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Do you want to be bigger, stronger, faster, and have more endurance?
If this is what you want and aspire to be, then consuming more protein in your daily diet may be what you need to accomplish your goals.
Our bodies need macro nutrients, which are protein, carbohydrate and fat.
Out of the three macro nutrients protein is the only one that has nitrogen, and nitrogen is needed when we are in an anabolic (tissue building) state.
As we workout, our bodies excrete nitrogen, and by eating enough protein we replenish our body with nitrogen so we can stay in a good anabolic state.
How much protein do I need? The America Dietetic Association (ADA) has some guidelines on that issue.
The amount of protein recommended per day: a sedentary person 0.8grams (g) of protein per kilogram of body weight (kg BW), an active adult 1.0g per kg BW,
an endurance athlete 1.2 – 1.4g per kg BW, a strength athlete 1.4 – 1.8g per kg BW, a child athlete 1.0 -2.0g per kg BW, and an adult athlete should not exceed
2.0 per kg BW. For older adults over the age of 50 years old, the exact amount of protein is still undetermined. Most likely an older adult will need less protein
than a young adult because cellular reproduction slows down as you age.
The simple truth is that most of us are not consuming enough protein daily to help us recover from our daily workouts, much less grow bigger and get stronger.
Based on the ADA guidelines, an athlete who weighs 170 pounds will need about 155g of protein, that’s about 7 servings of 3 ounce steak. Lean meat has an abundance
of protein, but it’s best to vary your source of protein. Foods that are rich in protein are lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans, nuts, seeds, peanut butter,
dairy foods and grain products. If you’re a vegetarian, you can find a lot of protein in beans, nuts, seeds, peanut butter, and grain products. The use of a protein
supplement is also recommended to help reach your daily intake. So, instead of eating 7 steaks, you might want to eat some chicken, nuts, beans and even a protein shake.
Protein should be consumed throughout the whole day. For strength athletes protein should be consumed 20 minutes before and 20 minutes after a strength or muscle
building workout. Endurance athletes should not consume foods that are rich in protein 2 hours before an endurance workout. Eating protein rich food before an endurance
workout could result in cramping, side aches, and slow down the fat burning process.
There are a few side affects of eating too much protein. Too much protein can result in weight gain. The excess protein will store itself as fat in the body for
later energy use. Intestinal irritation such as diarrhea, constipation, gas, and bloating can result from excessive protein intake. Dehydration can be the result of
lack of water while consuming protein. Women should drink at least 9 cups of water daily and men 12 cups. Water intake should be higher on workout days.
The side affect of not eating enough protein are: loss of lean muscle tissue, loss of coordination, weakness, digestive problems, allergies, anemia, weak joints,
bruising, difficulty breathing, vision problems, dry skin, lair loss, and loss of sleep.
You might not be able to get your daily protein intake from one source of food. It’s best and recommended to vary your protein source. If you have a hard time
reaching your protein goal through regular food, a protein supplement is highly recommended. A protein shake may have 20 – 50g of protein depending on your needs.
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