The Best Protein For Your Bodybuilding Goals

Who: The envy of millions: No matter what he eats, he’’s still lean as can be. But he could use a bit more bulk.

What: Low-fat cottage cheese, yogurt and milk; eggs; whey protein powder.

Why: “Quite honestly, 99% of the ‘‘hardgainers’’ I work with don’’t meet the daily caloric requirements to begin with,” says Jon Chipko, CSCS, founder of BodyGoals in New Jersey. “So getting that caloric intake up to par is the first priority.”

When: Broken up as snacks consumed over the course of the day. ““One way of getting the appropriate amount of protein in the diet is eating healthy snacks throughout the day,” says Christine Evans, a nutritionist with NatureMade. Foods such as cottage cheese, yogurt, milk, hard-boiled eggs and protein shakes are very easy to make quickly or bring with you for a snack on the go.

How Much: Eat about 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. To reach this level, have a snack of an egg or a serving of dairy twice a day, or drink a protein shake twice a day in addition to your three healthy, protein-filled meals. ““Clinical research has shown there’’s little benefit to consuming more protein than this a day,” Evans says.

Who: An individual who cannot properly digest foods from our friend Ms. Cow.

What: A pure whey protein isolate (not concentrate) with less than 0.1 gram of lactose per tablespoon.

Why: Several of our experts agreed that whey protein isolate is the ideal choice for lactose-intolerant folks because it replaces both the protein and calcium they’’re not getting from dairy. “This type of isolate typically yields more than 94 grams of protein per 100 grams of whey,” notes Chipko. “And it’’s virtually free of fat and carbohydrates.” Evans adds that it’’s easy on the stomach. ““Research has shown that most people with lactose intolerance have no trouble taking this very small amount of lactose.”

When: As a snack or meal replacement, once or twice a day.

How Much: Just enough to bring your total protein intake to around 1 gram per pound of bodyweight daily. If you get more protein from meat on a given day, make up the remainder with a protein shake.

Who: That guy at the office who falls asleep on his desk every afternoon.

What: Protein-packed sandwiches and sides for lunch. Good choices include tuna, turkey, egg salad with low-fat mayo, cottage cheese and yogurt.

Why: “Adding protein to your lunch sandwiches is a good strategy to keep energy levels high later in the day,” says Kristin Wingfield, MD, of the Saint Francis Memorial Hospital Center for Sports Medicine in Corte Madera, California. ““Energy drops usually coincide with a drop in blood sugar, and this often occurs later in the afternoon. To avoid this, meals (especially lunch) should include lean sources of protein as well as some fat.”

When: Lunchtime.

How Much: Add at least 4 ounces of these sandwich toppings or sides to your lunch each day. This provides about 20-–30 grams of protein as part of your overall daily protein plan.

Who: The meat-free musclehead.

What: Dairy products (including whey protein), fish and combinations of beans, soy, nuts, lentils and vegetables.

Why: For vegetarians, deriving a big boost of protein from dairy products and fish can make their performance rival that of their meat-eating counterparts. Vegans can also get good results, but they’’re at a noted disadvantage. ““In my experience with athletes up to the professional and Olympic level, veganism is not a good match with elite athletic competition,” says Shawn M. Talbott, PhD, president of SupplementWatch (supplementwatch.com). ““If the vegan [is willing to break from their dietary standards and] tolerate some dairy foods, they will get some great benefits.”

When: In place of meat, the vegetarian should consume low-fat fish and dairy throughout the day. The vegan should use a combination of beans, soy, lentils, nuts and veggies each day to get the complete protein package. “Vegans must be careful to mix all these protein sources to provide a diet with all the essential amino acids,” says Wingfield. David L. Katz, MD, MPH, author of The Way to Eat, notes that there are a number of soy-based protein powders that can give vegetarians a plant-based protein boost.

How Much: All these sources should be combined to create a total of around 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day.

Who: An aspiring Olympic weightlifter or “World’’s Strongest Man” — or somebody just looking to get stronger.

What: Fish, lean beef, turkey breast, chicken breast.

Why: ““Strength-training athletes need more protein to mend damaged tissue but less carbs, because eating too many carbs will make them fat,” says Chris Aceto, author of Championship Bodybuilding (nutramedia.com). ““They don’’t burn the carbs to the extent a bodybuilder would because those interested in gaining strength perform far fewer sets and reps and train less frequently. These food choices are good ways to add protein to the diet with as little extra fat calories as possible.”

