Proteins are important in the diet for:
- The building muscle fibres after exercise.
- The production of antibodies for the immune system.
- The manufacture of hormones and enzymes.
- Aiding in the digestion and absorption of food.
- Maximising the transport of oxygen to tissues.
- Providing structure for muscles, tendons, ligaments, hair, skin.
For body composition purposes, protein is the most important component. Muscle is literally made out of it! Without protein life would be impossible.
Protein contains 4 calories per gram.
What happens when you consume proteins?
90% of the protein we consume is broken down into amino acids and becomes part of the acid pool that the body needs to draw upon when it needs to build or repair muscle tissue. Amino acids have no form of storage in the body so that’s why it’s important to have protein every day.
What are Amino Acids?
Amino acids are building blocks of protein. They are necessary to support muscle growth. We have two types: essential (body can’t create them) and non-essential ( body can create them)
There are 8 essential amino acids that the body cannot create and they have to be obtained from foods or supplements.
Generally speaking, animal protein provides all the essential amino acids in the right proportions – which makes sense as animal tissue is similar to our own.
How Much Protein should I eat in a Day?
As we mentioned earlier, your body needs protein every day! If your’e eating animal products like meat, fish or dairy daily then you are probably getting enough.
Approximately 25% of your daily calorie intake should be protein.
Therefore, whatever diet you follow – especially if your strength-training and muscle building – it’s vital that you are getting enough protein (at least 50 – 60 grams a day) . If not you will lose muscle mass. The minimum safe level of protein intake can be calculated as follows:
Minimum daily protein intake = body weight in pounds x 0.36.
Therefore, the minimum recommended intake of protein is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight or 0.36 grams per pound.
This amounts to 56 grams per day for the average sedentary man and 46 grams per day for the average sedentary women.
Of course, if your’e strength-training, a Whey Protein Shake is an excellent way of getting extra protein quickly into your system to help muscle building. It contains 5 grams carbs, 2g of fat and 25 grams of protein and 140 calories.
What foods contain Proteins?
Many foods contain protein but the main sources of protein are: meat, fish and eggs. If you are on a vegetarian diet this is a useful link to other sources of protein.
An egg contains 7 grams of protein a small amount of carbs and around 5 grams of fat. (70 calories).
100g of beef extra lean mince – contains 23g protein and 4g of fat. (135 calories). As a guide, 85 grams of meat is about the thickness of a deck of playing cards.
Starchy foods, dairy and nuts also contain some protein: around 3 grams. Additionally, dairy (say a fruit corner yoghurt), contain around 4 grams of protein, 13 grams of carbs and 4g of fat. The amount of protein obviously varies from product to product.
We advise that you restrict your intake of processed meats such as sausages, bacon and salami. Unfortunately, most contain high amounts of salt, nitrates and other preservatives.
Summary
- Your’e body needs protein every day.
- A quarter of your food intake should be protein.
- Protein contains 4 calories per gram.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/20-delicious-high-protein-foods#section2
