Do you consider protein powder to be a supplement? Well, I’m here to argue that it’s not, but is actually a food. It’s not necessarily a supplementary addition to your diet, but it acts as a alternative protein source that can act as a primary source of protein. As a matter of fact, I would say that the fish that you have every two weeks when you go out for dinner is the supplement to your current diet.

As we know, protein is probably the most important macronutrient that you can put into your body when it comes to building muscle. It’s the foundation, the building block, for new muscle growth that aids in building muscle from your current workout.

How much protein to do you need? Research has shown that .7-1.2 grams per pound of bodyweight is the necessary intake for your diet. If you are engaging in high intensity muscle building workouts, the upper end of this recommendation is where you need to be. Again, supporting new muscle growth with adequate protein intake is the goal here.

Does that mean protein powder is the number one source of protein in your diet? Likely not. Your diet should consist of protein rich foods. This, most often, comes in the form of meat rich diet. Meat is probably the number one source of protein in a diet that is used to build muscle. Unfortunately, this is usually not enough to meet your protein needs. That is where protein powder comes in handy to meet your daily protein goals, just like the common meat sources that you are including in your nutrition.

If you are looking for a high quality protein powder that contains an industry leading serving of protein, ATHLEAN-RX PRO 30G is my personal recommendation. It’s the protein powder that I include in my diet. You can find it over at athleanrx.com/pro30g

For more tips on how to get the most out of your nutrition choices, be sure to stay tuned to this channel and remember to subscribe so that you never miss another video from a physical therapist with a pro sports background as a PT and strength coach.

You can subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMW

For complete step-by-step workout programs, head on over to athleanx.com and make sure to use the program selector to find the training plan that is best suited to your personal goals.

Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the head physical therapist and assistant strength coach for the New York Mets. Jeff earned his Masters of Physical Therapy and Bachelor’s of Physioneurobiology from the College of Health Sciences University of Connecticut Storrs. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).