What is Anabolic Protein?
What is anabolic protein?
You might be considering the different protein powers on the market to choose from, however it can be a difficult process. With terms like isometric, weight gainer, and of course anabolic being thrown onto these tubs of protein powder its often a challenging decision to decide which ones are best. Not to mention the fact that there are plenty of protein powders and supplements on the market that are downright scams. However at the end of the day we all want to have the question answered, “what is anabolic protein?’.
Before we really get into the nitty gritty of what anabolic protein actually is, we first need to understand what the term anabolic actually means. The term anabolic is thrown around a lot in the fitness industry in different ways but put plain and simply, anabolic means muscle building. As you might expect the term catabolic means breaking down muscle or deteriorating muscle.
Therefore anabolic supplements are supplements that aid the growth of muscle, anabolic workouts are workouts that build muscle and anabolic foods do the same. Put simply any protein powder labeled as anabolic is (in theory) muscle building. However there are a few things you need to consider before fueling up with protein powder labeled “anabolic”.
How are muscles build after a workout with anabolic protein?
Protein allows our muscles to grow after a workout but how exactly?
When your muscles experience resistance training you essentially make tears in your muscles. As you push your body in the gym by doing tricep pulldowns for example, your tiny muscles fibers respond by ripping or tearing slightly. This process is what is known as ‘microtearing’. After your muscles are put into this vulnerable state. They can either wither away and die (a catabolic process) or they can either survive, grow, and become stronger (anabolic).
After the workout is over your body moves into the recovery period or the anabolic phase as it is often referred to. This is the point where the muscle experiences the most dramatic growth. Your body will utilize the available amino acids or building blocks of protein in your system and repair all the torn muscle fibers in the body. The process allows for your muscles to grow more resilient then they once were.
However, if your body is scrambling to find amino acids and comes up shorthanded your body will not be able to build muscle like it would if they were available. Hence you would enter the catabolic state. Your muscles would actually begin to deteriorate and lifting hard would have the reverse opposite effect on your body than if you had enough available protein.
So how do we ensure that our muscles get the right protein they need so that we don’t fall into a catabolic state? If you guessed protein shakes, you guessed right.
Really when it comes down to it any high quality protein will get the job done. However there is such a thing as the catabolic window there your body utilizes the proteins you feed it most effectively 30 minutes after your workout. Some people claim that its 15 minutes, and some claim that its longer than 30 minutes, but the bottom line is you should digest your protein of choice as soon as possible. That is why protein shakes are the proteins of choice after a workout. You can consume them quickly most importantly, you can consume a lot of protein relatively quickly, and they taste good… most of the time.
You might be considering the different protein powers on the market to choose from, however it can be a difficult process. With terms like isometric, weight gainer, and of course anabolic being thrown onto these tubs of protein powder its often a challenging decision to decide which ones are best. Not to mention the fact that there are plenty of protein powders and supplements on the market that are downright scams. However at the end of the day we all want to have the question answered, “what is anabolic protein?’.
Before we really get into the nitty gritty of what anabolic protein actually is, we first need to understand what the term anabolic actually means. The term anabolic is thrown around a lot in the fitness industry in different ways but put plain and simply, anabolic means muscle building. As you might expect the term catabolic means breaking down muscle or deteriorating muscle.
Therefore anabolic supplements are supplements that aid the growth of muscle, anabolic workouts are workouts that build muscle and anabolic foods do the same. Put simply any protein powder labeled as anabolic is (in theory) muscle building. However there are a few things you need to consider before fueling up with protein powder labeled “anabolic”.
How are muscles build after a workout with anabolic protein?
Protein allows our muscles to grow after a workout but how exactly?
When your muscles experience resistance training you essentially make tears in your muscles. As you push your body in the gym by doing tricep pulldowns for example, your tiny muscles fibers respond by ripping or tearing slightly. This process is what is known as ‘microtearing’. After your muscles are put into this vulnerable state. They can either wither away and die (a catabolic process) or they can either survive, grow, and become stronger (anabolic).
After the workout is over your body moves into the recovery period or the anabolic phase as it is often referred to. This is the point where the muscle experiences the most dramatic growth. Your body will utilize the available amino acids or building blocks of protein in your system and repair all the torn muscle fibers in the body. The process allows for your muscles to grow more resilient then they once were.
However, if your body is scrambling to find amino acids and comes up shorthanded your body will not be able to build muscle like it would if they were available. Hence you would enter the catabolic state. Your muscles would actually begin to deteriorate and lifting hard would have the reverse opposite effect on your body than if you had enough available protein.
So how do we ensure that our muscles get the right protein they need so that we don’t fall into a catabolic state? If you guessed protein shakes, you guessed right.
Really when it comes down to it any high quality protein will get the job done. However there is such a thing as the catabolic window there your body utilizes the proteins you feed it most effectively 30 minutes after your workout. Some people claim that its 15 minutes, and some claim that its longer than 30 minutes, but the bottom line is you should digest your protein of choice as soon as possible. That is why protein shakes are the proteins of choice after a workout. You can consume them quickly most importantly, you can consume a lot of protein relatively quickly, and they taste good… most of the time.