High-protein foods in weight training as an alternative for muscle hypertrophy: Soy milk, egg whites, and tofu

High protein supplements are a mainstay for weight training performers to obtain optimal muscle hypertrophy. However, the high costs of these supplements makes it difficult for some performers toconsume these products, hencethe need for alternatives. Therefore, this study aims to analyze and prove the ability to use a high protein foods, such as soy milk, egg whites, and tofu, in weight training as an alternative for muscle hypertrophy. It consists of a true-experimental pretest-posttest control group design with 26 fitness members recruited randomly from Padang, Indonesia. The sample was divided into experimental and control groups with each containing 13 respondents. The factorsin this study comprises ofmeasurement of muscle circumference pretest data, post-test data, as well as weight training with (experimental) and without (control) high protein foods consumption. High-protein foods were given based on the average protein consumption of the sample. Weight training is given to the arm and thigh muscles for ± two months with a frequency of 4 times a week, 75%-85% intensity, 4-12 repetitions, 1-5 sets, and 30-40 seconds intervals. The muscle circumference and fat thickness using the tapeline and skinfold and analyzed using the t-test. The results showed that the experimental group was better than the control for posttest arm and thigh muscles at values of 274.59 > 262.48 and 478.71 > 468.78 as well as mean differences of 12.11 and 9.93. In conclusion, high-protein foods in weight training can be used as an alternative for muscle hypertrophy. It is essential to note that consuming foods and supplement rich in protein will not lead to muscle hypertrophy without participating in well-programmed weight training. The results of this study are expected to be useful for weight training performers, such as fitness instructors, members, and athletes to obtain alternative means of muscle hypertrophy programs. Future studies need to include high-protein supplements as a comparison to test the high-protein foods during training.