How Much Protein You Need Per Day and When You Should Consume It
By Lucas Duppler, Director of Nutrition for the Whey Protein Institute
Regardless of what your health goal for 2017 may be, nutrition, especially protein, can help. Here are a few of my protein tips to help you get the most out of your health and fitness routine:
- Consume protein steadily throughout the day – The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of protein for active people tends to be much higher than inactive people, because protein is a key piece in building/maintaining the lean muscle you gain in a workout. To make sure you’re consuming the amount of protein your body needs to recover from exercise, it’s important to pay attention to protein timing. Americans’ diets tend to be lower in protein at breakfast, adequate at lunch and very high in protein at dinner. Instead, try to shoot for 20-30g with each meal, which is roughly one skinless 3 oz. chicken breast, three eggs, one serving of whey protein or one cup of pinto beans. Your body is in a constant flux of breaking down muscle or building it up. Without enough protein, you put your body at risk of breaking down that lean muscle mass you’ve worked so hard to maintain.
- It’s most important to have protein after a workout – While you should shoot for consuming protein steadily throughout the day, there’s one time where it’s especially important: After a workout. Your body is ripe for some gains after exercise and your lean tissue will respond to consumption of some whey protein. Protein is made up of individual amino acids, which are the building blocks for your body. Of the amino acids, leucine seems to be the most important for initiating muscle protein synthesis (MPS). Research shows that at least 2.5g of leucine is needed to activate MPS and help your recovery. Your body will be repairing itself for 24-48 hours post workout, but it’s especially important to consume your whey protein shake within two hours of your workout.
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What is an amino acid? Amino acids are the smallest molecular components that makes up proteins. Amino acids are made up of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms. In addition to these atoms, some amino acids (methionine and cysteine) also contain sulfur. READ MORE |
