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I regularly get asked about protein. Questions around high protein diets crop up, and at the opposite end of the scale, concerns about eating too much protein. It's not just for bodybuilders, we all need protein, but why? What does it do? And how much should we have?

Why do we need protein?

Where do I begin!! In no particular order,

• Improves bone health and lowers chance of osteoporosis.
• Helps to prevent muscle loss which in turn helps us to lead an active healthy lifestyle.
• Helps the body heal by reducing inflammation and creating new tissue at the site of injury.
• Helps to build muscle.
• Helps the bodies antibodies spot and fight harmful cells and reduce chance of infection.
• Helps reduce cravings (protein is more filling)
• Carries vitamins, minerals, and oxygen through the blood stream into cells and tissues that need them.
• Helps with digestion. About half the dietary protein that you eat each day goes into making enzymes which aid in digesting food and making new cells.
• Helps maintain the body's optimal fluid balance.
• Boosts metabolism (your body burns more calories digesting protein).
• Helps to regulate hormones.
• Helps with blood clotting.
• Plant based protein can decrease bad cholesterol and lower blood pressure.

Protein sources guide

Download our guide to which protein sources you should be eating

Download guide

So, what is protein?

Protein is known as the building blocks of life, and for good reason. Muscles, bone, skin, hair, tissues and organs,.. in other words, virtually every body part needs protein (as demonstrated in the list above.)

Protein is a long chain like molecule made up of smaller units known as amino acids. When we take in protein through the foods that we eat, it is digested and broken down into these amino acids which can then be used to make the proteins in your body.

There are 20 kinds of amino acids, 9 of these are essential and must be provided from your diet. The other, non-essential 11 amino acids can be created by your body. Unlike essential amino acids, a healthy body can create these non-essential proteins if given enough protein sources with essential amino acids.

When a protein is a good source of all 9 of the essential amino acids, we call it a complete protein. Animal products are complete as well as soy. When a protein is missing any of the essential amino acids, it is considered incomplete.

The body cannot store extra protein. It will break down any protein it doesn't need and usually store it as fat. For that reason, it is important to get enough protein every day.

How much?

Not all the macronutrients are created equally. 1 gram of protein = 4 calories.

1 portion of protein should fit into the palm of your hand x 1 for women and x 2 for men.

Given the powers of protein, is an all protein diet extra healthy? No. We need some carbohydrates and/or fat in our diet to metabolize protein properly and our liver and kidneys can only process so much protein in a day (this amount varies from one person to another). Read about carbs and fats here.

Protein requirements do vary based on age, gender, size and activity levels. For most sedentary, generally healthy adults, a daily dose of around 0.8-1g of protein per 1kg of body weight is recommended.

HOWEVER, do remember that protein is involved in the repair and rebuilding of tissues, hormones and our immune system so, how much protein we need can go up. Some examples of why we might need more protein,

• Injury
• Training hard and/or frequently
• Recovering from surgery
• Illness
• Physically active job
• Undergoing some cancer treatments (to aid healing/infection)
• Chronic stress
• Older adults do not always digest protein as well so requirements may be higher

For weightlifters and strength athletes 1.4 — 2g of protein per kg of body weight is recommended per day, with a recommendation of 1.2-1.6g of protein per kg of body weight per day for endurance athletes.

Can you eat too much?

Yes, you can but it's probably unlikely you would.

Unless you have a specific medical condition that requires a low protein diet, or you're eating only protein with no fat or carbohydrates then it's actually quite difficult to eat too much protein.

However, where you get your protein from is important. Meat heavy diets have been linked to an increased risk of heart disease and can put the liver and kidneys under more strain, causing them to work extra hard to get rid of the additional protein. Aim to get protein from other sources — peas/beans/lentils/fish.

What about protein shakes?

Supplements are purely for convenience. There's nothing in a supplement that's superior to food. If you do decide to include protein shakes in your diet, then they should be good quality protein shakes and to top up your protein intake not to replace food.

Do I need to have some protein after exercise?

Not a simple yes or no I'm afraid! The jury is out on this one and more research needs to be done. It does depend on you as an individual and what you're working towards, so in general terms,

If your goal is weight loss, then getting a post workout protein hit probably isn't going to help you on your quest to losing weight especially as this would probably mean extra calories from what you would normally consume.

If you are an endurance athlete/taking part in those oh so lovely HIIT sessions or lifting heavy then chances are your protein requirements are higher. That magic window for consuming protein post exercise is not as small as was once believed. Whilst muscles sensitivity to protein is higher immediately after exercise and does diminish over time, that window does not close after an hour as some would lead you to believe. If you aim to eat balanced meals including protein as part of every meal and space these out throughout the day rather than eating it all in one sitting, chances are you're doing ok.

If you are the average gym goer then you probably don't need to reach for the protein shakes just yet!

If you need any help with making sure that you are eating the right amount of protein for your goals then drop me a message.