Since protein is one of the most important building blocks in the body that’s crucial for bone health and muscle growth, it’s no wonder that the fitness community is obsessed with anything that has to do with it – from the issue of the best quality sources of protein to the optimal frequency of consumption and it’s interaction with other nutrients.
After all, dietary choices play a major role in building a healthier, fitter and stronger body. The only problem is that not all of the statements and tips about protein intake that we read online are backed up by science, so many of them end up being contradictory, confusing or downright harmful. Therefore, we created this article in the hope of providing you with science-based answers to the three most important questions about this valuable nutrient and it’s role in our lives.
1. How much protein is needed to stimulate optimal muscle growth and when is the best time to consume it?
The recommended dietary allowance for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram (0.36 per pound) of bodyweight – this is the amount of protein you need to consume on a daily basis for a healthy functioning of the body. But if you’re looking to maximize muscle gains, you should increase your daily intake of protein to 0.9-0.10 grams per kilogram of bodyweight (lean body mass, preferably).
The situation changes when an individual is in a caloric deficit during a rigorous diet. In this case, preventing muscle loss is very important, which means you’d benefit the most from increasing your daily protein a bit more. Several clinical studies done on athletes have shown that consuming 1-1.4 grams per kilogram of lean body mass on a daily basis offers maximal muscle retention while dieting.
However, this doesn’t mean that increasing the amount of protein you consume even further will lead to even more gains – this assumption has never been scientifically proven. In addition, consuming too much protein can interfere with your consumption of carbohydrates and fat (and these two are also crucial for your gym progress) and eventually result with a caloric surplus that will end up being stored as body fat. More is not necessarily better.
On the bright side, there isn’t a maximum amount of protein that can be consumed per meal since protein digestion and absorption is highly efficient. Studies have shown that meals containing around 20 grams of protein can maximize protein synthesis in the skeletal muscles of young men and that meals containing up to 70 grams of protein can further reduce the rate at which muscles are broken down. Research also shows that there is no significant difference between the effects of an uneven protein distribution over the course of the day (meaning the majority of protein is consumed in one meal) and the effects of a more balanced one – both of them have similar effects on skeletal muscle protein turnover and lean mass retention. Even more, a recent meta-analysis of studies looking at protein intake immediately after exercising came with the conclusion that there is no significant connection between post-exercise protein consumption and muscle growth when the individual meets the daily requirements of protein intake.
In other words, it doesn’t matter if all of your meals include an equal amount of protein or not or even how many times a day you consume protein and when, as long as you make sure to consume the recommended total daily intake over the course of the day.
2. What are the best sources of protein?
It seems that the debate about which foods provide the best quality protein without an unwanted amount of fat will never end. However, the king of high-protein foods seems to be the egg after all – not only does it pack all essential amino acids, but it provides many other crucial nutrients such as choline and a variety of vitamins and minerals and supplies the body with a significant amount of “good” cholesterol. Other important sources of high quality protein are diary products, chicken, turkey and fish and seafood, the last of which are preferred because they’re typically low in fat and rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Snacking on nuts is also considered as one of the optimal ways to increase your protein consumption, but this is not really true since nuts are a rather incomplete source of protein, containing only 6 grams per ounce and lacking some of the essential amino acids. On top of that, their high caloric density makes them a bad choice for people with restricted calorie intake. However, nuts offer plenty of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, so they certainly deserve an appropriate place in a well-balanced diet.
In addition, animal protein sources are complete sources of protein because the protein found in meat, fish, eggs and dairy is similar to the protein found in the body and includes all the essential amino acids that the body needs. At the same time, plant protein sources, such as beans, lentils and nuts are considered to be incomplete sources of protein because they lack one or more of these essential amino acids. This makes animal foods a higher quality protein source than plant foods.
However, if you’re not able to meet your daily protein intake requirements from whole foods, you can include protein supplements in your diet to enhance your progress. According to many studies, protein supplements are a valid alternative to animal sources of protein.
3. What are the health risks of a high-protein diet?
Many nutritionists have raised concern about the potential dangers of the high-protein diet, especially in terms of kidney and liver function. While it’s true that eating too much protein can worsen kidney function in people with preexisting kidney problems, studies have shown that regular consumption of 1 gram of protein per kilogram of bodyweight on a daily basis does not affect kidney or liver health in healthy young adults. When it comes to cholesterol levels, a long-term high-protein can actually help decrease the levels of “bad cholesterol” and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Another popular health issue surrounding the high-protein diet seems to be its effect on bone health. It has been proven that higher protein intake results in greater calcium excretion, but a number of new studies show that this excreted calcium comes from the diet, not the bones. This happens because excess protein consumption boosts calcium absorption, resulting with an increased level of calcium in the blood. The excess calcium then gets dumped into the urine by the kidneys. Many different studies have supported these findings and also provided evidence that high-protein diets are in fact beneficial for bone health in healthy people.
Regardless of your personal goals, scientific research has shown us multiple times that the high-protein diet is safe and beneficial for the majority of people. However, make sure to consult with your physician for any possible health problems that should be taken into consideration in terms of important dietary changes.
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