Protein

high-protein-foods

What is protein?

Proteins are the building blocks of muscle mass, and are made up of amino acids (AA), which are the building blocks of proteins.
When you eat protein, it is broken down in the body to help fuel muscle mass among other functions.

Where do you get protein?

Plant-based sources
- Some plant-based proteins are complete, such as quinoa, hemp seeds, chia seeds, and soy. These foods contain all of the 9 essential AAs – these are AAs the body cannot produce and therefore we must obtain them from food.
- Other plant-based sources of protein are incomplete, meaning that they must be combined to create complete proteins. Generally grains, nuts or seeds can be combined with legumes to form complete proteins. Common combinations are rice and beans, peanut butter and whole grain bread, hummus and pita, and macaroni and cheese.
Meat and Milk
- All animal sources of protein are complete, and will provide you with all the essential AAs that your body need, such as poultry, pork, beef, eggs, fish.
- Milk is a very good source of complete protein.

How much protein should you eat?

0.8g per kg of body mass per day (0.8g/kg BM/day). For example, if you weigh 68kg (150lbs), you should eat 54g of protein per day (0.8g x 68kg = 54g).

If exercising:
- If you exercise daily, 0.8g/kg BM/day will be enough. There is some debate that high-level athletes might need up to 1.2g/kgBM/day, but not more.

If over 65 years of age, you should be consuming around 1.2g/kg BM/day. Older adults naturally lose muscle mass and their digestion and absorption is not as effective as it used to be. For this reason, an increase in protein intake is necessary.

When should you eat protein?

Your should be eating protein throughout the day, but there are two critical times to consume it:

In the morning
- You should consume at least 10g of protein in the morning. Since you have been fasting for around 8 hours while sleeping, consuming protein for breakfast helps trigger muscle protein synthesis (building your muscles) and stop muscle protein breakdown (breaking apart your muscles).

After exercise
- Just because you’re exercising doesn’t mean you need more protein, but you need to think about when you consume your protein.
- Consuming around 20g of protein directly after exercise (or within 1 hour) increases muscle protein synthesis and decreases muscle protein breakdown.

Is more protein better?

NO!
Your body cannot handle more than 20g of protein at a time, so if you consume more than this amount in a sitting, your body will not store this protein, it will likely be excreted in the urine or converted into fat.

Should you take supplements?

Protein supplements are expensive, high in calories, and have been found to contain unlisted substances. If you are healthy, you likely do not need them.
Branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) supplements have not been shown to be beneficial for most people. The only time they are effective is when overall AA supply is limited.
It is best to stay away from supplements and get your protein from whole foods!

In a Nutshell...

A balanced diet of 12-15% of Calories coming from protein (around 0.8g/kg BM/day) will usually be enough, even with exercise.
While meat and milk provide complete proteins, they tend to be higher in Calories, are more expensive, and have less nutrients than plant-based sources of protein.
Eating more than 20g of protein at a time can be harmful, is not recommended, and will not make your muscles bigger or make you healthier.