Protein powder
Beta-alanine
WHYDOINEEDIT?
Considering your muscles
aremadeofproteinit’sno
surprise that eating more
ofitwillenableyoutoadd
lean muscle mass faster.
Government recommendations
sayanadultneeds55gof
dietaryproteinaday,butif
you are serious about adding
muscular size to your frame you
need to aim for more than
double that target.Most experts
advise eating around 1.5-2g
of protein per kilogram of
bodyweight,which means an
80kg man needs 120-160g over
thecourseofeveryday.The
best way to do this is to eat a
diet that contains the right
typesofprotein,whichinclude
eggs, red meat, white meat
and fish, because they contain
thecompleteprofileofnine
essentialaminoacids— akathe
building blocks of protein — that
our bodies can’t synthesise and
so need to be eaten.
THE SUPPLEMENT SOLUTION
Theproblem?Alotofpeoplefind
it very hard to eat that much
high-protein food each day.
Andtherearetimes—like
immediately after training when
youcan’tstomachafullmeal,or
when you’re out and about and
don’thavetime—whenaprotein
shakeisagoodalternativeto
supply your muscles with the
essential nutrients they need to
recover and grow. Whey protein,
the most popular sports nutrition
product in the world, is perfect for
these situations because as a
fast-digesting protein it gets to
your muscles quickly. Other
types, such as casein, which is a
slow-digesting protein, are better
before bed so they drip-feed
amino acids into your muscles
asyousleep.Morekindsof
protein, including soy, pea
and rice, are available.
HOWTOTAKEIT
Afteraweightsworkout,ashake
made by mixing 30-40g of whey
proteinwithwaterwillkick-start
your body’s recovery process by
delivering amino acids to your
muscleswhentheyneedthem
most. You can also have a whey
shakeatothertimesoftheday
to ensure you hit your daily
protein intake target.
WHYDOINEEDIT?
Beta-alanine is a naturally
occurring type of amino acid
andacommoningredientin
sports nutrition products
designed to be taken before
your workout. When
consumed, it binds with
another amino acid, called
L-histidine, to create a new
compound called carnosine.
Youknowthatdeepburning
feel you get in your muscles
during intense exercise? That’s
a build-up of lactic acid, a
by-product of exercising at
high intensity, and carnosine
acts as a buffer that prevents
suchabuild-up—andtherefore
enablesyoutotrainharderfor
longer before your muscles
hurt too much to continue. In
short,beta-alanine improves
muscular endurance, but only
during intense exercise,such
asa400msprintor a set of
heavy squats.THE SUPPLEMENT SOLUTION
Taking beta-alanine, on its own
or as part of a pre-workout
formula, can improve your
muscles’ ability to perform
intense exercise for longer
becauseitdelaystheonsetof
muscular fatigue. That makes it
a beneficial supplement to take
aheadofshortandintense
training sessions, whether
they’re based on weights or
high-intensity cardio. Start with
a low dose to test your body’s
response, and then gradually
increaseitifyoufeelapositive
effect. It’s worth noting that a
very common side effect of
beta-alanine supplementation
is paraesthesia, which is the
medical name for a tingling
sensation that typically affects
your face and fingers. Don’t be
alarmed — it can feel slightly
unpleasant but it’s totally safe
and wears off very quickly once
you start training.MF TOP PICK
Lift Protein BarIf you’re having trouble hitting
protein targets, eat a Lift
Protein Bar. It packs 21g — and
only 4g of carbs. And it comes
in three delicious flavours:
chocolate almond, peanut
caramel and chocolate chip
cookie dough.au.atkinslift.comHOWTOTAKEIT
If taking beta-alanine in a
pre-workout formula you
should consume it between
20and40minutesbefore
your session. The amount of
beta-alanine in a serving of
pre-workoutwilldependon
the brand or product, but the
standard dose is 2g to 5g.APRIL 2017 MEN’S FITNESS 123