𝙏𝙀𝘼𝘾𝙃𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙏𝙐𝙀𝙎𝘿𝘼𝙔𝙎 /  The Power of Protein

Why is Protein so important?

The older we get the more easily we lose muscle, and the more difficult it becomes to rebuild it.

If someone needs to build lean mass,  extra protein likely will be a huge difference. 
Proteins are the building blocks for our muscles, enzymes, and hormones. They also help grow and maintain our hair, skin, and nails. We must get nine of the twenty amino acids from our diet, because we can’t synthesize them.

The first thing you need to know about protein is that the standard recommendations for daily consumption are a joke. Right now the US recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.8 Grams / kg of body weight.

This may reflect how much protein we need to stay alive, but it is a far cry from what we need to thrive.

How much protein do we actually need?
It varies from person to person and the ideal amount can vary. The data suggests that for active people with normal kidney function, one gram per pound of bodyweight per day (or 2.2 g / kg/ day) is a good place to start, nearly triple the recommendation.

How much protein you need depends on your sex, body weight and lean body mass, activity level, and other factors, including age.

There is some evidence that older people might require more protein because of the anabolic resistance that develops with age – that is, their greater difficulty in gaining muscle

To achieve this might be very challenging for most people to consume 4 meals with animal protein. Typically many of my clients will have a whey protein shake as one of the meals (just seems easier for many reasons).

You could make the case that protein is a performance-enhancing macro-nutrient. Other studies have found that boosting protein intake even moderately above the RDA can slow the progressive loss of muscle mass in older people.

Beyond its role in building muscle, protein may have beneficial effects on our metabolism.

Another study in men with type 2 diabetes found that doubling their protein intake from 15 to 30 percent of total calories, while cutting carbohydrates by half, improved insulin sensitivity and glucose control.
Eating protein also helps us feel satiated, inhibiting the release of the hunger inducing hormone ghrelin, so we eat fewer calories overall.

Bottom line:
Don’t ignore protein. It’s the one macronutrient that is essential to our goals.
It will improve metabolic health in every way.
It will help you regulate your appetite.
It will help you maintain muscle mass while you are losing fat.