To build six-pack abs, is it right to take a lot of high-protein supplements after exercise? Without sugar, the effect is halved!

Chinese people are crazy about fitness. In order to develop six-pack abs or waistline, many people will take high-protein nutritional supplements to increase muscle mass after heavy training. However, nutritionists remind you that if you want to build a perfect body shape, relying solely on high-protein without taking in sugary foods will halve the effectiveness of exercise!

The correct diet for sports: carbohydrates, protein and fat, none of them can be missing!

Huang Shumin, a nutritionist at the Nantou Hospital of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said that although protein is the main raw material for muscle formation, the energy consumed more during exercise is actually carbohydrates. Protein only provides a small amount of energy. When the energy provided by carbohydrates is insufficient, more protein will be relied upon as an energy source.

The correct diet for sports should include enough carbohydrate foods and an appropriate amount of fat and protein. Adequate carbohydrates can prevent the body from consuming protein. Replenishing carbohydrates and protein at the same time after exercise can also promote protein synthesis and glycogen storage.

Nutritionist Huang Shumin emphasized that you cannot just supplement with high-protein foods after exercise. If you only supplement high-protein foods without taking in carbohydrate foods, it may reduce the storage of glycogen. It is more likely that because high-protein foods are relatively high in fat and calories, body fat will increase and the effectiveness of exercise will be halved.

Different protein! Branched-chain amino acids vs. whey protein

As for the two types of proteins that are regarded as muscle-building magic weapons by fitness enthusiasts - branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) and whey protein, what are the differences? Which one is better? Nutritionist Huang Shumin explained that protein must be converted into small molecule amino acids before it can be absorbed by the body. Amino acids are mostly metabolized by the liver, but branched-chain amino acids are metabolized in the muscles and will be used and consumed after the body's carbohydrates are exhausted. Moderate supplementation of branched-chain amino acids can prevent muscle breakdown during strenuous exercise.

Whey protein is a type of milk protein. The main proteins in milk are whey protein (20%) and casein (80%). Compared with casein, whey protein is easier to digest and absorb. It can quickly enter the blood circulation, increase the body's protein synthesis rate, and help generate more muscle tissue.

Whether it is branched-chain amino acids, whey protein or other foods and nutritional supplements, nutritionists recommend that people who have the habit of fitness exercise should carefully choose products that are suitable for them and use them after evaluation by professional doctors and nutritionists to avoid stepping on landmines and increasing the burden on the body.