Digestive Enzymes for Building Muscle

By Nick Nilsson
Author of Time-Volume Training

 

Are you wasting your money on protein supplements?

The answer is very possibly yes.

Because here's the thing...that saying "you are what you eat" is NOT entirely true...

In reality, you are what you ABSORB.

You can eat all the food you want, but if the nutrients aren't getting properly digested and absorbed, much of it is literally just going to waste...

...and that includes all those expensive protein powders that you're taking to build muscle.

You'll get SOME nutrition, of course...obviously you're not dead and reading this right now, but you're not getting NEARLY what you could be out of the food you're eating and the protein supplements you're taking.

The solution for most people has been just to eat more protein...I've been there, done that.

And this DOES work...for awhile...especially when you're a teenager and in your 20's.

However, the problem is (and this gets WORSE and WORSE as you get older) your production of digestive enzymes falls off rapidly as you age.

In fact, most individuals have only 30 percent of their enzyme production potential by the time they are 40 years old!.

I'm 41 right now, and I've noticed a BIG difference in how well I digest food just over the last few years.

So to combat this, I added digestive enzymes to my supplement regimen...and it's made a TREMENDOUS difference for me.

It takes a LOT of proof for me to add a new supplement into my routine...and for me, the proof was in the results.

I started using enzymes in earnest a few years ago, basically testing them out to see if they would make a difference in nutrient absorption and digestion (which is critical both in fat-loss and in muscle-building and a host of other bodily processes).

 

I feel confident that digestive enzyme supplementation HAS made a difference for me in terms of fat-loss and muscle-building and I take them consistently before most meals now.

I find that my meals digest better (and faster) and I feel more energetic. I don't have a bloated feeling after eating (unless I stuff myself silly with a cheat meal, of course...even a powerful digestive enzyme can only do so much).

This is the exact digestive enzyme product I've been using...

 

Honestly, I think the decline in enzyme production is one of the primary reasons people lose muscle mass as they get older, beyond just reduced activity and hormone production. Their bodies simply aren't getting the nutrients they need to repair and maintain muscle and health because their enzyme production has dropped so much.

As I mentioned above, you can eat all the food you want, but if the nutrients are not getting absorbed, you might as well be just tossing it in the garbage.

That's where digestive enzyme supplements come in...

I've found them to be a great SUPPORT supplement...meaning that they don't actively cause you to build muscle overnight or anything like that. You still have to train hard and eat well.

They just support proper digestive function and nutrient absorption, which helps your body perform at it's best, no matter what age you are.

 

Why About Food? Why Use a Digestive Enzyme Supplement?

After all, your body naturally produces over 3,000 different types of enzymes. Don't you get enough from the food you eat?

Yep, digestive enzymes are found naturally in ALL food, whether it’s fruits, vegetables, or meats.

However, most of the food we consume in our modern diets is completely devoid of enzymes, because of how we grow, prepare and transport it.

Research demonstrates that ANY FOOD HEATED ABOVE 114 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT LOSES ALL OF ITS ENZYMES.

In other words, all cooked food is deficient in digestive enzymes, leaving very little to break down your food.

This means most of us are UNABLE to effectively digest the protein we eat.

 

When It Comes to Enzyme Supplements QUALITY IS KEY.

If you take a look around, you’ll find a whole bunch of enzyme formulations being sold in the market. But they’re certainly not all created equal...especially when it comes to the enzyme that digests protein: PROTEASE.

And there’s a big reason of this…

Protease is the key enzyme for bodybuilding results...and it's most expensive of the enzymes to make.

And there are several kinds of protease enzymes.

And while most formulations have high levels of amylase (digests carbohydrates), or lipase (digests fats), the protease (digests protein) tends to be LOW QUALITY and in low amounts with most formulations.

The digestive enzyme supplement I currently use was formulated by peak performance expert Wade Lightheart (he's also a national-level NATURAL bodybuilder).

He was disappointed with the low protease levels of most enzyme formulations. So he decided to create his own high-protease digestive enzyme formula instead, using only the highest quality ingredients.

And it’s called MASSZYMES ==> Masszymes digestive enzymes

I'm very in tune with my body and I call how well something is working or not working pretty quickly. I've tried other digestive enzyme products in the past and this one blows them all out of the water.

Masszymes are not cheap (I'll you that right up front), but you get TOP quality for the money...and digesting your protein better means you don't have to eat as much of it to get the same or better results in the gym.

Bottom line, this is a product I can VERY highly recommend.

Learn more about Masszymes here...