Do we really need protein powder?

If you’re a skinny guy who’s new to bodybuilding, you have probably wondered about protein powder at some point.  Is it necessary?  Does it work?  How much should you take, how often, and what kind?  If you are looking to gain weight and build muscle with protein powder, you need to know a few things about it.

First of all, it is not a hardcore necessity for gaining muscle.  However, getting 400g or more of protein per day is very hard.  If you need more than 200g of protein per day, I strongly recommend that you take protein powder.  It is a supplement, meant to add to your diet to make up for what you can’t get just from food.

Protein powder is not the same as a diet pill or steroid.  It doesn’t put anything bad into your body because it’s just pure protein.  It’s sort of like a vitamin that gives you pure protein in powder form.

For optimal muscle gain, limit your protein shakes to 3 per day (or 40% of total calorie intake).  You should balance your protein needs based on your body weight and chemistry.  You will need to take whey or casein protein – those are the two kinds of protein needed for building mass.  These are available in any drugstore and some sporting goods stores.  Even discount stores usually have the top brand names these days.