NUTRITION
your diet to repair it in the hours and days afterwards . This process is called muscle protein synthesis ( MPS ) or in other words GAINZ !
Protein under the microscope
Protein is made up of little building blocks called amino acids- think of them like Lego . Of these amino acids 9 are essential ( meaning you need them from your diet ), with 11 being non-essential , meaning the body can make them itself . Within the essential amino acids , you have the branched chain versions or BCAA ’ s which you may have come across ; leucine , isoleucine and valine . This is important because it will help you to decid de the type of food that will best aid your efforts when it comes to achieving your dream physique .
Food types can contain either complete or non-complete forms of protein , indicating whether or not they have one or more of the essential amino acids missing . In order to get the greatest benefit from the food you eat , it ’ s essential that you include protein sources that together cover all of the essential amino acids .
Optimising Protein for Vegans & Vegetarians
For those following a plant based diet as their source of protein ( avoiding animal products ), it ’ s recommended that they aim to mix their sources , either within each meal or at least across the day itself to ensure they consume the full spectrum of amino acids . Ensuring adequate intake of the essential amino acids will be a result of combining plant based products that although may have some elements of the amino acids missing , together will add up to the required amount . Examples of some vegetarian / vegan sources can be seen in the table below .
How much protein should you eat ?
If we look purely at the RDA or RNI in the government guidelines , their recommendation of 0 8g / kg understandably seems incredibly low . In fact , chances are there will be some of you reading this already who are consuming somewhere in that region in one single meal . These guidelines however are merely the minimum amount required to avoid negative health implications . As someone who prides themselves on improving their health through exercise and nutrition , your concern is not to narrowly avoid health problems , but more so to thrive through a dedicated approach . My guess is you are here looking for the most optimal amount to supplement your efforts .
On the other end of the scale , there are some that claim you can ’ t eat too much protein . Let ’ s take a look at what the research has shown in this area . In a crossover study by Jose Antonio et al 2016 in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism , they found consumptions of > 3g / kg to have no adverse effect on blood lipids , liver and kidney function .
In the most recent meta-analysis by Dr Stuart Philips , a leading authority on protein , he concluded that for optimal muscle building , intakes of between 1.6g / kg and 2.2g / kg are sufficient .
Further backing up this recommendation in 2014 was Helms , Aragon and Fitschen in the Journal of the
International Society of Sports Nutrition who concluded that in contest preparation natural bodybuilders , intakes of 2.2-3.1g / kg of lean body mass ( LBM ) elicited the best response . Natural bodybuilders preparing for a contest are arguably the individuals with the greatest need for protein intake , therefore they could be viewed as the upper limit of protein requirements .
What does this mean for you ?
As is the case with much of the advice in the nutrition world , it depends , but anything between 1.6g / kg and 2.2g / kg of bodyweight should be sufficient for the majority of those individuals who participate in some form of exercise . If you know your lean body mass ( bodyweight – fat mass ) and are a following a bodybuilding orientated approach , you could use guideline of 2.2g-3.1g / kg LBM which at the upper limit can result in a higher protein intake . Whilst going as high as 3g / kg or more has so far shown no adverse health implications , just how useful the extra intake could be remains to be seen . Ultimately , this means you could be consuming unnecessary calories from protein that could go towards carbohydrates or fats , which will be providing your energy source .
100 MUSCLE & FITNESS / MARCH 2018