The Power Of Protein w/ Scott Kemp

I do these articles and videos to not only show you new training and nutrition ideas but I want to educate you. A good student should always know the why behind the what. When looking at nutrition, protein is a major macronutrient to focus on. In the last decade, people have realized how important it is to have protein in their diet. Many food companies have targeted their marketing into a high protein product.

What does protein do for us?

When most people think of protein they think of muscles and muscle repair, but it does much more than that. It’s not just muscle tissue but all body tissue that protein helps repair. It plays a vital role in the growth and repair of bone, muscle, cartilage skin and hair.

There are many food sources you can find protein from. Protein-based foods are either complete or incomplete proteins. Complete proteins are mostly animal-based foods such as; meat, fish, and dairy. These are considered complete because they are packed with all 9 essential amino acids. Incomplete proteins do not have all the essential amino acids and are not as beneficial as far as dealing with its benefits. Incomplete proteins are nuts, rice, beans, whole grains, and vegetables. These types of foods have great benefits as carbohydrates or fats, not so much in the protein aspect.  Your protein consumption should be at least 75% from complete proteins.

How much protein do you need to eat each day?

This is a controversial subject but scientific research has shown that .8-1.6 grams per body lb. is the recommended amount for active individuals. Too much protein in your diet does not hurt your liver or kidneys as some people have thought to believe. You can consume up to 2x your body weight per day and it will not harm you, it just might be a waste. It’s always better to give your body too much than not enough protein. Not enough can lead to injury, hair loss, muscle loss, fat retention, fatigued and other negative effects.

How often to eat protein?

This can honestly be broken up many different ways depending on your schedule. The average male weighing 175lb is said to be able to digest about 30g of protein at a time. But if you were to eat say, 100g at once, your body might absorb only 30g of that right away but the other 70g is not a waste. Your body will slowly break it down and absorb the essential amino acids it needs throughout the day. So if you know you need 220 grams per day you might break this up into 2 meals, 3, meals or even 8 meals. It’s really up to you and your preference. Just a couple rules to follow: always make sure you have protein in your system before you exercise and always again right after.