#33 - How Much Protein Should I Be Eating?
In todays health and fitness roam,eating proteins is considered to be best practice pretty much all fitness goals, and is reccomended for those trying to run faster, lose weight and gain weight. Yet research has revealed that a lot of adults still do not consume enough protein despite knowing its importance and this isn’t good news.
Insufficient protein marks a poor diet & health. It can have a negative impact on the body, causing blood fluctuation, swelling, skin degeneration, fatty liver & severity of infections.
Moreso, a lack of protein can result but also causes individuals to losing muscle mass which overtime cuts your strength, making it difficult to keep your balance and slowing down your metabolism, and that combined with lack of satiety can increase your appetite and lead to weight gain,
The Importance of Protein
Protein is the building block of our muscles, making it a very important aspect in our daily lives, whether that may be in providing us energy to run a marathon or simply giving us the strength to get out of bed in the morning. Hence, eating the right amount of protein in every meal plus getting exercise can go a long way. It can help a lot in preserving the muscles’ strength & function.
Moreso, it’s important to understand that apart from the significance of getting protein into your system, it's vital to understand how much your body needs per day and this is the more important question to ask. How much protein should you eat?
For Everyone
Generally speaking & based on the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), an adult should at the least have a decent 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. This is just the minimum amount to give your body the basic nutrients it needs & to keep you from getting sick or so— not the specific amount you are supposed to eat every day.
If you’d like to determine how much protein you specifically need, you can try doing so by multiplying your weight in pounds by 0.36.
Another thing to consider is to space protein out over the day’s meals & snack rather than loading it up in one meal. Distribute accordingly to be more effective.
For Athletes
Now, for athletes, this can be a totally different story, especially for those who are into strength & endurance trainings. These athlete fall into a category far from non-athletes as it is these athletes who use protein for the reason of repairing & rebuilding muscles that are broken down during trainings.
Although it is true those who participate in the more strenuous exercises will most likely need to increase their protein intake, it is not as much as you think of it. So, in order to determine the right amount to consume, make it a point to consider how we use our energy stores on a daily basis. Also, take time to understand the different groups of nutrients in a typical diet.
Ideally, those engaged in endurance training need about 1.2-1.4 grams per kilogram (2.2lbs) of body weight per day as compared to those engaged in strength training who need about 1.4-2.0 grams per kilogram (2.2lbs) of body weight per day. Further to that, if weight loss is an additional goal, the protein intake must be greater than 2.0 grams per kilogram of body weight.
How to implement this into your life?
Yet, again, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to this. It will always depend on whatever your fitness goals are, how frequently you work out and the intensity of your trainings. Use the numbers above and start experimenting with this on yourself. And if this sounds like something you need professional help with, feel free to a book a 20-minute free consultation with me. I am a certified nutritionist & can help you with your protein intake.
Cheers,
Coach Eik
