Español Mind + Body + life transformation
Mind + Body + life transformation
When you hear the term “protein intake,†you might just think about building muscle, but it’s much bigger than that. Protein is essential for our bodies to work properly from head to toe. Getting the right amount of protein is important and depends on each individual. You can think of protein as the worker bees of your body. The body doesn’t store protein at all. Each protein has a job and is doing that job pretty much all the time. When it comes to muscle, dietary protein is essential for ensuring your body has the necessary building blocks (amino acids) to maintain and build lean body mass. Without a surplus of available amino acids, muscles will not grow in strength or size. Of course, protein in the body is not enough to build muscle; adding resistance exercise as we do at my Boot Camp and Online training get you on the fast track to muscle growth.
Nine out of the 20 possible amino acids are essential, meaning the body cannot make them on its own; they must be ingested. Animal proteins are “complete†proteins because they contain all nine essential amino acids. Plant-based proteins (such as legumes) are not all complete proteins but can be paired together to easily meet your amino acid needs. For example, eating beans with brown rice would do, and tofu is another great plant-based complete protein.
Protein has a Recommended Dietary Allowance level of 0.8g/kg of body weight but is technically the minimum daily average intake level to meet the requirements. So while this is a good starting place, there is certainly a lot of wiggle room based on individual lifestyle and personal goals. Many eating styles suggest using a percentage of your total calories to determine your protein needs is sufficient. While this is a decent guideline, it doesn’t account for your unique body and personal goals. Therefore, determining your general protein needs is best defined by using your weight.
The range of recommended protein varies for different populations. You should consider protein intake as a range to experiment with, not a set-in-stone, never-miss number. Working with a range gives you flexibility based on the day’s activity levels, hunger, the way your body feels and desired outcomes. Guidelines are based on several sources of expert associations in fitness and nutrition. While this is a useful guide, it’s best to consult a nutritionist or doctor to determine your ideal protein range. Active adults trying to lose weight need 1.6 – 2.0 grams/kilogram of body weight, and active adults who exercise regularly need 1.1 – 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight.
Latest research is now looking not just at how much protein is needed daily but also how and when it is consumed. It seems to make a difference on body composition, feeling of fullness and suppression of hunger, and even exercise performance if protein is spread throughout the day instead of eaten more heavily at one time of the day (e.g., dinnertime). Research has shown interesting results that spreading total protein needs over the day evenly (about 20–30 grams per meal) is more effective at stimulating muscle synthesis and may translate to an overall healthier body long term.
If you’re feeling sluggish, hungry all the time, or noticing you are prone to injury and have brittle nails - these are signs you may not be getting enough protein. If you’re trying to manage your weight better, adding protein to your diet may help. You burn more calories consuming protein over carbs or fat.
