Proteins: recap once and for all

PROTEINS – how much, when, what to do, what not, are they dangerous and why without them there is no longevity and health?

I secretly hope that it becomes mainstream that protein intake should not be feared because if it were really so easy to turn into Hulk steroidized boulders everyone around us would be carved out of a rock, and we’re not, right?

To draw a parallel: if you start cooking every day you will not become a masterchef, nor by buying a pumped-up car a Formula 1 champion.

By consuming the right amounts of protein, you will not become cumbersome and in fact, except that most of you will build a beautifully defined so-called ‘lean’ body and lose fat deposits, you will feel invincible and energetic, you will be more functional and healthier people.

The vast majority of you reading this consume too little of them. How much too little? Well, from my surveys and customer experience you eat roughly only 1/3 of the required daily intake. No, I’m not generalizing. Indeed it does. Mostly this is because the focus is on just eating something that has protein, not how many of them are actually ingested. I would especially like to refer to us women who are conditioned socially that “it is not ladylike to eat much”. Sentences of type:

“What are you really going to eat?” Or “You could stuff less food into yourself. “Who’s going to marry you fat?” And similar statements from which I have a gag reflex.

Also, if you see the inscription “rich in protein” on the product in the store because “protein donut”, “protein chocolate” and similar products are popular… and it has 3 g of protein per 100 g of product, which means that it literally contains only that much of them. For example, if it is a biscuit or chips that has 67 g of carbohydrates and 45 g of fat per 100 g, and approximately 348 kcal (and the package is, for example, 300 g and all that x 3, and thus you have entered the almost all-day required number of calories in one meal), then this is NOT a protein product but a good cover for those who do not look at labels. If a product has less than 15 g of protein per 100 g, then we do not consider it a protein product, and even then, if it is processed and not a complete food, it is necessary to check its caloric value because it is not uncommon to buy and consume protein bars and similar products to start gaining weight thinking that you are “healthy” eating
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If your goal is to raise your health and quality of life, you have started or plan to start exercising, you have a desire and you want to finally reach your optimal desired appearance – you do not have much choice. You simply need to adjust your diet. It is not said without reason that the key to health and progress is a balanced, balanced diet that is rich in protein. The key is to base your diet around protein.

So, if you are determined to finally get results this time on your fitness journey to the desired form and health, you have to accept that proteins are an indispensable part of this path and that they are healthy and our body badly needed foods.

I will say this loud and clear, so that you remember this: the lack of protein in your diet shortens your life and reduces its quality. End of story.

Protein is the building block of your DNA, so if that’s not important enough and a good reason to consume it in the prescribed amounts, I don’t know what is. In order to summarize all the use of protein for your body in the simplest and most comprehensive way, I have listed all the functions of proteins and their benefits for our body. When you read this, I hope not that you will not avoid them, but consume them at every available opportunity.

The role of proteins in the human body

1. Building – protein is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage and skin. Your hair and nails are mostly made up of protein.
2. Recovery – your body uses protein to build and recover tissues.
3. Oxygenation – red blood cells contain a protein component that transports oxygen throughthe body. This helps to supply the whole body with nutrients.
4. Digestion – almost half of the protein from your diet that you consume on a daily basis goes into the formation of enzymes that help digest food and create new cells and chemicals in the body.
5. Regulation – proteinplayplays play an important role in the regulation of hormones, especially during the transformation and development of cells in puberty.

All the complexity and diversity of protein structures of human tissue consists of only about twenty amino acids, of which only nine are considered essential or essential. Looking from this perspective, our need for protein in the diet actually comes down to the need for essential amino acids – which are essential because we can enter them exclusively through food.

These essential amino acids are: leucine, lysine, isoleucine, threonine, tryptophan, methionine, valine, phenylalanine and histidine. In translation, this means that every person in a day needs to enter an adequate dose of proteins rich in these amino acids in order for the body to function well, and if this is difficult to achieve only with food – protein supplements come on the scene, around which numerous mysteries and myths such as e.g. that the protein will make our kidneys fail or that we will get acne from whey. There are many of them and I wouldn’t even go into that quagmire of scientifically unsupported claims.

Today, the industry of fitness supplements and dietary supplements is extremely advanced and diverse, so you can find an abundance of various protein compositions and forms on the market – from powders through protein bars to vegan beverage options.

When and how much protein to enter the body on a daily basis?

Well guys, it’s time to calculate our needs. Even if math awakens traumatic high school memories for you, determining your daily protein needs (using that scary thing called the equation) could simply make meal planning your new favorite hobby. Look for the calculation at the end of the text.

When we talk about the minimum daily dose of protein, it depends on many factors – your fitness goals, age, lifestyle, weight…

What is certainly valid universally is that the daily dose of protein is expressed in grams per kilogram of body weight g/kg, where the minimum daily serving of protein starts at 0.8 g per kilogram of weight. However, for most people, 0.8 g/kg of protein is too small – especially for people who move optimally and actively play sports of any type.

The rule is actually simple – the more you move and the more active you are, the more protein you need. It is immediately important to indicate that myths about the body’s inability to ‘digest’ and absorb proteins are really just legends, and that there are no credible studies that show that protein intake is harmful to human health. On the other hand, what has been repeatedly proven is that an adult can greatly reduce the growth of body fat percentage if they increase their protein intake to as much as 3.3 grams per kilogram of weight. So, a healthy adult man can consume up to 300 grams of protein in a day – without any fear and with the knowledge that he actually does the best for his health.

Remember that calculating your daily dose of protein is based on your actual body weight, not the ideal weight you want to achieve. So if you’re on a diet to reduce body fat or play sports and want to maximize fat reduction and not lose muscle mass, you need to take 2.3-3.1 g/kg of protein per day. Overweight or obese people should consume 1.2-1.5 g/kg of protein throughout the day to promote weight loss and be in a calorie deficit.

As for the time period of protein intake in the body, it is best to distribute the intake through multiple meals per day.

Recent studies have shown that it is best to consume about 40 grams of protein about 3-4 hours after or before training, in order to maximize muscle growth and regeneration (so-called peri-workout time). But what you have to take into account is that if you are a less active person, that is, you do not train the whole body, you can reduce your protein intake to 25 to 30 grams per meal – already this will be enough. For those who burden the body with frequent training, the dose is somewhat higher because they need a higher intake of amino acids.

Tips & Tricks for adequate protein intake throughout the day

Below, I’ve singled out small tips for you on how to get more protein through all the meals of the day.

Protein after waking up

By consuming protein as the first meal of the day, you certainly help reduce inflammation in the body because in the beginning you reduce the so-called. insulin spike. This way your metabolism during the day will less demand fast carbohydrates and nutritionally poor foods.

Medical research shows that the body is most sensitive to the effect of amino acids in protein 24 hours after training. Quality quickly absorbed whey protein is therefore a great choice to start a new day, as a breakfast for muscles.