For fitness enthusiasts, protein is important for muscle repair, recovery, and growth. But for many, high protein intake has become such a focus of their diet that they end up overeating nutrients and undereating other vital ones.
luck I spoke with nutritionists and exercise experts, clearing up the confusion about how much protein you really need to fuel your workouts.
Why is protein so important?
Protein is an essential part of our diets. It helps with metabolism, immunity, keeps us full and satisfied after eating, supports weight loss, stimulates muscle growth, Abby Sharpa registered dietitian, previously said luck.
How much protein do you need each day?
US Department of Agriculture Dietary guidelines for adults It recommends that 10% to 35% of daily calories come from protein sources. For a 2,000-calorie diet, that would be between 200 and 700 calories each day.
Most nutritionists Recommended daily intake 0.8 to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight for adults. To get your weight in kilograms, divide your weight in pounds by 2.2. Then multiply this number by 0.8 and 1.2 to find your protein range. A person who weighs 140 pounds should aim for 51 to 76 grams of protein per day.
In general, people don’t need to worry about the amount of protein they eat daily, says the registered dietitian Federica Amati. That’s because as long as you eat enough calories during the day, you can likely meet or exceed your protein needs, Amati says.
Protein needs vary depending on your lifestyle, age and gender. Older people need more protein. Sharp recommends increasing their daily protein intake to 1.8 grams per kilogram of body weight.
How much protein should you eat if you exercise?
Your protein needs will mostly vary based on your activity level, says Stella Volpe, president of the American College of Sports Medicine and a registered dietitian.
“It depends on the frequency, intensity, type, and time spent exercising,” says Volpe. luck.
If you’re someone who works out 20 to 30 minutes a day, or goes to an occasional Pilates class, you probably don’t need to worry about eating more protein.
“The (recommended daily intake) of 0.8 grams (per kilogram) for most people is actually good for their needs,” says Volpe.
Heavy exercisers, such as people training for a marathon or who engage in frequent and intense weightlifting, will have higher protein needs, Volpe says. They may consider increasing their daily intake by up to 1.5 grams per kilogram of body weight.
Although marathon runners do not gain as much muscle as weightlifters, both will have the same high protein needs, since endurance athletes (runners, cyclists, and triathletes, for example) experience a high degree of muscle breakdown.
If you’re just starting to get serious about your workouts, you’ll also want to up your protein intake, Volpe says. The more you start weightlifting or marathon training, she says, the more muscle breakdown you’ll experience, so you’ll need to compensate with more protein. But once you get used to the workouts, you’ll likely stay in the range of 1.1 to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, Volpe says.
Volpi also encourages menstrual regulation in your nutrition. This means that during periods when you are not training intensely, you should replenish protein so that you do not eat more than you need.
It’s not just about proteinsn
Protein isn’t the only macronutrient that helps with muscle repair. Volpe says athletes should prioritize carbohydrates after exercise, especially in the two hours following exercise when muscle repair is crucial.
After exercise, your glycogen stores are depleted, says Volpe. These are the body’s preferred source of energy. You’ll need to replenish these immediately after exercise to maintain energy levels and begin the recovery process, she says. The perfect post-workout recovery snack is chocolate milk, says Volpe, because it’s the perfect balance of carbs and protein.
“Most athletes who are arguably in the best possible bodies have a diet that is 60% carbohydrates, if not more,” says Sharpe. You want those to be complex carbohydrates, consisting of foods like whole grains and sweet potatoes, Volpe adds.
As for the people you see on social media following very high-protein diets — who sometimes brag about eating one gram of protein per pound of body weight — Volpe doesn’t recommend imitating their behavior, even if you’re exercising intensely.
“It’s not necessary,” says Volpe. “Most Americans eat more protein than they need anyway.”
The most important thing, Volpe says, is to make sure you’re getting a healthy mix of carbs, protein, and fat.
“For the most part, try eating a mixture and variety of these macronutrients every day, and you should be good to go,” she says. You’ll also need to make sure you’re eating enough calories to match your energy expenditure so you can maintain your weight, Volpe adds.
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