Importance of Protein in Your Diet

What is protein’s chief function?

Protein is used for building and repairing muscles, tissues, red blood cells, hair and finger nails and for synthesizing hormones. Protein is necessary for reducing the risk of iron deficiency anemia and to improve healing. Excess protein does NOT build muscle bulk—strength training does.

How much protein do I need?

To determine your daily needs, simply multiply your weight in pounds by one of the following:

Type	Multiplier
Sedentary Adult	0.4
Active Adult	0.4 to 0.6
Growing Athlete	0.6 to 0.9
Adult Building Muscle Mass	0.6 to 0.9

The above information was taken from Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook

What foods should I eat to get protein?

It’s easy to get your protein requirements because protein is found in most foods. The following are some examples of foods and their protein levels

• Meat, poultry and fish have 7 grams per ounce
• Beans, dried peas, lentils have 7 grams per 1/2 cup cooked
• One large egg has 7 grams

It is possible for athletes to get enough protein by eating a balanced diet.

Protein supplements may not be necessary, but they can be a convenient way to increase protein intake, especially for vegans.

Should I eat before I workout?

A healthy snack before you exercise will help energize your workout. A preexercise snack will help:

• Prevent hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) with its symptoms of lightheadedness, fatigue, blurred vision, and indecisiveness—all of which can interfere with top performance!
• Settle your stomach, absorb some of the gastric juices, and reduce hunger.
• Fuel your muscles, both with food eaten in advance that is stored as glycogen, and with food eaten within an hour of exercise

Does it matter what I eat after my workout?

What you eat within the first few minutes after a workout is known as your “recovery meal.” This small meal is the most important and underrated part of training. It sets the stage for how you will feel for the rest of the day and affects the next training session.

Recovery eating is essentially reloading the muscles with glycogen. Fifteen to thirty minutes after exercising, the muscles are like sponges, waiting to refill the glycogen stores that have just been exhausted. If athletes refill within this time range, they’ll be revved to go. If they miss their window of opportunity, they’ll feel sluggish and lazy for the next event.

Carbohydrates coupled with protein appear to be the most effective combination for restoring glycogen. Eating a snack (such as a peach with yogurt) within fifteen minutes of the end of a workout and then eating a regular meal two hours later maximizes muscle receptivity.