I know many people who work out as hard as you do, they don’t eat enough to build
up to his muscles. Well if you’re interested, I have some X Super Strength Whey Brand Whey Protein Powder in my car that I can give you for a pretty good price. Satisfaction guaranteed. “
“Thanks for the offer, but I think I eat enough protein.”
This was a conversation I had with a guy in 1996 when I joined the YMCA. At the time he had no idea if he was eating enough protein, but he did know that he didn’t want to buy protein powder from a guy who was selling it out of the trunk of his car. The whole situation raised a very important question.
“Are you eating enough protein?”
It was time to do some research to find out.
What is protein?
The first thing you wanted to know is why you needed protein in the first place. It turns out that protein is one of the building blocks of the human body. Your muscles, hair, skin, and connective tissue are made up mostly of protein.
Important chemicals in your body – like enzymes, hormones, neurotransmitters, and even your DNA – are also partially made up of protein. Your body is constantly consuming protein, so it is very important that you at least eat the minimum amount required.
One reason protein is so important is because it is made up of amino acids. Your body cannot make essential amino acids, so you must get them from the foods and supplements you eat.
How much protein do you need?
The amount of protein you need depends on your age, size, and activity level. If you saw a dietitian, she may give you a quick estimate of how much protein you need each day by multiplying your body weight (in pounds) by 0.37. The number you get from this calculation will tell you roughly how many grams of protein to consume per day.
Here’s a good example: I weigh 180 pounds. I take my calculator and put in 180 X.37. The calculator shows that you should eat at least 67 grams of protein a day.
Do people who exercise need more protein?
Before accepting this number at face value, I must take into account the fact that I exercise a lot for at least 30 minutes, 4 to 5 days a week. Bodybuilders knew this a long time ago, but researchers are now beginning to realize that vigorous exercisers need more protein than television addicts.
They recommend that you get .55 to .64 grams of protein per pound of body weight if you do resistance exercises and 0.78 to 0.82 grams of protein per pound of body weight if you lift heavy. I make a mix of the two, so for my purposes I’m going to use the higher value of 0.82 grams of protein per body weight, or 147.6 grams per day, to make sure I’m getting enough.
What if you don’t eat enough protein?
Your body doesn’t store protein, so you have to replace it every day. In fact, if you stopped eating protein for a couple of days, your body would start breaking down muscle tissue to get the protein it needs.
Personally, I think you should eat more protein than the minimum recommendations because, as we all know, nothing works with 100% efficiency, so some of the protein you eat will not be used by your body.
References:
Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrates, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids
(Macronutrients) (2005), Food and Nutrition Board, National Academy of Sciences.
Lemon, PWR. (nineteen ninety six). “Is increasing protein in the diet necessary or beneficial for people with a physically active lifestyle?” Nutrition Review 54: S169-S175.
