Protein: The Truth
- How much do we need?
- Where should you get it from?
Protein is one of the most disputed parts of fitness, without doubt! Fitness companies seek to exploit naivety and make people buy into their products.
There are 250,000 different types of protein in the body – so it provides a vast range of uses.
It provides support for your immune system, assists with repair, it also helps with sleep and so on. So should you be taking extra protein?
My theory at RYPT is that you should base your meals around protein – so start with the meat (assuming you’re not vegetarian!) If you base your nutrition around carbohydrates, it will take a lot more volume to feel as full therefore I advise planning your meals and starting with protein.
Furthermore, with regular resistance training, you will need to eat more protein for the muscle to recover quickly and assist with improving strength over the long term.
The essential amino acids can predominantly be found in our nutrition (provided that we eat a varied plan). This is also a buzz word in fitness and seems to be “added” to supplements.
Protein is at the forefront of most nutritional companies as it can be bulk produced cheaply (due to being a byproduct of the dairy process) and sold at a much higher price.
Again, my theory at RYPT is that you should seek to improve your nutrition naturally before adding in any supplements.
Not only are supplements incredibly expensive, but you can do much more (and for less) despite this not sounding as appealing as spending £40 on a magical formula.
How much do I need?
This really does vary on your activity level. The more active you are, the more protein you will require.
There is a simple formula to determine how much is necessary.
Sedentary life / work 1.2g per kilogram of Bodyweight.
Moderately active 1.5g per kilogram of Bodyweight.
Extremely active job and train regularly (with the aim of building lean muscle) around 1.8g per kilogram of Bodyweight.
As you can see, it’s not black and white as it depends on your goals. RYPT can provide a free nutritional evaluation as part of the health check on the RYPT website.
The best readily available sources of protein…
1) Nuts
Not roasted and unsalted (sadly)! Cashew, peanuts, macadamia, walnuts: I could name many more! Not only tasty but an easy snack to take to work!
2) Turkey
Even higher in protein than chicken and tastes lovely too.
Can be substituted for many chicken dishes or try turkey bacon (low in fat and delicious too).
3) Fish
Great for essential fats too besides improving bone density and warding off osteoporosis.
4) Eggs
Extremely versatile and high in protein too.
It is recommended that you cook them rather than have them raw to get more protein from them.
5) Soy beans
Most beans in general are quite high in protein so definitely worth including in your plan.
Eat your greens!
6) Dairy
Milk, yoghurts and cheese but remember to keep moderation in mind.
If you have any questions about protein or an issue you would like addressed in an RYPT blog; just email ross@rypt.info
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Ross
