For building muscle, is protein more important than carbohydrate?
Both carbohydrates and protein affect muscle growth. Specifically, only amino acids derived from protein foods can become part of new structural proteins (muscle). In a nutshell, building muscle is absolutely impossible without dietary protein. In contrast, however, 1995 Night of Champions winner and two-time Arnold Classic runner-up Nasser El Sonbaty offers this personal observation: “When I started training in Europe, I didn’t have a lot of money to buy protein powders, so I ate as many carbs as I could. My family ate lots of rice, potatoes and especially bread. I made very good progress without eating a lot of protein.” With no formal training in the field of nutrition, Nasser discovered what sports nutritionists know: Carbohydrates spare amino acids. In other words, if you don’t get enough carbohydrate to fuel your energy needs, your body will use aminos for energy – not your best use of this precious resource.
