Athletes, bodybuilders and those engaged in rigorous activities can benefit from daily intake of protein supplements

Protein supplements are most often taken by athletes attempting to increase muscle mass and endurance. It has been well researched and documented that people who put their bodies through strenuous activity require more protein. However this does not necessarily mean that more protein will help you build more muscle.

Your body will only use as much protein as it needs to make the muscle that is required for your level of activity. If you only exercise an hour a day, your body will use the protein needed to support this level of activity and no amount of extra protein will make your body produce more muscle mass. Protein is not a miracle worker. It will only help build mass if you are already performing exercise or activity that facilitates muscle growth. Understanding this, there are some athletes that require huge amounts of protein to maintain their muscle mass and it can be hard to get the required protein from food sources alone. Athletes, body builders and anyone else that consistently performs strenuous strength building exercises should consider taking a protein supplement.

There are numerous kinds of supplements that supply protein:

• Whey protein. Whey is the liquid part from milk that is produced when making cheese. It has very little if any lactose so for those who are lactose intolerant or can’t drink milk can usually take whey based supplements. It is also claims to have the highest biological value of any protein supplement. This means that you can potentially get more protein out of these supplement than others.

• Glutamine is another supplement that is often taken. It is an amino acid that is found in natural sources such as meats, beans, fish, poultry and dairy.

• Other kinds of protein based supplements come from soy, milk, and egg protein.
  

Protein supplements come in different forms. The most popular are:

• powders
• milkshakes
• pills

Choosing the type that's right for you is really a matter of personal preference. Protein bars are also another way of obtaining extra protein. However these are best for people that have high levels of activity and need the extra calories. For the average person they aren’t filling so they don’t work well as a meal replacement, and will only increase caloric intake. Claims have been made that they may help you lose weight, but most often they don’t.

 Learn more about this and other supplements and how they may benefit your health.