Fitness

How Much Protein do I Need In My Diet?


Posted by Simon on 9 November 2007 18:07:00

How much protein you need in your diet depends upon your fitness goals. It makes sense that as muscles are made up of protein, amongst other things, if your goal is to increase muscle mass, then your diet should contain more protein than normal. In fact, any type of exercise damages muscle fibres, so protein is required to rebuild them.

What Type of Protein?

It is important that you get the right type of protein. Proteins are made up from amino acids, and are needed in the body for building much more than muscles alone; hair, nails, blood, skin, internal organs - the list goes on.

The human body needs 20 different amino acids and can produce all of them itself except nine. These nine amino acids are called essential amino acids and must be present in our diet. Proteins that contain all 20 amino acids are called complete proteins and therefore provide all the amino acids necessary for muscle growth.

Most proteins derived from animals are complete proteins, for example meat, fish, eggs, milk. Incomplete proteins do not contain the full complement of 20 amino acids. Foods containing incomplete proteins are generally, seeds, nuts, grains, fruits and vegetables. However this does not mean that vegetarians and vegans cannot get all the required amino acids in their diet. Fortunately different amino acids are present in different foods, so as long as a careful selection of different foods is made, a vegetarian or vegan diet can still provide all the amino acids needed. Choosing food from two or more of the groups below will ensure all amino acids are in the diet.

Vegetables Broccoli, Leafy green vegetables
Nuts and seeds Cashew nuts, Sesame seeds, Walnuts, Sunflower seeds, Other nuts
Grains Pasta, Rice, Oats, Wholemeal bread, Barley, Corn meal
Legumes Lentils, Beans, Peanuts, Peas, Soy products

Essential amino acids: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tyrptophan and valine.

So How Much Protein is Needed?

The recommended intake of protein in the diet for the general population is 0.8g per kg of body weight per day. For people involved in regular resistance training for muscle growth or endurance exercise, some evidence suggests increasing protein intake by 50-100% - that is 1.2-1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day.

As an example, an 80kg person (with normal frame and body fat levels) weight training regularly with the goal of increasing muscle mass, should consume between 96 grams and 136 grams of protein per day. The actual amount required will depend upon variables such as the individual's exercise intensity, duration, and body composition.

Protein Shakes - Are They Any Good?

Whole foods are always better than protein powders in terms of absorption of nutrients. As real food is broken down more slowly than a protein powder, the supply of amino acids into the bloodstream is more constant. Conversely most protein powders will deliver amino acids into the bloodstream quickly after consumption, but then tail off rapidly. In the first couple of hours after a workout, this is just what you want and your body is more primed for protein synthesis than normal.

Protein supplements can certainly be useful, but they should be used as a supplement rather than a replacement for a meal. A balanced diet is essential - remember that carbohydrate and fats also play significant roles in muscle growth, and than protein can be used as an energy source, so if you eat too much protein you can get fat.

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