You’ve probably heard a lot of people like me going on about the importance of protein. But just why is it so crucial in our diet?
To answer that question, we need to understand what it is, and what it does.
Protein, just like carbohydrate and fat, is a macro nutrient. Its main function is the growth and repair of most of the tissue in the body. However, in the fitness industry, our main focus is on how protein helps to build muscle.
After water, protein is the second biggest component of our body. And although we tend to only think of muscle in relation to protein, our gut is also mainly composed of it, as is as our hair, skin and nails. It is important for the function of the immune system, as well as transporting oxygen around the body through the bloodstream via a protein called haemoglobin. When you consider all these factors, in addition to the growth and repair function, it is easy to see why so many people place so much importance in getting enough protein each day.
Protein and weight loss
Let’s move on to weight loss. When we lose weight, we also lose water, fat and muscle. These things WILL all happen automatically, so we just need to try to ensure that we lose more body fat than muscle. What are the reasons for this?
1- Healthy joints: Muscle keeps joints heathy and stable and less prone to injury, both in the joint and the muscle itself.
2- Metabolism: Over time, a greater volume of muscle equates to a higher resting metabolic rate.
3- Tone: Maintaining muscle while losing weight, combined with some resistance-training, will give the toned look that so many of us crave.
4- Recovery time: Protein helps with muscle repair and recovery following exercise.
The main reason that protein is so important in your daily diet is that the average body needs around 100g of protein every day simply to fuel its basic needs. If the protein doesn’t come from your food, the body will break down your muscle tissue instead to get what it needs. And if you are on a calorie-deficit diet, this will happen at a faster rate than usual.
In my experience people usually find it quite tough to go straight up to 100 plus grams of protein in a day. So, a good way to begin, is to target your bodyweight in grams of protein per day. For example, if you weigh 70kg you should consume around 70g of protein per day, increasing the volume on days when you are exercising or on those when you are particularly active, and maybe taking in a little more if you are on a weight loss plan. Once this becomes a habit you can start to increase your intake.
Here are a few examples of how much protein is found in some foods:
Palm sized chicken breast- 20-30g
3 eggs- 18g
8oz steak- 40g
Lamb chop- 20g
Tuna steak- 30g
Salmon- 20-30g
Look for the leaner cuts of meat where you can, as well as choosing leaner mince.
Veggie? No problem, look for stuff like:
Beans
Legumes
Tofu
Quinoa
Chickpeas
That’s this month’s blog,
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