Can I gain muscle if I work out without taking protein supplements?

Most fitness advice emphasizes the importance of getting enough protein to maximize workout results. But in reality, many people who work hard at the gym do not use protein shakes or increase their protein intake.

Many people go to the gym but do not use protein supplements or eat vegetarian and less red meat. With this diet, the truth is that the body can still gain muscle under certain conditions, according to the health website Verywell Health (USA).

To develop muscles at an optimal level, the practitioner needs to consume enough protein.

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Protein is the main nutrient that helps muscles recover and grow after exercise. When you work out, especially when doing strength exercises, your muscles will suffer microscopic tears. Protein will provide a source of amino acids for muscle fibers to recover and grow. As a result, muscle mass will be larger and muscle strength will also increase. Without enough amino acids, the body will not be able to recover fully, leading to slow muscle growth or even muscle loss.

However, protein is not always needed to build muscle. For example, people who are new to the gym or who are returning to the gym after a long break can still gain muscle without increasing the amount of protein in their daily diet. However, this is only temporary.

This phenomenon occurs due to the body's strong physiological response to new muscle stimulation. In the early stages, the body will use the available protein in the daily diet more effectively. As a result, some people still see slight muscle gain without changing their diet. After a few weeks to a few months, the rate of muscle gain will slow down if there is not enough protein support.

Therefore, in the long run, if you do not take in enough protein, your body will lack amino acids to restore muscle tissue. As a result, muscle breakdown is greater than muscle synthesis. At that time, even if you exercise hard, your muscles will not be able to develop, and even become smaller if combined with lack of sleep or lack of calories.

Additionally, exercise performance, specifically strength and endurance, will also decrease because the body lacks the enzymes and factors needed for energy production and recovery.

Effective gym workout with adequate protein diet for sustainable muscle gain

Therefore, in the long term, if you want to gain muscle sustainably, you need to supplement enough protein. According to research by the International Institute of Sports Nutrition (ISSN), gym goers who want to gain muscle need to consume 1.6-2.2 grams of protein/kg of body weight per day to optimize the muscle gain process.

Meanwhile, the recommended protein intake for non-exercise people is only 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. If gym-goers only consume this amount of protein, their bodies will only receive about 50% of the protein needed to effectively build muscle, according to Verywell Health.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tap-gym-ma-khong-tang-bo-sung-protein-co-len-co-khong-185250730002607537.htm