Protein? What's All This Fuss About? By now, most people know
that protein builds muscle and when it comes to achieving that
lean, defined look, protein is a major player. In fact, it's so
critical that those who strenuously work out need up to twice as
much as their sedentary counterparts. The reason? Protein is
essentially the raw material used to manufacture muscle. While
strength training shreds and breaks down (catabolism) muscle
fibers, muscle growth doesn't occur until after exercise. That's
when protein comes in. Made of amino acids, protein repairs and
rebuilds torn, stressed tissues. This process gets underway
before exercise even begins, when amino acids roaming the
bloodstream are pulled into the muscle, priming it to heal and
repair after a hard bout at the gym. Putting this all together
can be tedious and frustrating and where most people fall short,
is how to maximize training days by timing your protein intake
and consuming adequate amounts so that the best results can be
achieved in and out o