The Complete Guide To Protein: How To Get Enough, What To Eat, And Why

Athletes have a higher protein requirement than most people. Let's discover The Complete Guide To Protein: How To Get Enough, What To Eat, And Why

What is protein?

Protein is a macronutrient that contributes to building and repairing your body. Protein is a very important macronutrient since it has a large number of cell building and repairing enzymes.

For example, every 6lbs. man will require 12g of protein in a day to be in a fully healthy condition.

What are the benefits of protein? Protein has several benefits; one of them is an increase in muscle protein synthesis. Muscle protein synthesis occurs naturally in the body when muscles are damaged or injured and requires a large amount of protein to repair itself. Muscle protein synthesis is also responsible for your overall health by creating and repairing your connective tissue.

How much protein do I need every day? Your body needs a protein intake between 0.8-1.

 EAA content of plant- and animal-based proteins:

Source: https://examine.com/guides/protein-intake/

Why do we need protein?

Protein is one of the most essential macronutrients to keep our body functioning. We need at least 25% of our total calorie intake for our muscle mass to be created.

Protein is essential for our body to build and repair proteins, and if not enough then our body will have an issue to keep us in a healthy condition. If we don't eat enough protein, then our muscle mass will become thin and also our energy levels will go down. Protein is known for being a muscle building macronutrient and if you think you're not able to gain a lot of weight or it's difficult for you to build muscle, then protein is the only way to keep you going and keep your energy levels up.

When do we need protein?

Protein is needed in our body to maintain a healthy body weight, muscle growth, and tissue repair. Muscle protein synthesis is a key response to increasing the amount of muscle tissue our body produces.

Protein is also used to help manage glucose and insulin levels in the body. Some research suggests that carbohydrate availability may control protein synthesis in muscle cells, though research is still in its early stages. The main thing here is that our bodies need protein. How much protein we need is very different for various body functions.  

How do we get enough protein?

All the cells in our body contain a system of proteins that function to keep our cells and tissues together, because we have no central nervous system (our brain doesn't have one) or bones to hold everything together (our bones are made from calcium, which is another protein) that can split apart and separate what is needed for growth and repair.

Our cells must be replenished and rejuvenated. Every tissue in our body depends on our cells. When we take in protein, our cells are able to respond and change according to the needs of their community. Protein is also essential for neurological and muscular development, which is why you often hear that milk (soymilk, almond milk, or plant-based milk, like rice milk) is best for your child's growth.

How to get protein?

Protein rich food

In fact, the hardest thing about trying to get enough protein is to locate protein rich food. In general, for lean guys, this isn’t a problem because most lean protein sources, such as chicken, turkey, eggs, fish, etc.

It’s the vegans and vegetarians out there that can be a bit more of a challenge.

What about tofu? It’s an option, but we suggest you simply start with it (again, don’t worry about the fat, just focus on the protein) and perhaps use some quinoa, wild rice, or millet in place of some of the quinoa. What about beans? They’re great too, and the different kinds provide different types of protein.

Protein supplements

You can be much more fit and healthy without protein supplements and supplement powders. There are many advantages to focusing on protein in your diet, rather than taking supplement pills, but remember that you can still obtain protein from other foods.

Here are some simple sources: Lean proteins such as poultry, fish, soy products, nuts, eggs and Vegetables

There are also some protein supplements available, such as GNC 20K Multivitamin Complex, BSN Special Blend, and Weight-A-Max, as well as some powders. These are the major protein supplements you should be aware of. In the diet food industry, there are many low-quality protein products on the market that contain no nutritional value, many of which contain some form of added sugar and artificial sweeteners.

Conclusion

Protein is an essential macronutrient of which most people on their path to achieve good health don’t get enough. In order to get enough protein, a little bit of planning and preparation is all it takes to get a great deal of protein, from any source.