total protein for the day or as a sector of your daily strategy.
Note: the unexpected is to be expected. Consistency is the name of the game, so to curate that.. know where emergency stashes of protein are. IE acceptable gas station shakes, or fast-food sources. Having this in the back of your mind will have you prepared for “rainy” days.
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What Makes A Good Source Of Protein
There’s no perfect way to measure what makes a good source of protein, that doesn't mean a less than perfect method isn't better than no method.
Protein bioavailability is less than perfect, but provides good information.
The bioavailability of a protein is the percentage of contained amino acids that can be readily absorbed and used by your body.
Another judge I'm a fan of for gauging protein caliber is the protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS).
It’s currently the most accepted rating system, however it’s difficult to find studies on less popular proteins. Measured on a truncated scale of 0-1.0 it compares digestibility of proteins to that of a whole egg, because a whole egg’s protein digestibility is the gold standard.. gets no better than that.
Unfortunately whole eggs are more of a fat source that a protein source, although it contains both, but that's another topic.
Academically, the higher the PDCAA score, the more qualified of a protein the considered source is, and the more bang you’ll get for your buck.
A separate, more consequential gauge, is whether or not a protein is complete.
There are two categories of proteins:
Complete proteins and incomplete proteins.
Animal protein sources are always complete proteins because they contain all 9 essential amino acids.
Plant-based sources tend to lack one or more of the 9 essential amino acids - making them largely incomplete proteins (there are a few exceptions).
The referred to amino acids are essential for a reason. So if you aren't consuming complete proteins it's incumbent upon you to mix and match to complete the puzzle for maximal gains.
Essential amino acids: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine [6].
Conditionally-essential amino acids: arginine, cysteine, glutamine, tyrosine, glycine, ornithine, proline, and serine [6].
Note: conditionally-essential amino acids can usually be synthesized for optimal function without protein consumption, but when strenuous activity is often conducted; outside assistance is needed from time to time with these.
BOTTOM LINE
The optimal source of protein is complete, accessible, easily digestible, relatively healthy/clean, palatable, has an applicable digestion rate, being inexpensive never hurt, and flexible in practice.
To expand on flexibility there’s personal preference.
Not only do I want a protein flexible with its ability to play fair with other foods (can’t have my taste buds complaining), but I want it to be as close to purely protein as possible.
It’s ultimately about building/maintaining muscle while limiting or reducing body fat so.. if I'm doing so with a strategic diet that spreads and/or limits carbs and dietary fat participation with one another - I need a protein that has little to no fats or carbs.
When that's the case it's much easier to carb cycle or even go keto if I chose to do so.
Why?
Proteins attached to a high amount of carbohydrates or dietary fat force you in a particular direction.
I like the option so that low, medium, or high carb days are easy to maneuver in and out of my routine.
So ideally you want to be able to add or remove carbs and/or dietary fats from a meal as you see fit.
Remember protein intake always remains consistent, dietary fat should too but.. again.. off topic.
Note: keep in mind that digestion rates are impacted by foods accompanying your source of protein.
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Best Sources Of Protein For Building Muscle
For the people in the back - ALL SOURCES OF PROTEIN ARE NOT CREATED EQUALLY.
Some absorb better than others.
Some digest at discordant rates.
Some have better amino acid profiles.
And some dot dot dot.
With that said, here’s where I include several of the more popular proteins most of us have access to.
On the list you'll find a breakdown along with a few pros and cons to help you choose the best sources of protein for building muscle that you'll want to include in your nutritional strategy. And even when you'd do so.
Nutritional Value Of Egg Whites
Typical calorie and macronutrient profile for egg whites:
Example HEB 100% real egg whites - serving 250 grams = 112 calories, 25 grams of protein, 2.5 grams of carbohydrates, and 0 grams of fat.
Bioavailability and pdcaas for Egg Whites
Bioavailability: 88
PDCAAS: 1.18
Digestion rate: middle of the pack
Complete protein
Pros and Cons of Protein In Egg Whites
Whole egg protein was seen as creme de la creme when inventing the PDCAAS, and extracting the yolk doesn’t hurt its potency much at all.
