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In last week's blog I discussed how protein helps suppress your appetite, increase your metabolism, and increase your lean body mass. My hope is that this sparked a thought of the positive impact of increasing your protein consumption. Today I want to shift our focus to understanding the importance of protein and provide you with a foundation of how to implement more quality protein into your daily nutrition! After we answer the following questions you will have a greater understanding of why we prioritize protein!
What is protein and why is it essential to our health? Protein is the building block for the structure and function of our bodies. Protein is made of twenty different amino acids that we acquire from our diet. Nine of these amino acids are essential (EAA’s) and must be consumed through the diet while the others can be made within our body. In the absence of adequate protein consumption, our body has a reduced ability to focus on growth. Instead, our body will focus on survival and spare most of the protein we consume for essential functions related to our organs. Depletion of resources stunts our mental and physical abilities. Nutrient Deficiencies increase the risk of mental health issues and physical degradation of everything from our skin to our bones. For Humans to flourish we must consume the raw materials our bodies desire. Low-quality food will lead to low-quality performance and health. What protein sources are the best quality? While there is some controversy you may see online regarding which protein sources are the best for our health, the scientific literature has been clear for years. For most humans getting the majority of your daily protein from animal-based sources will be optimal. Animal sources of protein offer a greater bioavailability of nutrients than plant-based sources with a reduced caloric cost. Bioavailability is the number of nutrients that will enter our bloodstream during digestion. Our digestive tract is great at digesting animal products, however, we lack the fermentation process of ruminants (deer, elk, cows, etc.) to fully break down many plant foods into usable nutrients. This is not to say that plants don’t have a place in our diet but rather that they shouldn’t be our main source of protein. Plants also contain a high ratio of carbohydrates to their protein content which increases the number of excess calories we consume. Here are a few of the many essential nutrients we acquire better from animal sources then plant sources:
How much protein should you be consuming? The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for protein is .36 grams/lb of body weight. For a 200lb person that would be 72g of protein. However, the RDA is based on the amount needed to survive not the level that we need to thrive. A better recommendation for protein consumption is .8-1.2g/lb of body weight. This will have most people fall comfortably around 1g/lb of desired body weight. The same 200 lbs person would now be consuming 200g of protein/day. However, let’s say someone is 200lbs with a goal weight of 170 lbs then this person should aim to consume 170g of protein/day rather than 200g. To give you an idea of how this would play out across a day of eating you should aim for 30-50 grams of protein from animal sources at each meal (given you are consuming 3 meals per day). The additional protein you consume from other foods will add to your total intake, however, to maximize your nutrient intake prioritize meats, eggs, and dairy (if you tolerate dairy; this is variable from person to person). Here is the breakdown of a few quality protein sources:
Aim to consume .8-1.2 grams of protein per pound of ideal body weight each day Take home message
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Andrew CataldoCoach Andrew is the Director of our Performance Division. With a passion for improving the health, fitness, and well being of those around him. Check here each week for new articles! Free E-Books
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