**There are a LOT of incorrect “rules of thumb” regarding protein. I am including references to studies done by real scientists (not some dude who goes to your gym) as support for my conclusions. Your special situation may require more/less prottein - talk to a professional**
What is protein?
You might know that your body needs protein to function.
Next to water, you need protein more than anything else. Protein is made of 20 amino acids. You may not know that all but 8
of them can be made by your body. These 8 amino acids are called
essential amino acids because it is essential you get these proteins from your
diet. When you’ve got the needed essential and non-essential amino acids…
BAM! Your body can whip up some proteins and form lustrous hair, etc.
Ok. More than you wanted to know, right? Protein takes more energy to digest than carbs and
fats and encourages the sensation of feeling “full”. Keeping protein
levels up during dieting also helps to prevent muscle loss. That's why you should care.
What if I don’t eat enough protein?
If your protein intake is too low, you have a lot to look forward
to:
Delayed wound healing, Depression/Anxiety, Fatigue, Gallstones,
Diarrhea, Muscle cramps and Mental sluggishness. There are other worse
symptoms if a person gets REALLY deficient, but that is not likely to happen to
someone in a developed nation.
Can I eat too much protein?
First of all protein is calories. If you knock back too much
protein you will get just as fat as eating pizza (Mmmmm.....). Second, excess protein may contribute to osteoporosis due to
various boring reasons. However, weight lifting counteracts osteoporosis so the risk is probably minor.
I don’t want diarrhea or osteoporosis; how much protein should I
eat?
Some people say that we all get enough protein in our diet. What they mean is that people get the Recommended Daily
Allowance of protein. The problem is that the RDA requirement is
based on a sedentary couch potato, which may not describe your
lifestyle (let's hope it doesn't). Who needs more protein than a
couch potato? You guessed it: basically everyone.
The National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA) recommends around .8 to 1 gram per pound of body weight. Does anyone agree with them? Yes. How about: the American Dietetic Association, the Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine (link), the Journal of Applied Physiology, the International Journal of Sports Medicine). I did find one contradicting study, but the consensus of appears to be about .8-1 grams per pound per day for active people.
Calculating Protein needs
1. Take your body weight in pounds
2. Multiply your weight by something between .8 and 1 depending on how active you are. That is the amount of daily protein you should be shooting for.
Eat the best proteins
Lean protein is the best way to get what you need. I like to
use skinless chicken, cottage cheese/yogurt, fish and turkey. You could
also try edamame, nuts, tofu, and quinoa. I would try to avoid
processed meats like hot dogs, bacon, SPAM and some lunch meats cuz they are
loaded with salt and fat. On the other hand, rice and beans are super
cheap, so eating healthy doesn’t have to be expensive.
Conclusion:
It's important that you eat enough protein. If you are already tracking your calories, the same software is probably tracking your protein already. Tracking your calories is more work but it also requires
education. You don't necessarily need to track your food for the rest of
your life, but you need to track it long enough to get a feel for how much you
should be eating and if you are getting enough of the right macro-nutrients.
Campbell B, Kreider RB, Ziegenfuss T, La Bounty P, Roberts M,
Burke D, Landis J, Lopez H, Antonio J. International Society of Sports
Nutrition position stand: protein and exercise. Journal of the International
Society of Sports Nutrition, 26,4:8. 2007.
Cribb PJ, Williams AD, Stathis CG, Carey MF, Hayes A: Effects of
whey isolate, creatine, and resistance training on muscle hypertrophy. Medicineand
Science in Sports and Exercise, 39(2):298 – 307. 2007.
Friedman JE and Lemon PW. Effect of chronic endurance exercise on
retention of dietary protein. International Journal of Sports Medicine,
10(2):118 – 123. 1989.
Lemon PW, Tarnopolsky MA, MacDougall JD, Atkinson SA: Protein
requirements and muscle mass/strength changes during intensive training in
novice bodybuilders. Journal of Applied Physiology, 73(2):767 – 775.
1992.
Gaffney-Stomberg E, Insogna KL, Rodriguez NR, Kerstetter JE.
Increasing dietary protein requirements in elderly people for optimal muscle
and bone health. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2009 Jun;57(6):1073-9.
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