Whole eggs provide protein, of course - it just happens to be more of a source of dietary fat than protein, hence why egg whites are listed here instead.
On the bad side, egg whites are quite controversial to the palate. You may want to spice it up a smidgen unless you don't mind abusing your taste buds as I do. Most days I look for tolerance more than pleasure.
Another downside is that egg whites in bulk take a while to scarf down.
Still can be seen as the best amino acid non-powder combination, but what’s even better is there are companies that have created tasty egg white powders.
Egg whites and their potency will always have a place in my heart.
Ensure you’re properly measuring portions, so you can get all your protein and keep a breath mint handy - egg white breath ain't nothing to play with.
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Nutritional Value Of Chicken Breast
Typical calorie and macronutrient profile for chicken breast:
Hill country fare boneless skinless chicken breast with rib meat - serving 112 grams (4 oz) = 130 calories, 24 grams of protein, 0 grams of carbohydrates, and 3 grams of fat.
Bioavailability and pdcaas for Chicken Breast
Bioavailability: 79
PDCAAS: 1.01
Digestion rate: middle of the pack
Complete protein
pros and cons of Protein In Chicken Breast
Chicken breast, a bodybuilder’s dream. You probably see this the most on your favorite social media influencer’s plate.. Partly because it is a potent source of protein and partly because it’s easier on the pocket compared to other sources.
Chicken breast can be made as bland or as tasty as your heart desires for a low price, but careful.
It’s not hard to chef up dry chicken.
Experiment with your preparation methods and once you have it down to a science it’s press and go.
I tend to trim the little fat there is, weigh it raw, chop it up, add some cayenne, pan sear, flip it midway through, and wait for the bell to ding.
Note: I don’t trim the fat because fat is “bad” I trim it for consistency in macronutrient tracking. The amount of fat attached to a piece of chicken breast varies, so I choose to go virtually without.
Similar sources: chicken thigh, chicken wing, chicken leg quarter, chicken drumstick, and so on. Be mindful of fat content with different parts of the chicken when tracking your macros.
If you see me on the meat market side of the grocery store with both feet in the air, just give me a head nod.
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Nutritional Value Of Lean Ground Beef
Typical calorie and macronutrient profile for 96% lean ground beef:
HEB 96% extra lean ground beef - serving 112 grams (4 oz) = 140 calories, 24 grams of protein, 0 grams of carbohydrates, and 5 grams of fat.
Bioavailability and pdcaas for Lean Ground Beef
Bioavailability: 80
PDCAAS: 0.92-1.14
Digestion rate: middle of the pack
Complete protein
pros and cons of Protein In Lean Ground Beef
Beef, in fact meat in general somehow acquired an undeserved reputation.
The world has a bit of a beef with beef.
It in reality can be of great benefit to your muscle building, fat shredding aims. Not only are lean cuts packed with protein, but beef is also a quality source of iron and vitamin b12.
Beef has great versatility and flavor, even without seasoning.. at least for me. Salads, homemade burgers, alone with avocado, there's really no cap on what beef can go with.
The big beef con is that the leaner the cut, the easier it is to dry your meat out when cooking. Dry meat means less flavor and more chewing.
If I wanted to incessantly chew something with quickly fading flavor I would’ve popped open a pack of Juicy Fruit.
Similar sources: all lean cuts of beef, just ensure you are watching your macronutrient goals because fat content varies with how lean the cuts are and what cuts you go for.
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Nutritional Value Of Tuna Steak
Typical calorie and macronutrient profile for tuna steak:
Anova ahi tuna steak - serving 112 grams (4 oz) = 127 calories, 28 grams of protein, 0 grams of carbohydrates, and 0.5 grams of fat.
Bioavailability and pdcaas for Tuna Steak
Bioavailability: 83
PDCAAS: 0.92
Digestion rate: middle of the pack
Complete protein
pros and cons of Protein In Tuna Steak
Fish in general tends to be stacked in the protein department.
Tuna steak sticks to that script.
