When most people think about protein, an image of a body builder guzzling down shakes comes to mind. And, if you’re not in the market to become an olympic weightlifter, then you probably dismissed protein supplements as something that’s only for ‘those’ types of athletes.
The fact of the matter is that our bodies need protein to fuel our workouts and prevent muscle breakdown. Ascent Protein, the official protein of Iron Tribe Fitness, breaks down some of the most common questions about protein in 5 simple questions.
Protein is essential for your muscle heath and recovery. When you work out, your muscles are in a constant state of breakdown. Protein is essential to helping rebuild the micro-tears in your muscles, helping make you stronger and leaner than you were before. Without protein, your body can turn to another source to feed itself – your muscles, not your fat.
This is a common misconception about protein. Protein is not the cause for “bulkiness,” but instead is a way to help your muscle recover faster. The muscle mass you build will largely be determined by your physical training regimen and your diet outside of the protein powder you consume.
Whey and micellar casein protein are both complete proteins. Complete proteins mean that they contain 21 different amino acids, 10 of which your body cannot generate itself and your body needs to rely on outside protein sources for your body. Whey protein is the fast-digesting protein found in milk. Because it is rapidly absorbed into your system, we recommend taking it directly after a workout, to help your muscles start recovering & rebuilding immediately. Micellar Casein is a slow digesting protein to provide your body a sustained source of protein over a longer period of time. Because of this slow digestion, it’s great to take before going to bed as it can help prevent muscle loss overnight (when most of your muscle loss happens). In addition, it can be great as an in-between meal snack.
Daily protein requirements are based on your body weight, your fitness routine, and your goals. Ascent teamed up with one of the leading protein researchers in North America, Dr. Stuart Phillips, to provide a protein calculator based on the most up-to-date scientific learning. CLICK HERE to learn how much protein you need based on your inputs.
Apart from your muscle health and recovery, protein can also help keep you full for longer. Do you ever get home from a workout feeling starved, looking to consume anything within reach? Drinking whey protein post-workout not only helps your muscles start to recover and rebuild immediately, it also helps to keep you full longer, to help prevent snacking in between your workout and your next meal.
Micellar Casein has 25g of protein without all the sugar, fat and calories that a lot of other snacks have, and will keep you full for up to 6 hours. (CLICK HERE to learn more about sleep recovery) Try their Micellar Casein pudding – which is one of our favorites!
Even better, if you take Micellar Casein before bed, it can help keep you full so that you’re not starving when working out the next morning.
Feeling sore the next day after a workout? Drinking protein can help prevent your muscles from feeling sore the next day because they help your muscles recover better and faster, allowing you to get back to the grind quickly the next day.
Based in Denver, Colorado and family owned, Ascent Protein has been purifying proteins for more than 30 years. Those proteins were sold to leading brands across the world, until recently, when they’ve shifted their focus to create the next breakthrough in sports nutrition —Native Fuel™. Native Fuel is made with native whey, which is cold-filtered directly from high quality milk, and is the least processed protein available today. Ascent is committed to using the best real-food ingredients. You won’t find any artificial flavors, colors, or additives to their protein — so you get a clean, pure protein that you can be confident in, with 25g of protein per scoop. Ascent is Gluten Free Certified, and Informed Choice Certified, meaning they’re free from any banned substances, so you can be sure that you’re getting in what you need, and nothing you don’t.
