Recently, I did some research on protein for an assignment in my nutrition class, specifically, protein as it relates to muscle growth while resistance training. It seems nowadays there’s added protein in everything: pasta, cookies, drinks, you name it. The macronutrient is becoming a lot more popular among most people, but a high-protein diet has been the norm among weightlifters and bodybuilders for years now.
The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of bodyweight, or 0.36 grams per pound of bodyweight. This means that if you weigh 150 pounds you should eat at or around 55 grams of protein per day. However, the consensus in the literature is that the RDA is not enough to suffice the protein needs of resistance-trained individuals and elite athletes who need the extra grams to build muscle and prevent its breakdown. In general, most experts agree that a range of 0.6 grams per pound to 1 gram per pound of bodyweight is sufficient for maximal muscle protein synthesis. It’s important to note that protein amounts should be tailored to activity level (people engaging in high-intensity full-body workouts need more protein to recover), lean body mass (the leaner you are, the more of the macronutrient you need), and calorie consumption since calorie deficits can trigger muscle loss, so you’d need more protein to maintain your muscle if you were dieting severely. Regardless, there is a “ceiling” to the muscle-building that one can obtain from consuming protein. That’s why it’s also important to engage in contractile activity to help build your muscles, you can’t just pack in the protein and expect your body to change.
Protein has other added benefits beside stimulating muscle growth. For one, it has a higher thermogenic effect than carbohydrate or fat, meaning that you burn more calories digesting protein than you do any other macronutrient. Granted, adaptive thermogenesis is only a small piece of daily calorie expenditure (resting metabolic rate and calories burnt during activity are a bigger percentage) but added over time, it can help resistance-trained athletes when losing fat and gaining muscle simultaneously. Secondly, some studies have shown it to be more satiating than either carbohydrate or fat. Eating more protein may help individuals who are dieting, or any individual really, feel fuller for longer.
There have been stated risks of a high-protein diet, though recent evidence has shown them to be untrue. Contrary to popular belief, high protein diets do not cause kidney disease. Eating a lot of protein poses a risk only to people with pre-existing kidney conditions who may be subject to too much strain when trying to filter extra amino acids from digested protein. Additionally, high-protein diets do not cause cardiovascular disease or obesity if the proteins selected are lean and varied. Ensuring that protein consumed is from less-fatty animal sources (such as chicken, fish, and turkey) and also from plant sources (such as soy, rice, and legumes) will help keep calories and saturated fat in check but also add micronutrients and fiber to the diet. This way, people seeking to build their muscles can optimize their health as well.
I found it very interesting to read about the importance of protein and potential risks of a high-protein diet. As a vegetarian, I have always put a lot of thought into my protein intake, as it is easy to fall short of the suggested amount when not consuming meat. Because of this I found this to be a very interesting read.
I did not know a lot of this! I think it’s very important for people to do proper research so that they are not only informed, but have the ability to make a better judgement call on how to handle their diets to fit their needs. As a vegetarian I feel like I should be doing more research to ensure I’m getting enough of everything I need – protein included. Thanks for the interesting posts this semester!!
Very interesting post! I, too, have done some research on protein diets when I was swimming and running competitively. Personally, I find it hard to synthesize my diet and pay a lot of attention to it as there is a lot of other stuff going on in life.