Protein is essential to the diet, especially for an athlete. Whatever the exercise might be – bodybuilding, CrossFit, endurance sports, or weightlifting – muscle tissue is broken down, and that is where protein comes into play. The body uses amino acids, the building blocks of protein, to strengthen and repair muscle tissue.
Eating foods that contain protein such as meat, milk, and eggs should be a priority for anyone strength training. But how much protein is required for optimal use, and how can you be sure that you are eating the right sort of protein?
In this article, we will cover:
• Protein’s role in the body,
• How much protein you should eat,
• When you should consume protein,
• What type of protein you should eat,
• Will I bulk up eating too much protein?
Protein’s Role in the Body
Protein is a macronutrient. While it is vital for muscle building, it also has several other roles within the body. Protein is a catalyst for enzyme and hormone production, is required for the structure, function, regulation of the body’s tissues and organs, and helps keep the immune system healthy. It also provides energy during gluconeogenesis – when muscle glycogen stores become depleted.
Protein is used in every single cell and tissue in our bodies and is recycled daily with the new proteins provided by our diet.
The Importance of Protein When Exercising
Intense exercise damages muscle fiber. The act of rebuilding them up again is what leads to muscle growth. The body needs amino acids, consumed from food, to begin this rebuilding process. If you fail to supply your body with enough essential amino acids from protein in your diet, your body will cannibalize its muscles instead. Such cannibalization can slow metabolism, interfere with anabolic hormones, compromise the immune system and lead to poor athletic performance. If stiffness or soreness occurs after a long, intense workout, it is an indication that some muscle cannibalization has occurred.
Lack of, or low, dietary protein can lengthen recovery time after exercise and, over time, negate the benefits of working out. A chronic deficiency in protein can cause lethargy, fatigue, and anemia.
How Much Protein Should You Eat?
The bare minimum for protein consumption should be 1 gram per pound of bodyweight. Athletes, bodybuilders, and those that want to improve body composition should consider 1.5 -2.5 grams per pound of bodyweight.
So if you weigh 200 pounds, you need to be eating 200 grams worth of protein. That’s about 1 pound per 100 grams. So a 200 pound man should be eating about 2 pounds of meat.
Is it possible to consume too much protein, and are there side effects?
The good news is that for healthy people and athletes who have healthy kidneys and no renal disease, high protein diets should not have any detrimental effects. If anything, high protein diets have been shown to reduce hunger levels, increase muscle and strength, and more.
When Should I Consume Protein?
Several studies indicate that consuming protein following intense resistance training can help to stimulate protein synthesis (the building of muscle). However, the “anabolic” window is false. Elevated protein synthesis in response to exercise has a window of 36 hours post-training, so there’s no need to jam a protein shake in immediately after a workout.
What Type of Protein Should I Eat?
Protein breaks down into what are called essential and non-essential amino acids, the building blocks of all proteins in the body. The body cannot create essential amino acids on its own, so these must come from food.
It is important to note that there is a difference in protein quality from food. Certain foods, such as animal proteins (meat, milk, and eggs), are known to be complete proteins, meaning they contain all of the essential amino acids which you can only get from the food you eat. Priority should be given to these proteins, especially red meat.
Other protein sources are known as incomplete proteins (found in plant-based foods), meaning they lack one or more of the essential amino acids.
The best protein sources for complete proteins include beef, poultry, salmon, and eggs.
Will I Bulk Up Eating So Much Protein?
The specific exercise will determine how much muscle or bulk a person will add, not the protein consumed. The protein gives the muscles the ability to repair or build-up, depending on the exercise of choice.
For example, endurance athletes will not add bulk, and the protein they consume helps to repair muscles. Weight lifters, in contrast, can add size relatively quickly as the protein helps to rebuild muscle.
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