Anyone who has ever dealt with muscle building nutrition will know the importance of adequate protein intake. But why are proteins of all things so crucial for building muscle? In principle, proteins can be described as the basic building blocks of human cells.
They take on numerous functions in your body, such as the transport of oxygen or metabolic products. As actin and myosin, particular types of protein form the main component of your muscle fibres.
The protein in food provides amino acids that are used to build up the body’s proteins. The better your muscle-building diet supplies you with protein, the more likely your training will be rewarded with success. Because the same principle applies as when building a house:
Even the best architect is useless if there is not enough building material. However, not all protein is created equal. You can find out how to get the best out of them and how you can best supply your muscles.
How much protein do you need in your muscle-building diet?
A lot doesn’t necessarily help a lot because your body can only use a certain amount of protein. The daily recommendation for the “average consumer” is around 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. It should be noted, however, that the protein requirement increases with increasing exercise intensity.
Therefore, for an effective muscle building diet, we recommend that you consume around 1 to 1.5 g of protein per kilogram of body weight. So if you weigh 75kg and train regularly, you should consume between 75 and 112.5g of protein every day.
Also Read: Muscle Building – The Comprehensive Nutritional Guide To Building Muscle Mass
Which foods are the best sources of protein?
Below is a selection of foods that can help you meet your daily protein requirements:
High protein meat
Product | Protein / 100 G | Suitability |
Chicken breast fillet | 3 G | Very High |
Beef hip (Irish beef) | 2G | Very High |
Deer steak | 2G | Very High |
Pork tenderloin | 2G | High |
Lamb fillet | 0G | High |
Skinless duck breast | 9.5 G | High |
Wagyu burger | 8 G | High |
Fish & seafood as protein suppliers
Product | Protein / 100 G | Suitability |
tuna | 4 G | High |
Rainbow trout | 2 G | Very High |
salmon | 1 G | High |
Pikeperch | 0 G | Very High |
Sea bream | 9 G | Very High |
scampi | 5 G | High |
Shrimp | 5G | High |
Other animal products
Product | Protein / 100 G | Suitability |
Feta | 7 G | Medium |
Buffalo mozzarella | 4 G | Medium |
Boiled eggs | 3 G | Medium |
cottage cheese | 2 G | High |
lowfat quark | 2 G | Medium |
Skyr | 1 G | Medium |
caviar | 1 G | Medium |
Vegetable sources of protein
Product | Protein / 100 G | Suitability |
Sunflower seeds | 6 G | Medium |
Almonds | 4 G | Medium |
Tempeh (tofu alternative) | 7 G | High |
Chia seeds | 7 G | Medium |
tofu | 3 G | Medium |
Puffed amaranth | 3 G | Low |
Quinoa cooked | 0 G | Low |