For palatability these go well in salads, broccoli concoctions, and I can personally attest to it doing well in a bowl with brown rice.
Also fair to note that tuna is a go-to source for omega 3 fatty acids, too. Omega 3 is a polyunsaturated fat that must be obtained through diet, so having a source is part of fulfilling your needs for optimal functionality.
Although the protein content is solid there’s a little caution.. Tuna contains the metal mercury. You don’t want to overdo tuna consumption, for mercury poisoning becomes a greater possibility. Typically between 0.126 ppm to 1.816 ppm of mercury is what you’ll find in tuna steak [16].
Similar sources: tilapia, swai, and trout.
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Nutritional Value Of Turkey meat
Typical calorie and macronutrient profile for 93% lean turkey:
93% lean turkey - serving 112 grams (4 oz) = 152 calories, 20 grams of protein, 0 grams of carbohydrates, and 8 grams of fat.
Bioavailability and pdcaas for Turkey meat
Bioavailability: 82
PDCAAS: finding this is like finding the Bermuda triangle
Digestion rate: middle of the pack
Complete protein
pros and cons of Protein In Turkey meat
If you want a bird, but are tired of or are on strike against chicken, or just like to mix it up, or (insert reason here) turkey is available.
A bit more expensive than chicken breast, yet similar otherwise.
Flavor isn’t too shabby, on the contrary I personally prefer the zest of chicken. With that said don’t sleep on the B vitamins you get in turkey meat.
Nutritional Value Of Salmon
Typical calorie and macronutrient profile for Atlantic salmon:
Atlantic salmon - serving 112 grams (4 oz) = 151 calories, 22 grams of protein, 0 grams of carbohydrates, and 7 grams of fat.
Bioavailability and pdcaas for Salmon
Bioavailability: 87
PDCAAS: 1.00
Digestion rate: middle of the pack
Complete protein
pros and cons of Protein In Salmon
Maybe you have a tendency to lean towards a type of fish - pescetarian perhaps. Or maybe you struggle with omega 3 intake. Whatever it is, salmon is a good choice.
Salmon has a unique essence and I fancy that, emphatically so when the skin has a bit of a crunch to it.
If you catch me in front of a plate sounding like the Cambell’s Soup commercial you know what the deal is.
The only salmon issues are if you have a texture problem.. my wife does. Things can be too “slimy” for her.
Other than that, just be mindful of mercury content in fish. Much less in salmon than tuna steak, but still a thing to watch out for - typically 0.022 ppm of mercury [17].
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Nutritional Value Of Whey Protein Isolate
Typical calorie and macronutrient profile for a typical whey protein isolate:
Redcon1 isotope vanilla whey protein isolate - serving 31 grams = 110 calories, 25 grams of protein, 2 grams of carbohydrates, and 0 grams of fat.
Bioavailability and pdcaas for WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE
Bioavailability: 100-159
PDCAAS: 1.14
Digestion rate: fastest
Complete protein
pros and cons of Whey Protein Isolate
If you want a load of detail regarding my admiration for the fantastical source that whey protein isolate is - here you go > why whey protein isolate is the best.
But the gist is that whey powder has great ease of use.
Pretty much any popular brand works, and it can be coupled with an endless array of ingredients from just water to almond milk, oats, blueberries, olive oil.. The limit doesn’t exist.
I’m a blending specialist when it comes to whey so if you want ideas leave a comment, I'm truly a veteran at this.
Derived from milk, whey is the fastest digesting protein which makes it an impeccable source post-workout to take advantage of muscle protein synthesis.
Also a good fast breaker for when you arise in the AM after your nightly nutritional sabbatical.
A third beneficial whey time is pre workout to get amino acids flowing in your system to help limit muscle breakdown during a training session.
If you go too catabolic you start to burn through muscle tissue and run the risk of overtraining syndrome.
Quick digestion can be good for the times I mentioned, yet not so good if you’re going long between meals.
In those cases you’ll want a medium-slower digesting protein to keep a steady flow of aminos pumping in to limit the potential for muscle catabolism, particularly on a cut.
Note: whey isolate has only trace amounts of lactose.
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Nutritional Value Of MICELLAR CASEIN PROTEIN
Typical calorie and macronutrient profile for a typical micellar casein protein:
Biotech rich chocolate micellar casein - serving 32 grams = 100 calories, 24 grams of protein, 1 gram of carbohydrates, and 0.5 grams of fat.
Bioavailability and pdcaas for Micellar Casein protein
Bioavailability: 77
PDCAAS: 1.23
Digestion rate: slowest on the market
Complete protein
pros and cons of Micellar Casein Protein
Often referred to as the bedtime protein, casein is the slowest digesting source of protein out.
This is a benefit to you if you're concerned with limiting the risk of catabolism through the night or between meals.
It’ll help with a continuous flow of muscle building amino acids.
Casein, like whey, is derived from milk. It’s actually responsible for giving milk its white hue. Other than powder, cottage cheese is a common casein protein source, however cottage cheese comes with a decent amount of carbs.
You can throw casein powder in with various combinations as you can with whey, but be aware of how thick casein will make your ensemble. You may have to add more solvent or bring a spoon if you’re not drinking casein protein alone.
Its slow digestion rate can also be a problem if you don’t want something sitting on your stomach before a workout or if you are making an effort to optimize muscle protein synthesis post-workout. Save casein for before bed or during standard mealtimes of the day.
Note: casein only contains trace amounts of lactose.
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Nutritional Value Of Soybeans
(plant-based source)
Typical calorie and macronutrient profile for soybeans:
Soybeans - serving 100 grams = 446 calories, 36 grams of protein, 30 grams of carbohydrates, and 20 grams of fat.
Bioavailability and pdcaas for Soy Protein
Bioavailability: 74
PDCAAS: 0.91
Digestion rate: middle of the pack
Complete protein
pros and cons of Protein In Soybeans
While most plant-based sources of protein are incomplete proteins, soy is an exception to this rule.
Still the presidential issue with plant-based protein reliance is you must consume so much to match what you get gram for gram with animal protein, that your total calorie intake will be next to the flag on the moon.
As you can see, 36 grams of protein via soybean comes to 446 calories. That would only require 195 calories for chicken breast to reach 36 grams of protein.
But there is a way to make it work if you can round up the essential aminos needed from varying sources, and that way is by adding some powdered plant-based protein to your arsenal. With that you’ll have less of a hassle making it to your daily protein intake goals.
Similar sources: there’s a strong drop off in the quality of plant protein after soy, but quinoa, buckwheat, and hempseed live in a similar world.
Note: stay keenly aware of macronutrient content, being that non-animal protein sources tend to be more carb dominant than protein dominant, so consider those calculations.
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MY THOUGHTS
What goes above all aspects of nutrition, not just protein, is compliance. Ensure your tactics match your will, and ability to adhere to the procedure. No pipe dreams, reality gets things done.. Know thyself.
In the ideal world you’ll create a stringent, sustainable system of similar foods day in and out, cheat meals aside. That would allow for an ironclad ability to more readily compare results over time, but I get it. Variety helps compliance at times.
If you don't want to overcomplicate it just go with chicken breast.. the cheapest and likely the most accessible.
Hydration isn't to be ignored, a high protein diet is nothing without a high water intake. Your organs will thank you.
SO, IT’S ABOUT THAT TIME To eat some protein
No protein, no muscle.
It's the motto and it's the truth. You have to make and keep this macronutrient a priority if you want your gains to remain or to keep gaining. With over 10,000 variations flowing through your body to the fingers you scrolled this blog with - everyone needs to be conscious of protein. Abide by your daily intake, weight train, and get your cardio in. If you’re starting to introduce more protein to your nutritional plan; up your water intake, as well. Hydration will keep the ball rolling. As always match your tactics to your goals, and never forget a fit body is nothing without a fit mind.
Be Great.
SOURCES
[2] ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
[3] web.archive.org
[6] medlineplus.gov
[7] ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
[8] ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
[10] doi.org
[11] ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
[12] ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
[13] sciencedirect.com
[14] ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
[15] sciencedirect.com
[16] drberg.com