Everyone is talking about protein.
With the abundance of information available, it can be quite confusing to determine the appropriate amount of protein we should consume, the sources from which we should obtain it, and the significance of protein intake for our well-being.
Why is protein important?
First up, we need to know that protein is vital for our health. It is a component of virtually every tissue in our body and responsible for many functions, including providing us with energy, transporting nutrients & oxygen & maintaining a healthy immune system.
As someone with an interest in muscles and bones, I am always keen to tell my clients that protein is also necessary for good bone health & for maintaining muscle mass. Long term studies show that those who eat more protein tend to have better bone health & a lower risk of osteoporosis and fractures as they age.
Muscle mass refers to the total amount of muscle in the body and this is key to our health, mobility & metabolism. Our muscle mass naturally deteriorates as we age. This age-related muscle loss is called sarcopenia & starts at around age 30. Females can lose as much as 3% to 8% of our muscle mass per decade & most men will lose about 30% of their muscle mass during their lifetimes.
Less muscle means we get weaker & lose mobility, which can have a profound effect on our quality of life & increase our risk of falls and fractures. The good news is that we can defy ageing! Lifting weights & strength training will help to maintain and even increase our muscle, but we must fuel our bodies to help us build this muscle. Quite simply, lifting weights & eating sufficient high quality protein is the secret to being able to continue to dig the garden, carry the shopping & lift the luggage into the overhead plane locker as we age, not to mention getting on/off the loo unaided....
So in short, protein needs to form an essential part of our diet (and strength training part of our lifestyle) and we should want to optimise our intake.
How much protein is enough?
Search engine results will spew a confusing amount of information about how much protein to consume. Typically, anything between 0.75g - 2g of protein per kilo of body weight per day will be quoted. For a 70kg woman this could mean a hugely variable amount of between 52.5 - 140g of protein per day.
Fortunately Harriet Olliffe, founder of SheStrong Coaching, has a simplistic, no nonsense approach to the topic. Harriet's advice is to aim for a palm-sized portion of protein 3-4 times a day. She has also produced a handy list of protein sources which can be viewed on the link below. You can follow Harriet and find about more about the services she provides at Harriet Olliffe | PT & Fitness Coach | Milton Keynes & Online (@harriet.shestrongcoaching) • Instagram photos and videos
Protein Sources:
Protein supplements
Finally, do you need to be necking protein shakes? Not necessarily. Protein shakes can be a good way to boost your intake and personally I have found they help with recovery following a long training run, but they should be used as a supplement to food rather than a replacement.