Protein is made up of amino acids, the chemical building blocks for cells and tissues in the body. Amino acids are involved in tissue growth and repair, immune function, and energy production.
Protein is made up of amino acids, the chemical building blocks for cells and tissues in the body. Amino acids are involved in tissue growth and repair, immune function, and energy production. When you exercise, some of your muscle cells break down. Protein helps repair this damage and build up more muscle. But for this to happen, we must consume more protein than is broken down.
So, how much protein do you need to eat?
A good rule of thumb is 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. So, if you weigh 75 kilos, you should eat around 150 grams of protein each day. Another good rule of thumb is eating 30-50 grams of protein every meal.
2 eggs (12.4 g protein) + 2 slices of high protein Burgen bread (19 g protein) for breakfast.
Snack: Protein shake (25 g protein)
150 g chicken breast for lunch (43.5 g protein)
Snack: Chobani Greek yoghurt (12.4 g protein)
200 g porterhouse steak for dinner (40 g protein)
Total Protein: 152 g
Natural whole foods are the best source of protein, such as fish, eggs, chicken, grass-fed meats, nuts, seeds and Greek yoghurt. Many people struggle to eat enough protein. When this is the case, I recommend supplementing with protein powder. This can be blended with milk, water or fruit to make a shake, or added to breakfast oats or stirred through yoghurt.
Time and time again, I see that the simple diet tweak of adding more protein transforms my client’s body composition. By upping their protein intake, their lean muscle increases, which increases their strength and their metabolism, and their body fat percentage goes down. This is the case for both men and women.
So, to fuel your body for success and get the best results from your training, make sure you’re eating enough protein.
