10 Myths About Protein and Muscle Growth, Debunked
10,000 different proteins create almost every part of the body. This is why many health nuts will swear by high-protein diets. Also, a lot of bodybuilders believe that consuming a lot of protein can amp up their muscle growth efforts.
But do protein and muscle growth go together? Read on to learn about some common myths about the connections this nutrient and body function have.
You may be surprised by what you find.
Table of Contents
Myth #1. All Proteins Are the Same
Plant proteins and animal product proteins are different from each other. Animal proteins have all the amino acids that the body needs. This is why experts consider them to be “complete.”
Plant-based proteins, however, do not contain all the amino acids that the human body needs. They are not complete. So vegans and vegetarians need to consume a variety of plant proteins to get all the nutrients their bodies need.
Myth #2. Plants Cannot Provide Enough Protein For Muscle Growth
Yes, you don’t need to solely take in steak and eggs to get enough protein for your workout. You can get enough protein from plants such as legumes. These can also give you beneficial nutrients like fiber and antioxidants along the way.
You Will Need to Eat Lots of Plants
However, there is one downside of eating a plant-only diet to support your muscle growth. You will likely end up having to eat a lot more plants to get your protein requirements fulfilled. Plants usually have far less protein in them than meats and dairy products do.
Myth #3. Just Eating Proteins Can Make You Grow Muscles
If you’re wondering how to grow muscles, it’s important to know that you can’t just gain muscle by gobbling down a steak. Your body doesn’t just naturally grow muscle when it doesn’t feel it needs them. You have to make the body believe that it needs that extra strength to survive.
You Also Need a Fitness Routine
You can’t just grow muscles with what you can consume. Even the drugs that reportedly help you grow muscles like steroids and SARMs (you can get some of these here: SARMs for sale) won’t cause your body to grow muscles automatically.
You need to combine what you take in with a good strength training routine.
Myth #4. You Should Only Take in Protein Before and After Your Workout
Taking in some protein before and after your fitness routine can help your body recover. However, it’s not a good idea to take in all of the protein that your body needs at that time. Your body can only take in and use so much protein at once.
Have Protein During Breakfast
In addition, it’s a good idea to have some protein at breakfast. Your body will be eating up your muscles because it hasn’t eaten in a while. Giving your body some protein at breakfast will stop this process.
Split Up Daily Protein Intake
In general, you want to split up your protein intake throughout the day. This should include your three meals and can also include the times before and after your workout.
Myth #5. You Must Use Protein Powder For Muscle Growth
Protein powder has its benefits. Instead of having to prepare eggs and/or chicken, you can just throw some powder into some water and shake. You’ve now got a satisfying meal that you can consume after a good workout.
You Can Get Protein Nutrients From Whole Foods
However, you don’t need protein powder in your workout. You can get the same amount of nutrients from whole foods. It may even be better to get your proteins from these sources as they also provide your body with a lot of different vitamins and minerals.
Don’t Rely on Protein Powders Alone
You also shouldn’t rely on protein powders alone. You can use them, yes, but you also need to get a lot more vitamins and minerals as well. Try consuming protein powder as only part of a healthy, well-rounded diet.
Myth #6. Cooked Protein Has Less Protein
Some people believe that if you cook protein-rich foods, the amount of protein inside these foods shrinks. Luckily, you do not have to eat raw meat to get the full protein benefits of it. Your body will get the same amount of nutrients from a medium steak as a rare one.
Raw Meat Can Contain Dangerous Germs
It’s also unhealthy to consume raw and undercooked meats. They can contain dangerous bacteria such as E.coli, Salmonella, Yersinia, and more. These can make you incredibly sick and make you unable to continue your fitness training routine.
Meat Should Be Cooked and Stored Properly
You need to cook meats to safe temperatures to kill all of the bacteria contained within them. It’s also important to store meats at temperatures below 40°F in your fridge. This will prevent bacteria from spreading to them.
Myth #7. Eating Fatty Meats Will Destroy Your Muscle Growth
Yes, lean proteins are incredibly good for you. However, you don’t have to resign yourself to solely eating skinless chicken breasts, turkey, tofu, etc. Doing this can make you break and cram a whole bunch of fatty meats into your mouth at once.
Eat Fatty Meats in Moderation
You’re only human. It’s fine to treat yourself to some meats with saturated fats once in a while. The key is that you should only eat these in moderation so that you don’t experience health problems and/or gain weight you don’t want.
Fatty Proteins Can Still Have Some Benefits
Another thing to consider is that many foods with saturated fat still have a lot of benefits. Salmon, for example, is considered a fatty fish. However, it contains the important nutrient polyunsaturated omega-3 fat.
In addition, not all the fat in steak is saturated. About half of it is unsaturated fat. This type of fat can give you health benefits.
