Going to the gym to lift some weights can be your gateway drug to an entire health routine. Before you know it, you’ll be doing pre-workout mobility drills. I do foam rolling and use a fancy massage gun that looks like it’s going to burn a hole in my thigh. What happens to those $15 protein shakes sold in the front lobby? If you don’t drink after your workout, will all the energy you spent picking up and putting things down be a waste of time?
While the barista trying to sell you extra scoops of protein powder may not have solid scientific backing, it’s true that people who exercise regularly need more protein than the average couch potato. Our bodies need amino acids, which come from proteins, the building blocks of muscle, to repair tissues destroyed during training.
Most Americans already consume more protein than they need, says Sara Gilbert, MS, RDN, LDN, CSSD, a sports nutritionist at Boston University’s Sargent’s Choice Nutrition Center. The U.S. recommended dietary allowance for the average person is just 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, or about 70 grams (about two large chicken breasts) for a 195-pound man.
On the other hand, people who are serious about weightlifting or marathon training, for example, need more than that, although the exact guidelines vary. For example, Ricky Ng, director of performance nutrition for the Las Vegas Raiders, said the team keeps players’ goals between 1.6 and 2.4 grams per kilogram, which is two to three times the normal recommended amount.
Timing is also important
In addition to eating enough, one common problem is timing your protein intake at the wrong time. Many of us primarily consume carbohydrates for breakfast and snacks, and a large amount of meat for dinner. But to build muscle, Ng says you need to eat protein three to five times a day, or basically at every meal and snack. (It used to be recommended to consume protein within 15 to 60 minutes after a workout, but that theory has been proven wrong.)
Our bodies can’t retain extra macronutrients like carbohydrates, so it’s important to have a steady drip of protein. Any excess that isn’t immediately available can be turned into sugar or stored as fat if there’s a carbohydrate shortage, Gilbert says. But when your muscles need protein and you don’t have enough stored protein, your body may take protein from other muscle tissues, which isn’t very good for growth. Ng says that if you don’t have a steady enough intake of protein, you might not make the progress you want in your workouts, you might take a lot longer to recover from the gym, and you might get sick more easily.
Not all proteins are created equal
If you want to know more about protein, Ng says sources rich in leucine are best for muscle growth because certain amino acids signal and promote protein synthesis. Also helpful are proteins containing omega-3s (which maximize anabolic potential, or the body’s ability to build and repair muscle tissue) and vitamin D (which signals muscle protein synthesis), he adds. “Key proteins for athletes include salmon, pasture-raised eggs, kefir or Greek yogurt, chicken, and beef,” he says.
Fortunately, unless you’re prone to kidney problems, there’s no great risk from consuming too much protein. However, if you eat meat, you may end up consuming more saturated fat than is good for your cholesterol. A high-protein diet may also be deficient in other food groups, such as dietary fats, fruits and vegetables, which contain important vitamins and minerals.
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