With the popularization of fitness knowledge, the market for fitness supplements has become increasingly prosperous. If you want to effectively increase muscle and reduce fat, the selection and combination of supplements are unavoidable topics. So protein powder, BCAAs and creatine: Which one is the best for your training goals?
The following article will talk about protein powder, BCAAs and creatine. Popularizing their meanings, classifications and benefits will help you choose fitness supplements scientifically.
Common categories of protein powder
Whey protein
Whey protein powder is extracted from milk and is also a universal and basic type of protein powder . It has small molecules, is easy to digest, and is absorbed quickly.
The protein content of whey protein powder is generally around 70% to 80%, and its applicability is also very strong . It is very suitable for breakfast, snacks, and supplements before or after training . In addition, its cost-effectiveness makes it highly recommended by almost all fitness enthusiasts.
Whey isolate
Its usage and functions are basically the same as those of ordinary whey protein powder . The protein content is generally higher than that of ordinary whey protein, generally 80% or more.
In fact, whey protein isolate powder is a product of further filtration on ordinary whey protein powder. It removes lactose, as well as some cholesterol, fat and carbon water . Therefore, people with lactose intolerance can use whey protein isolate without indigestion problems.
However, due to production process issues, the price will be much higher than ordinary whey protein powder.
Casein protein powder
Casein is a large, hard and dense molecule that is difficult to digest and decompose. It has a strong sense of fullness. Like whey protein, casein is also extracted from milk. It is mostly made by removing the whey part of milk through boiling or fermentation. Then mixing it with water.
In fact, the cheese and milk tofu in our daily life contain casein. Casein is a high-quality protein source that helps us recover from stress, damage and excessive fatigue. Since casein takes longer to digest, it can be absorbed and utilized more efficiently by the body. It is generally recommended to eat before going to bed to help the body absorb it slowly.
Mass gainer
Muscle-building powder is a compound supplement composed of maltodextrin and whey protein powder . Maltodextrin is made from various types of starch, which is hydrolyzed, converted, purified and dried by an enzymatic process. Maltodextrin can basically only provide pure energy and some trace elements.
Since the content of maltodextrin in muscle-building powder is higher than that of protein powder, the carbohydrate content in muscle-building powder will be higher than that of protein . Generally, the protein content in muscle-building powder is only about 25%, while its carbon water content is as high as 55% or more. Therefore, muscle-building powder can hardly be called protein powder in the traditional sense.
Muscle-building powder is more recommended for those who are relatively thin and have a poor appetite. It can help them maintain a calorie surplus and increase protein intake, which is beneficial for them to gain weight and muscle.
How to choose protein powder?
If you are not lactose intolerant, it is recommended that you buy whey protein powder, which has a higher overall cost-effectiveness.
When we buy protein powder, we always take a look at its protein content, but this is not enough. The protein content is generally calculated based on its total nitrogen content . In order to increase the protein content, some unscrupulous manufacturers will add some cheap amino acids to it, so that the final protein content will increase . These added amino acids cannot be considered complete proteins and cannot be used very well by the human body.
Therefore, when purchasing protein powder, you should also look at the ingredient list and choose the type that only contains protein powder and some flavor additives. If there are other ingredients before the protein powder or some amino acids are added after the protein powder, then we need to pay attention when purchasing.
What is Creatine?
Creatine is the most recommended supplement among all sports supplements . Especially for some friends who want to gain muscle, creatine is a nearly perfect supplement.
Creatine is a nitrogen-containing organic acid that exists naturally in animals. 95% of the creatine in our body is in skeletal muscle, and the remaining 5% is in the brain, liver, kidneys and testicles. Creatine is found in foods such as fish and meat, so we can also get it through food.
Since we can get creatine from food, why do we need additional supplements?
That’s because the creatine content in food is not enough, so it can’t achieve its proper function . In addition, meat loses a lot of creatine during the cooking process, so it is still very necessary for us to supplement creatine.
What is Creatine good for?
Improve strength and endurance
Generally speaking, our body’s energy (ATP) will be exhausted after 8 to 10 seconds of high-intensity activity. When we replenish enough creatine, creatine will send the energy in the mitochondria to the myofibrils in the form of creatine phosphate to quickly replenish the ATP content. Therefore, it can not only shorten the time for our muscles to recover during exercise, but also improve the performance of short-term high-intensity training.
Improve protein synthesis efficiency and promote muscle growth
The body produces its own creatine through the kidneys and liver after taking in protein, and when we take creatine directly, more of the protein is saved and can be used for muscle repair after our workout.
Increase lean body mass and muscle mass
After taking creatine, it will bring water molecules into the muscles, causing them to swell. At the same time, it can promote the storage of more glycogen in skeletal muscles. Increased glycogen is conducive to expanding muscle volume and achieving muscle growth. Because most of the water produced by creatine is in the muscle cells, it is easy to get edema after taking creatine, and the weight will soar rapidly in a short period of time.
How to choose and use creatine?
Like protein powder, there are many types of creatine on the market. For example, creatine monohydrate, creatine hydrochloride, and various compound creatines. But in fact, we only need to choose the most common and basic creatine monohydrate powder. Creatine monohydrate is the most studied and proven most effective creatine, and it is also the most cost-effective.
The most common way to take creatine is generally introduced in the instructions for use of creatine products. This method is also often used in scientific research. Take 20 grams a day in the first week, divided into 4 times, 5 grams each time. This week is also called the impact period. After a week, start taking only 5 grams a day. If you stop using it later, you need to start again from the impact period.
Each cell in our body can only store a certain amount of creatine, and the amount of creatine absorbed each time is also limited. Therefore, some people who have just started taking creatine may feel that they don’t see any effect. The shock period is also set to make the creatine in our muscles reach saturation faster.
What are BCAAs?
In the gym, you often see people with large water bottles filled with colorful water, which are often BCAA. When you ask them why they drink BCAA, they will not tell you the effects claimed by the merchants, but often answer you – “It’s just to make the water taste better.”
So is BCAA really so bad, is it just for the taste of drinking water?
The Chinese name of BCAA is branched-chain amino acids, which are a kind of complex amino acids composed of several amino acids. BCAA is generally composed of 3 of the 8 essential amino acids for the human body, including leucine, isoleucine, and valine.
Can BCAAs help you grow muscle?
When we take BCAA, it can indeed increase the rate of protein synthesis and reduce the rate of protein decomposition in a short period of time. Especially the leucine in it. Leucine deficiency will affect the start of muscle protein synthesis, can directly stimulate the protein synthesis rate, and leucine can also synthesize glutamine.
But even if the leucine content in the blood remains elevated, our body’s protein synthesis rate will eventually decrease. If you want to stimulate the protein synthesis rate again, you have to wait until the synthesis rate drops back to the bottom line before you can increase it again. This is called the muscle full effect.
Therefore, although BCAA can directly increase the rate of protein synthesis and reduce protein breakdown, this does not mean that it can help us gain muscle. Increased synthesis and reduced breakdown in a short period of time cannot help us effectively increase muscle.
If we supplement BCAA in order to maximize muscle growth when we have enough protein intake, it seems that there is no need for this. Many protein powders now have additional BCAA added, but if your protein intake is not enough, then supplementing BCAA can help make up for the problem of insufficient protein to a certain extent, thereby achieving muscle growth.
Summary
Protein powder,BCAAs, and creatine have different use in daily life. You can choose the right supplements according to your situation. Scientific Protein powder,BCAAs, and creatine supplements make your efforts more effective.
