What helps increase muscle mass? Protein, aka protein! How to calculate the daily dose of protein for an athlete and where it is best to take it for vegans, we were told by a yoga fitness instructor, a professional bodybuilder and the creator of the “Integral Development System” Alexey Kushnarenko:
“Protein is an English word that means protein. Proteins are broken down into amino acids, from which our muscle mass is built. If a person is exercising himself, playing endurance sports, or he needs to achieve any goals in physical development, then he will need a certain amount of amino acids in the body. The required daily dose for an athlete is calculated according to the scheme of 2 grams of protein per 1 kilogram of weight, taking into account all meals per day. There are special applications for smartphones that count proteins, fats and carbohydrates (BJU). After eating, we enter data into the program about what foods and how many grams we ate, and the application automatically gives the result, how much BJU has entered our body, and if necessary, we can increase it, including using special sports protein products. Until recently, the most common protein in the sports industry was considered to be a protein that is made from milk whey. It is most easily broken down into amino acids and in this composition is best absorbed by the body. But this product is not suitable for vegans. In recent years, companies have been producing protein based on soy, pea, hemp and chia seeds. And there are also companies that work with our domestic raw materials and extract protein from seeds and sunflower meal, environmentally friendly, without GMOs. The protein is divided into three degrees of purification: concentrate, isolate and hydrolyzate. Where the concentrate is the very first degree of purification, the isolate is the average, and the hydrolyzate is the highest. With the help of membrane treatment of sunflower meal, our scientists approached a composition close to protein isolate. It turns out that for vegans, raw foodists, and everyone else who asks this question, there is now a worthy replacement for whey protein.
Of course, I can only recommend based on my own experience, so I compared the amino acid composition of two different proteins, one made from whey and the other from sunflower seeds and meal. I was pleasantly surprised that the last amino acid line turned out to be richer, it also contains the immunomodulator L-glutamine and chlorogenic acid, which is an additional fat burner.
The issue of excess weight is often accompanied by uncontrolled cravings for sweets. In a hurry to satisfy a desire, a person does not always have time to understand whether this is the true need of his body or a reaction to stress. What hormones are responsible for sugar cravings? And how can this need be reduced?
“There are hormones insulin and cortisol. Cortisol is a stress hormone that is produced during various experiences, including long intervals between meals, that is, the body perceives hunger as stress and begins to produce cortisol, the same happens if we do not get enough sleep. Cortisol accumulates and is released into the blood at the slightest stress. The level of cortisol in the blood is reduced by insulin, so we are drawn to sweets, the use of which contributes to its production. In order to have a balance, you need to get enough sleep, increase the number of meals during the day, while not increasing its volume, learn to maintain inner peace in stressful situations, harmony and satisfaction. And then, already at the chemical level, we will be less craving sweets. It should be noted that sugar enters the body with different products.
For example, if we eat a bun with poppy seeds and chocolate, which is a fast carbohydrate food, we get a sharp jump in insulin in the blood. Although we have satisfied the feeling of hunger, but due to the fact that carbohydrates are fast, after half an hour or an hour we want to eat again. In addition, a sweet bun made from refined white flour will also negatively affect the microflora of our intestines, having no nutritional value. Therefore, preference in this case should be given to slow carbohydrates, these can be legumes, cereals, muesli.
Treat your body with love and care, do what you have planned for a long time, and remember, the body is your ally on the chosen path!