Hey guys, Sean Nalewanyj here of SeanNal.com and BodyTransformationTruth.com and in this
video lesson I just want to give you a brief rundown of the best protein sources for maximizing
muscle growth or for maintaining muscle while you're on a cut.
So, protein is without a doubt the most vital nutrient for those who are trying to optimize
their body composition.
Protein is a macronutrient that is made up of a chain of smaller building blocks called
amino acids.
After you consume and digest protein it will eventually be broken down into the individual
amino acids to be used for literally thousands of functions all throughout your body.
Every single process within your body that is geared towards building muscle mass relies
very heavily on protein.
So, if your body were a house, just think of protein as the bricks.
Your body already needs protein to carry out all of its natural everyday processes, so
your consumption of protein needs to increase as you train intensely with weights.
So, there are 2 main factors to take into account when you're selecting protein sources
to include in your diet.
The first is going to be the amino acid profile.
Certain protein sources are superior to others in that they contain an amino acid breakdown
that is more conducive to supporting lean muscle growth.
Of particular importance are the branched-chain amino acids, l-leucine, l-valine and l-isoleucine,
with l-leucine being the most critical of all.
And the second factor is the bio-availability.
And this refers to the percentage of the total protein content that will actually be absorbed
and utilized by your body.
For example, only about 76 percent of the protein in rice is utilized by your body compared
to the 97 percent absorption rate of egg.
So, here's a list of what I consider the top muscle building protein sources available
due to their strong amino acid profiles and their high bio-availability.
And these sources should ideally make up the bulk of your total protein intake.
So the first are eggs.
Eggs are a very versatile protein source and they make for a great breakfast food.
They are ranked second on the biological value scale next to whey protein, with nearly 100%
of the total protein content being utilized by your body.
Not only does one whole egg contain about 6 grams of high quality protein, but the yolk
is extremely nutrient dense and provides a variety of valuable vitamins and minerals
to your body.
Do keep in mind that one whole egg does contain 5 grams of fat, and although there's nothing
inherently wrong with fat itself, consuming too many whole eggs may shoot your overall
calorie intake too high if you're not careful.
The egg white itself contains virtually zero fat, so a mix of whole eggs and egg whites
is usually going to be your best bet.
Now, a lot of people shy away from eggs because of their "high cholesterol" content but it's
important to keep in mind that your body will naturally adjust its own production of cholesterol
in response to external consumption, and eating eggs on a regular basis has not been shown
to raise the body's overall levels of cholesterol.
Secondly is lean red meat.
Red meat contains the highest concentration of growth supporting micronutrients of any
protein source out there.
It's loaded with high amounts of natural creatine, b-vitamins, iron and zinc, just to name a
few.
Just make sure to stick to leaner sources in order to keep your total fat and calorie
intake under control.
Next up is lean poultry.
Chicken and turkey are another fitness staple and can be used to make an endless number
of different bodybuilding meals.
The white portion of the meat is extremely low in fat and very high in protein.
After that, lean pork.
Although not typically mentioned in most bodybuilding discussions, lean pork is actually a very
high quality protein source with an extremely high bio-availability.
Pork tenderloin contains just 1 gram of fat per ounce, which is about the same as you'd
get from a skinless chicken breast.
Skim Milk.
This is another great protein source and it offers a variety of different muscle building
benefits.
It contains about 8 grams of protein for one cup and it can be easily added to your meals
to ensure that your total daily protein requirements are being met.
It's also a really good choice for mixing up your protein shakes and smoothies, of course
and it provides a great spectrum of amino acids along with high amounts of calcium as
well as other valuable vitamins and minerals.
Fish and seafood.
There's almost no end to the possiblechoices here.
Salmon, cod, tuna, halibut, tilapia, these are just a few of the possible options.
Not only is fish high in protein, but it also provides your body with a high amount of the
omega 3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, which are critical to your overall health as well as
very important for improving muscle growth, fat loss and joint strength.
Don't overlook other sources of seafood that you could include in your diet as well, such
as shrimp, crab, lobster, scallops, etcetera.
Next up is cottage cheese.
Cottage cheese contains mostly casein protein and is also very rich in l-glutamine.
It makes for a great snack and it tastes great when you mix it with fresh fruit, peanut butter,
canned salmon or it's even great on its own with just a bit of salt and pepper.
And finally, whey protein.
Whey is a natural component of dairy that is extracted during the process of turning
milk into cheese.
And though it's often referred to as a “supplement”, whey is actually a completely natural food
product and it can be incorporated into your muscle building or fat burning diet in the
same way as any other food.
It's ranked #1 on the biological value scale and it provides the most effective amino acid
profile for supporting muscle growth and fat loss.
Whey can be used to make a wide variety of shakes, and snacks and other recipes and it's
also a very convenient way for you to meet your daily protein needs.
So that concludes my basic list.
How much protein should you be consuming daily?
Well I've covered this in a few videos in the past and a simple, straightforward and
highly effective guideline for supporting muscle growth, fat loss and overall recovery
is to consume 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight daily.
Simple as that.
So, if you weigh 175 pounds, just shoot for 175 grams of protein and if you measure in
kilos, just keep in mind that 1 kilogram is equal to 2.2 pounds.
So thanks a lot for watching this video.
I appreciate the support.
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