How much PROTEIN do you really need to meet your fitness goals?
The RDA for protein is a measly 0.36 g/lb of body weight, which is vastly underestimating the true needs of active individuals. The sad reality is that most people are not meeting their true protein needs and this may be stunting their fitness progress but may be also affecting their overall health.
The true needs are: ~1 gram of protein per lb of bodyweight.
Why?
Protein is made up of a chain of amino acids. Each amino acid plays a different crucial role in your body. Some amino acids are essential (meaning you need to get them through your diet) while others aren’t nonessential (your body can make them itself).
Protein:
Allows for muscle recovery and muscle building
Encourages brain health and function
Allows for bone health and repair
Allows your blood to be properly oxygenated and carried throughout the body
Runs and operates proper digestion of food
Plays a vital role in hormone regulation (especially hunger hormones)
Encourages satiety and fullness
Is the backbone of all bodily functions
Keeps your body going long into life
Your body will continue being hungry (think starving after pasta) until it gets it’s protein requirements
You NEED protein in your diet to succeed and you need much more than you think! The extra effort to get enough is worth it.
