DO I NEED MORE PROTEIN?

You need as much protein when you train.

"It is difficult to get enough protein from food if you exercise." This is a common misconception. Sure, you need protein, but in most cases, regular food is enough - and preferably vegetarian or a mixed diet with a lot of plant-based food. Join us as we dismiss the most common claims about protein and exercise!

If you look at the protein intake of the elite active people I have met in various sports, pretty much everyone gets enough protein (without supplements) even before it gets help to optimize their diet from me. So regular food is usually enough and you do not need to take protein supplements to perform or build muscle as many believe. What I see, however, is that some athletes eat too large amounts of protein (over 3 grams per kilogram of body weight per day).

How much protein is needed when you exercise has not been without discussions. The recommendation is 0.8–2.0 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. Many researchers believe that timing and choosing good protein sources are more important than the exact amount of protein. You can not store protein in the same way that you can store fat and carbohydrates, therefore you should eat something high in protein at every meal. The recommendation for optimal muscle building is to spread out the protein intake during the day, eat something high in protein every three to four hours. Each meal should contain 20-25 grams per meal of which 8-10 grams should be essential amino acids. (Look at the next spread how much you should eat to get in 25 grams of protein.) These amounts are not difficult to absorb, a normal diet with breakfast, lunch, dinner and any snack, where the meals contain a source of protein, usually be sufficient. Most people get more than 20-25 grams of protein at lunch and dinner and often too little at breakfast and snacks. You thus do not need to add protein during exercise.

However, there is one exception: if you are doing ultra distances. Then a smaller amount of protein can help rebuild the muscles and tissues that are broken down during the activity. Recovery goals have been a hot topic for a while and many have heard of "the window of opportunity" when it comes to eating after training / competition. You need recovery goals if you train several sessions a day and have difficulty getting enough energy or if you have more than 2 hours until the next meal. If you go straight home for dinner after the workout, this serves as a recovery goal. If you exercise every other day, you can easily adapt your meals according to your training times. A recovery goal should include carbohydrates: about 1 gram per kilogram of body weight and protein: 15-25 grams (or 0.3 grams per kilogram of body weight). The recovery goal should fit into your total energy and protein needs.

Statement: "You can never eat too much protein."

This is another common misconception. The risk with too high a protein intake is that you become so full (protein is satiating) that you do not get enough carbohydrates, which are very important for recovery, immune system, and when you train over "jogging speed", then carbohydrates is the body's main source of energy. With a high protein intake, the risk that you get a smaller proportion of fat also increases.

You may also be more prone to dehydration, which may be due to an increased secretion of nitrogen, which increases the amount of urine. Too much protein can also lead to a positive energy balance. Then the extra protein is converted into an energy reserve in the form of fat and you put on weight. So you do not urinate on large amounts of protein as some people think.

Statement: "A lot of protein is good for health and the environment."

A large protein intake is far from what many believe is best for health or the environment. The National Food Administration's recommendation is to limit the intake of red meat, charcuterie and game to a maximum of 500 grams a week as a high intake has been linked to an increased risk of colon and rectal cancer. Animal products also have a high climate impact. According to a report published by the medical journal The Lancet and the EAT Foundation, you should not eat more than about 100 grams of red meat a week to save the climate.

Important protein sources from the plant kingdom are cereals and legumes, if you combine these you will get all the essential amino acids, which means that it will be a good choice.

Statement: "It is difficult for vegetarians and vegans to get enough protein if they exercise."

Protein deficiency is not so common in healthy athletes but can occur with eating disorders or if you switch to a vegetarian / vegan diet without having knowledge of where to find protein alternatives. You can definitely get enough protein from vegetarian / vegan protein sources, but you must be knowledgeable in how to put together your meals so that you get the essential amino acids. You need to combine your meals right or get all the essential amino acids in you during the day. For example, beans + rice together become a complete protein. Also pay attention to the amount of protein - if a stew contains a few beans or lentils, it is not enough.

Protein - that's how it works

Protein, together with carbohydrates and fat, are the three macronutrients that the body needs relatively much to perform optimally. The body also needs vitamins and minerals - called micronutrients because the body needs less of these. Protein is made up of about 20 amino acids, of which 9 of these are essential, which means that they must be supplied with food, the rest can be produced by the body itself from the essential amino acids. Essential amino acids are also called EAA (short for essential essential acids).

We can use protein as energy if we do not have carbohydrates and fats available, but that is not the only task of the protein. Protein has many functions in the body, such as building and repairing tissues (such as muscles) and forming hormones and enzymes. Protein also plays an important role in the immune system. A good protein source contains all the essential amino acids, these are called complete proteins. You can also combine different foods that together have all the amino acids that the body needs. Foods from the animal kingdom are complete and that is why these foods are the "easy" protein choice.

Source: Sport Nutrition 3ed. Asker Jeukendrup, Michael Gleeson. 2018. Human Kinetics.

The Kickstart Team