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We all know protein is important right? (Heck, that's why you're on a protein supplement site). But why? And what is it important for? In this article I aim to give you a brief introduction to how you can improve muscle mass, lose weight and improve sporting performance with protein.
Protein for building muscle
It's as simple as this; protein is the building block of muscle, without it there is no way you are going to gain or maintain it.
After a training session or any strenuous activity, your muscles undergo a stage of microtrauma (micro tears within the fibres of the muscle). While this might sound pretty catastrophic, the reality is it happens hundreds of times a day as you use your body for various movements. After a training session these are going to be much greater due to the increased stresses you have placed on your body.
The easiest way to imagine the muscle building process, is your muscle as a garden; when you train, you create holes in the lawn, when you consume protein after, you fill in the holes. As you can see from this analogy, training is only half the equation when it comes to muscle building, without adequate protein consumption you'll end up with no muscle and a lawn full of holes.
So how much protein should I consume?
This is a hugely debated topic and does not look like it's going be settled anytime soon. Advice currently ranges from 'Some meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein' by the Department of Health(1) all the way up to 500g per day by the roided guy at the local gym (don't expect a reference on that one, but everyone's spoken to the guy who recommends so much protein you should buy shares at your local butcher).
What most studies don't take into account is the training volume of a strength or endurance athlete and the need for protein for recovery, however there are studies that show that between 1.4-2.0g per kg of bodyweight per day is beneficial:
“There is a significant body of evidence to indicate that individuals who are engaged in intense training require more dietary protein than sedentary counterparts (ie, 1.4-2 g/kg/day). For most individuals, this level of protein intake can be obtained from a regular and varied diet. However, recent evidence indicates that ingesting protein and/or amino acids prior to, during, and/or following exercise can enhance recovery, immune function, and growth and maintenance of lean body mass.”(2)
Protein for fat loss
When most athletes start reducing calories to lean up, protein consumption takes a hit, which in turn effects lean muscle mass. Increased protein consumption during a calorie deficit has been shown to “significantly reduce body fat with a greater preservation of lean muscle”(3)
Another benefit of protein while dieting, is the feeling of 'fullness' it provides. Numerous studies show:
“protein generally increases satiety to a greater extent than carbohydrate or fat and may facilitate a reduction in energy consumption”(4)
And while satiety is not directly responsible for weight/fat loss, a diet is more likely to be adhered to if someone doesn't feel hungry/have cravings all the time.
Protein for Sports Performance
The two primary roles of protein with regards to sports performance are recovery from training (which has been covered under building muscle) and the preservation of muscle mass when meeting weight categories.
Whilst I am not a fan of low carbohydrate diets for athletes, there is a benefit to a high protein diet for athletes that have to temporarily fall within a certain weight category. A study by Mettler S, Mitchell N and Tipton KD of the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Birmingham found that a diet consisting of 35% protein was superior to approximately 15% energy protein for maintenance of lean body mass in young healthy athletes during short-term hypoenergetic weight loss.
Whilst there were positive effects on weight loss with the high protein diet, there were no negative effects on performance (squat jump, maximal isometric leg extension, one-repetition maximum (1RM) bench press, muscle endurance bench press, and 30-s Wingate test) and most blood parameters.
This study shows very few negative influences, but, it should be pointed out that it was done over a 4 week period, and from personal experience, low carbohydrate/high protein diets are a bad idea for most athletes in the long run. As with most things in life, balance is the key, and I personally am a big fan of high protein on non training days and high carbohydrate on training days.
Finishing Up
Protein is of huge importance whether you're trying to put on some muscle, lose a bit of fat or set a PB in the deadlift. Most trainee's should be aiming to get some form of quality protein with each meal, whether that be through whole foods or supplements.
References:
1. Department of Health in association with the Welsh Government, the Scottish Government and the Food Standards Agency in Northern Ireland
2. Protein for exercise and recovery. Kreider RB, Campbell B.
Exercise and Sport Nutrition Lab, Department of Health and Kinesiology, 158H Read Building, 4243 TAMU, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 78743-4243, USA
3. A whey-protein supplement increases fat loss and spares lean muscle in obese subjects: a randomized human clinical study. Frestedt JL, Zenk JL, Kuskowski MA, Ward LS, Bastian ED. Glanbia Research and Development Center, Twin Falls, ID, USA
4. Protein, weight management, and satiety. Paddon-Jones D, Westman E, Mattes RD, Wolfe RR, Astrup A, Westerterp-Plantenga M. Department of Physical Therapy, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555-1144, USA.
Daniel Iaciofano is a director & co-founder at RAW Performance. RAW Performance are athletic performance specialists based in Bromley, Kent. We utilise odd objects, gymnastic/bodyweight movements, barbells, dumbbells and kettlebells to create complete athletes. We offer 1:1 personal training and small group training for athletes and fitness enthusiasts.
Find out more about RAW Performance at www.rawperformance.co.uk.
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