When: Before weight-training workouts: “This will increase muscle synthesis better than when just taking protein later in the day,” says Talbott. ““And the higher that protein can be in essential amino acids, the better the stimulation of muscle synthesis.”

How Much: One gram of protein per pound of bodyweight, every single day.

Who: The guy stuffing his face with McDonald’’s milkshakes instead of protein shakes.

What: Burger King and Wendy’s chili, Wendy’s Ultimate Chicken Grill sandwich, all of the McDonald’’s premium salads (with grilled chicken), McDonald’’s Chicken McGrill, any chain’s smaller hamburgers and McDonald’s Egg McMuffin.

Why: “What we call ‘fast food’’ can be relatively nutritious if chosen wisely,” says Christine M. Palumbo, a registered dietitian in suburban Chicago. “These selections are the best high-protein, low-fat choices.”

When: Sparingly, but okay as the occasional meal.

How Much: Only once a day on days you do decide to ““go fast,” and tailor these choices into a strong all-day nutrition plan. (For example, if you have a burger for lunch, have a dinner with fewer carbs and more protein.)

Who: A guy who’s more likely to have his face in the fridge than a pillow in the middle of the night.

What: Low-fat dairy food or a casein protein shake.

Why: ““Our body spends half the night building itself up and the other half tearing it down,” says Chipko, referring to the 7-–8-hour fast you go through when sleeping, which causes the body to seek energy from muscle protein. ““So when you’’re talking about athletes who incur a lot of muscle damage, the net result can be minus — as in less muscle — if precautions aren’’t taken. To counter this, a person would want a slow-digesting protein. The casein found in dairy foods [or a casein protein shake] is the best choice here.” One thing’’s for sure, though: You should avoid carbs before bedtime. ““Just ask any sumo wrestler,” says Marc David, a nutrition author, expert and consultant. ““Traditionally, the sumos ate lots of food before bed and even in the middle of the night to gain flab, not muscle.”

When: Just a small amount before bedtime, if at all.

How Much: ““Recent studies have shown that the amount of dietary protein needed to stimulate muscle recovery is surprisingly small, as low as 5-–10 grams,” says Evans. Still, M&F recommends consuming 20-–40 grams before bedtime to maximize muscle recovery and growth.

Who: Who do you think? Women, silly.

What: Soy-protein and low-fat dairy products.

Why: Soy proteins have specific benefits for female athletes. ““The isoflavones in soy protein have been found to exert an estrogenic effect,” says Evans. ““For female athletes, this mild estrogenic effect can be beneficial. Also, women need to make sure they’’re getting enough calcium in their diet to prevent osteoporosis.”

When: Before workouts (when possible) to enhance muscle growth.

How Much: Same as men: around 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight, every day.

Who: Those people whizzing by on the track while you’’re pumping iron.

What: Whey proteins, low-fat dairy products.

Why: ““Endurance athletes frequently get it wrong by stressing carbs rather than protein,” says Aceto. ““If you’’re an endurance athlete, you burn a lot more protein than you think. Protein offers essential support for the immune system, and the endurance athlete is chronically hitting his own immune system over the head with long training sessions. Good choices include whey proteins, which are easy to digest and offer immune-boosting amino acids such as cysteine.”

When: ““For endurance athletes, it’’s recommended that they eat not only before and within 30 minutes after an event but also during to enhance their endurance and stamina,” says Evans.

How Much: Similar to bodybuilders: slightly less than 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight every day.

Who: The middle-aged gym rat.

What: Lean cuts of meat, egg whites, low-fat dairy products.

Why: The older bodybuilder has four important considerations. The first is his metabolism: ““He’’s likely to have to stay with the leanest possible sources of protein because his metabolism is a bit slower,” says Aceto. “This requires him to get rid of any potential excess calories.” The second consideration is the heart. ““Older athletes, especially those at risk of cardiovascular disease, must be careful of cholesterol sources in the diet and thus need to be careful of their protein sources,” Wingfield comments. Older bodybuilders also need to keep their protein intake high, even consuming more than 1 gram per pound of bodyweight. Research shows that older men benefit from higher-protein diets. Finally, Katz advises older athletes to make sure they get plenty of calcium. Eating plenty of low-fat dairy products can supply this much-needed nutrient.

When: Just as for younger bodybuilders, eating before a workout (when possible) can maximize muscle growth.

How Much: Slightly more than younger bodybuilders: about 1.25 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight.