Almost everyone knows that our muscles are made of protein. Protein is an important part of every cell in our body. Like water, protein is a large part of our body. Even our nails and hair are largely made of protein.
Our body uses protein to make and repair the tissue that is used to make enzymes, hormones and other body substances. Protein is an important building block, not only for muscles but also for bones, cartilage, skin and blood. You will now understand that if you do not get enough protein you can not build muscle. It's just that simple.
Proteins are used in certain order
You have to give your body the fuel it needs to build muscle. Your body uses protein for so many other important life functions in the body .... the last thing it wants to do is build muscle. So you better ensure that you get enough protein, so that after your hard work in the gym there is enough protein left over to let your muscles grow.
How often and how much protein per day?
Of course it is important that you train well, your muscles do not grow automatically. When doing this, it is advisable to ensure that you get 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. Someone weighing 80 kg is so good with about 160 grams of protein / day.
Protein does not accumulate in your body, so it is advisable to spread your protein intake throughout the day to effectively build up muscle. Our advice is therefore to consume six small meals a day instead of the three large traditional meals and to ensure that you have a good quality protein source.
The best protein sources
The proteins that are best absorbed by the body have a high biological value (BW). The BW is used to determine what percentage of protein is absorbed by the body. The BW actually says how good the protein source is. The best sources of protein are animal sources such as meat, fish, eggs and milk.
Below is a list of the different protein sources and their BW
Protein source Biological value
Whey protein 104 *
Eggs 96
Fish 84
Chicken / turkey 79
Lean meat 69
Cow milk 60
Unpolished rice 59
Brown rice 57
White rice 56
Peanuts 55
Peas 55
Whole grain 49
Soybeans 47
Corn 36
Beans 34
Potatoes 34
Chicken egg protein has always been seen as protein with the highest biological value. After the 'invention' of whey protein, it turned out to be even higher. If you concentrate whey protein, you can even achieve a biological value of 150 to 160. This is due to the large presence of branched amino acids such as valine, leucine and isoleucine. This shows that whey protein in supplement form always gives the most value for your money.
Tool: getting enough protein from food
In addition to the use of whey protein, it is certainly possible to extract sufficient protein from food. As mentioned, it is important to get enough protein throughout the day. If you have difficulty with this or have trouble composing your dishes, you can think of having a diet plan or buying a good recipe book.
