Protein should be one of your main focus’ when thinking about gaining or maintaining muscle mass (with a few other frills to really maximise benefits). Protein supplements come in many convenient forms – the most common of which are powders and bars. With your goals in mind, try to follow these basic guidlines, remember that these are guidelines and everyone’s body responds differently to stimulus and nutrition – find your personal sweet spot when training!
If your goal is to decrease your bodies fat percentage then as a basic rule, choose a protein powder/bar that has as few carbs and as much protein as possible (20g in a 30g bar or 80%+ protein in powders). You can find bars with added supplements such as CLA, caffein etc but the true benefits of these are arguable, you will however find that the price will climb rapidly with these added extras – the choice between price and the possible extra benefits lies with you.
If you aim to increase your lean muscle size and bring on definition then you are part of possibly the largest target audience for supplement companies. In 90% of cases protein levels will need to be increased and carbohydrates will need to be reduced. Look for a supplement that coinsides with this, (ideally at 20g in a 30g bar or 70% protein per powder). Again this should supplement a diet that supports a high protein, REDUCED (not cut out completely) carbohyrate content.
If your target is to solely improve your muscular strength with little to no worry about your bodies composition then you should look for supplements that have more of a 40%/40%/20% split between carbs/proteins/fats respectively. This will increase the overall calorie content of the shake or bar whilst still giving your body what it needs from the protein provided. With the addition of carbohydrates your insulin levels will spike, enabling any calories consumed to be stored in your muscles, liver and fat cells – ready for use during your next high output workout.
Remember this is all a guideline and if you want any in depth, personalised help then don’t hesitate to get in touch.