Myth #8. Avoid Egg Yolks as They’ll Cause Heart Attacks
Researchers found out years ago that egg yolks could elevate a person’s blood cholesterol levels. Since high cholesterol often leads to hypertension and cardiovascular disease, the researchers assumed egg yolks would cause these diseases.
Because of this, health-conscious people started eating fewer egg yolks and more egg whites.
Egg Yolks Were Never Linked to Heart Disease
Yes, some protein sources are better for you than others. However, egg yolks aren’t your enemies as much as you think. No controlled studies concluded that egg yolks directly caused heart diseases.
Egg Yolks Have Many Nutritional Benefits
Researchers have also found that egg yolks can give individuals several benefits. They contain several important nutrients like choline, omega-3s, and B vitamins. They also help the body increase its levels of high-density lipoprotein, which is considered good cholesterol.
Egg Yolks Can Help You Lose Weight
Egg yolks can make you feel so full that you’ll end up eating less at your next meal. On top of that, egg yolks can increase your metabolic rate. That is, your body will burn more fat after it has eaten eggs.
Egg Yolks Can Protect You Against Certain Diseases
Furthermore, eggs can help reduce inflammation, which is linked to several different diseases. Eggs can also protect you against several eye diseases like cataracts and muscular degeneration. You would thank the lutein and zeaxanthin in eggs for that.
Myth #9. Protein Can Cause Health Issues
Yes, protein isn’t as healthy as many people think. However, some people have also been connecting protein-rich foods with a variety of health issues. This article will debunk some of these in the list below.
Protein Won’t Hurt Your Kidneys
The breakdown of protein can produce ammonia. Your kidney has the task of removing this ammonia as it removes waste products. So, many people have assumed that eating a ton of protein can make your kidney work past its limits.
In truth, only people with kidney disorders have to worry about protein impairing their kidney function. For most people, their kidneys will still function just fine if they eat a lot of protein. However, experts recommend that people drink a lot of water to help the kidneys flush out all the waste.
Protein Won’t Cause a Metabolic Spike
A lot of people believe that eating protein will cause your body’s metabolism to go into overdrive. This should cause the body to burn a lot more fat and thus cause you to lose a lot of weight.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. Protein does cause the human metabolism to increase, but not by as much as fitness aficionados see.
Your body doesn’t need to spend a lot of energy to break down any protein you consume.
Protein Won’t Increase Your Osteoporosis Risk
Osteoporosis is a loss in bone mineral density. Some people believe that a high-protein diet can increase your risk of getting this disease. Protein reportedly increases the amount of acid in your body, and this can cause calcium to exit your bones to neutralize the acid.
Luckily, studies have found no correlation between high-protein diets and osteoporosis. Many studies have shown that increasing the amount of protein you put into your body can improve your bones’ mineral density.
Myth #10. Protein and Muscle Growth Can’t Make You “Unhealthy”
Most people believe that eating junky foods will make you gain weight and eating healthy foods and exercising will keep you “thin.” This isn’t necessarily the case. Exercising can make you gain weight, though you won’t necessarily become fat.
Furthermore, you can still eat a ton of healthy foods, including protein-rich ones, and end up gaining weight. In addition, eating certain protein-rich foods can cause numerous health issues. You also shouldn’t eat solely protein-rich foods.
It’s All About Calories
It’s not the fats and sugar in junky foods that make you fat. It’s the calories contained within them. When the body takes on more calories than it needs, it will store them somehow.
Protein also has calories. So you can still eat more calories than you need in the form of proteins and still get fat. Therefore, you need to stick to only eating as many calories as you need every day.
Protein-Rich Foods Can Be Unhealthy
A lot of people may get their proteins from meats and dairy products. These can have a lot of saturated fat. If you have too much of this, your risk of getting cancer and certain heart diseases increases.
Plant proteins are a better option. However, you can’t eat too many of these, either. Having too much of the fiber that plants often contain can make you feel sick.
Man Cannot Live on Proteins Alone
Some people may have so much faith in protein being the ultimate nutrient that they’ll only eat protein-rich foods. This is never a good idea.
The human body needs protein, but it also needs many other vitamins and minerals. You get these from eating fruits, whole grains, and vegetables. If you don’t eat these, your body won’t function as it should.
Muscles Have Weight as Well
Some people may believe that they won’t weigh as much after vigorous strength training. The truth of the matter is that muscles have weight as well. When you grow your muscles, you will see the numbers on the scale increase.
However, this doesn’t necessarily mean you’re unhealthy. If you’ve been dedicated to a fitness routine for many months and eating a healthy, nutritious diet, you’re probably fine.
Enjoy Our Other Articles
In summary, protein and muscle growth can go together well. However, you need to ensure that you consume proteins correctly. You also shouldn’t make protein the only type of nutrition that you can consume.
Now that you’ve finished this article, why not try reading our other ones? We have plenty of articles on topics such as food, technology, and more. Since we have so many articles available on our site, you’ll surely find something that you’ll like.
Last Updated on January 29, 2023
