It has become common knowledge that an important aspect in gaining muscle is protein consumption. Protein makes up between 15 and 20 percent of a person's bodyweight and is the second most abundant substance in the body, next to water of course.
 
Protein itself is comprised of many amino-acids, 20 to be exact. These amino acids are further broken down into two categories, essential and non-essential.
 
Non-essential amino acids are produced naturally, by the liver. On the flipside, essential amino acids can only be attained by dietary means. A diet rich in essential amino acids is very important in the muscle building process. Below is a list of the essential and non-essential amino acids.
 
Essential Amino Acids
 
Histidine
Isoleucine
Leucine
Valine
Lysine
Methionine
Phenylalanine
Threonine
Tryptophan
 
Non-Essential Amino Acids
 
Alanine
Arginine
Asparagine
Aspartic Acid
Cysteine
Glutamic Acid
Glutamine
Glycine
Proline
Serine
Tyrosine
 
In order to achieve the correct ratio of these amino acids, one must consume complete protein sources. Protein Powder and eggs are some examples of complete protein sources. Below is a list of complete protein sources.
 
Complete Protein sources
 
Protein Powder
Egg Whites
Turkey
Fish
Shellfish
Chicken breast
Lean beef (sirloin, flank, lean ground beef)
Dairy Products (low fat milk, low fat cheese)
Legumes (beans, peas, lentils)
Nuts
 
Eating a mixture of these complete protein sources places the body in a positive nitrogen state, which is optimal for muscle growth. The greater the nitrogen state, the faster you recover from your grueling workout. Whatever your physique goals are, eating a combination of the various complete protein sources should be high on your list of priorities.

Whey protein powder is the most popular and widely used protein powder available. It's made during the process of turning milk into cheese. The whey protein powder is separated out during this process.
 
Whey protein powder is the highest quality protein powder and contains the highest branched-chain amino acid content. These amino acids help provide a positive nitrogen balance, thus aiding in muscle building.
 
Not only does whey protein powder aid in obtaining optimal body composition, scientific research has shown that whey protein powder helps the body's immune system, acting as an antioxidant.
 
Whey protein powder is the fastest digesting protein powder on the market. The optimal time to use whey protein powder would be after a workout and upon waking, as these are the times when the body needs protein quickly. Whatever your specific goals may be, whey protein powder should be a staple in anyone's diet.

So you want to lose weight or add muscle. Doesn't everyone. One crucial aspect in determining whether you'll have success in this venture is your protein intake. A high protein diet leads to a positive nitrogen state, which potentiates muscle growth. For your average lifter, in between 1 to 1.2 times your bodyweight in protein should be adequate for growth. Advanced lifters may require more but at least 1 times your bodyweight is necessary.
 
All food requires metabolic processing. When consuming protein, however, metabolic increases have been shown to double when compared to the other to the other two macro-nutrients, carbohydrates and fats. Thus, a high protein diet is shown to be thermogenic, which leads to increased calorie burning and subsequently, fat loss.
 
A high protein diet has also been shown to increase the release of the hormone glucagon, a hormone which helps prevent fat storage.
 
It's a good idea to mix your protein sources, obviously some coming from beef, fish, chicken and protein powder. This may require a big change in one's diet, however a high quality protein powder can make hitting your daily protein requirement substantially easier.