Is Supplementation for Everyone?

I’ve seen it time and again - people looking to make muscle gains, but struggling to do so. More often than not, the fitness routine isn’t the primary issue, the nutrition is. If you’ve been trying to increase muscle mass, or even just increase your muscle tone and lose weight, the key to your success could be supplementation. Protein is undoubtedly the most under-consumed of the macronutrients, yet is incredibly important in promoting muscle hypertrophy. With so much on the market, it can get overwhelming figuring out the best products to purchase, and without FDA regulation, ingredients and safety can become concerning as well. It doesn’t need to be complicated, but you should do your research to determine the best products for YOU based on your goals and preferences.

Casein and whey proteins are the most popular protein powders out there. The big difference between these two proteins is the rate of absorption. Casein is slower digesting, and whey is rapidly metabolized and absorbed as amino acids. There has been banter about whether or not casein is a better protein to use when trying to lose weight due to its longer digestion, and thus theoretical longer satiety, but there is no evidence to back up this claim. Both of these are easily digested and absorbed into the body, and they both contain the 9 essential amino acids. I personally use whey protein within 30 minutes of lifting to deliver quick nutrition to my muscles.

Another option, especially for vegans, is pea protein. Pea protein also contains decent quantities of 8/9 essential amino acids, with low levels of methionine. Essential amino acids cannot be produced in the body, and must be obtained from the diet. Meat and animal products contain all 9 of the essential amino acids, but they can also be found in rice, tofu, tempeh, quinoa, buckwheat… many vegan foods contain at least some of the amino acids, and with a combination of foods they can all be obtained.

It’s not insignificant to note that hydration also plays a role in muscle growth and health. Keeping the cells hydrated (swollen) will help reduce protein breakdown. Muscles are primarily made of water, and dehydration can constrict proper contraction, leading to muscle breakdown.

Lastly, supplements are not regulated by the FDA, so it’s important to do research and be sure your products are coming from a reputable source. I have a product line I swear by, but when I was trying things out, I always made sure they were third party tested. This means that the supplement company has another company test for purity and label accuracy. A few examples of third parties to look for on supplement labels are NSF, USP, and Consumer Labs. There are also supplement companies that have production taking place in FDA regulated facilities, so as long as you do your homework, the quality of your products shouldn’t be a problem.

In short, the average person could benefit from protein supplementation when trying to achieve muscle gains and weight loss goals, and in a lot of cases even the average person without big fitness goals undercuts daily protein intake. The recommended daily protein intake is 0.8g/kg of body weight, which for a 165lb person would equal 60g of protein. As a general rule, I like to keep my clients eating about 1g/lb of their target body weight, which creates a discrepancy with the Dietary Reference Intake quantity. Feel free to reach out about the details and reasoning behind this if you’re interested!

Check out my links page to find affiliate links to my favorite Vital Performance supplements.