Protein, no you don't actually need THAT much
When I decided to start writing this blog (this is only my second entry), I figured I wasn't going to get into anything too controversial. Then, I decided to write something that will probably make people hate me.
In general, or maybe just in my own secluded world of being in the fitness industry, people think they need hundreds and hundreds of grams of protein. In conversation I've heard people claim it has benefits ranging from providing energy for daily tasks to increasing muscle mass, but in truth those are maybes that depend on other factors.
Before getting into the meat of it, lets discuss what protein is and the varying degrees of how "good" it is (there are no good food choices or bad food choices, there are just choices).
There are 20 Amino Acids that make up protein. 11 of those are Nonessential (the body can make them), and 9 are Essential (the body can't make them, they have to be obtained through diet).
If something contains all 20 Amino Acids, then it is a complete source of protein, i.e. animal sources (meat, eggs, dairy) as well as soy and hemp. If it doesn't contain all 20, then it is an incomplete source of protein, such as most plant sources.
When two sources of incomplete proteins are put together and they provide all 20 amino acids, it is called mutual supplementation (or complementary protein) and it covers your protein needs.
"That's great Matthew, just tell me how much protein I need."
Well, it depends on your needs and your goals. Easy math first, we need to convert our Bodyweight (BW) from pounds to kilograms which is BW (in lbs.) / 2.2 = BW (in kg).
Now, for the average person that isn't training, the minimum is .8g to 1.2g per kg of BW.
The needs of individuals that are training varies depending on intensity and goals of the individual.
Cardiovascular Training
Resistance Training
So, we'll take someone that might be thinking about training, but they haven't committed. We'll say this person weighs 150lbs (and for the purposes of keeping things simple, doesn't fluctuate in weight).
150 / 2.2 = 68kg
In a non-training phase, they should be consuming between 54g to 82g
In a training phase, they should increase their protein to help with recovery. So this places them between 82g to 150g.
To address some earlier topics, protein doesn't really provide energy... unless, you aren't getting enough carbohydrates (whew, don't get me started, that is a topic for another day).
Does it increase muscle mass? Only if you're incorporating enough high intensity lifting to stimulate muscle growth. That being said, one does need to consume 1.6g per kg of BW to prevent muscle loss when in a phase of non-training.
Key takeaways
Calculate your Protein needs based on your BW in kg, not lbs.
Your numbers will fluctuate depending on your training routine.
Not all protein is created equally, some are complete and some are incomplete (and some increase risk of cancer, and again, a topic for another day).
Signing off for now, and the blog is only a few days late!
Thank you for reading!
Next week's post: Self-Defense. Why you need it, and starting late is better than never.
Every Body Strength & Fitness
Matthew Barrett NASM-CPT
EBSFtraining.com
(607) 651-7116
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