One of the known and widely used food supplements for building muscles is protein. Protein is one of the most important supplements for muscle development and it can be said that if you want bigger muscles then you need protein. The trouble is the variety of protein products available on the body building market that to make a right choice is terrible.

It is true that protein companies are exaggerating protein powders and protein bars with big promises. Putting aside all the exaggeration and publicity, protein is still one of the most significant items of your muscle building diet. Achieving adequate amount of protein in our daily diet can be confronting.

According to the general rule of thumb, you need 1 to 15 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass. It is almost impossible to get that amount of protein into diet with food alone. The consequences of eating that much to attain the required amount of protein needed for the body can result much intake of fats and surplus carbohydrates to your diet.

Protein powder helps us to get rid of that issue and gives us the required amount of protein needed for the body. It is affordable, faster and strong. Protein has different types and each type has a role to play in building muscles. Not all proteins are good, and its efficiency in muscle building depends on when you take the protein. Let us consider 2 most significant types of protein and when to take them for effective muscle growth.

1. Whey protein

Whey protein is commonly used in gyms; this is because of its known rapid digestion. Your body needs the most energy when it is in anabolic state, when you take whey protein before, during or after your exercise you can get the maximum assistance from it. About 20% of the total protein in milk is composed of whey protein. It contains large amount of amino acid and its different peptides present makes it perfect as a workout protein.

2. Casein Protein

Casein protein is the exact opposite of the whey protein. It is perfect as a “meal replacement” protein because of its slow digestion and less needed for workout protein. Throughout workout your body needs quick release of energy which makes the whey protein important for it is known for these characteristics. It takes longer time for casein protein to be released into the blood streams. However, caseins are still not left out among the important muscle building protein and it is effective if taken as a meal supplement outside workout.

Nowadays, it is difficult to find many protein powders that are just whey or casein. What you can find mostly is protein powders and protein bars mixed with different protein. With each protein having different absorption rate, be careful to know which one is appropriate for its reason. Some are made to be taken, during or after workouts while others are made to be used as meal replacements.

Take time to investigate the product and don’t just buy protein powder. Their different functions can have effect on how your body responds to building muscles.