The Truth About Protein

Protein seems to be very fashionable right now. Everywhere you look companies are advertising protein rich products but why? I mean, how much do you really know about protein?

When it comes to exercise most people associate it with protein shakes and bulking up but it is SO much more. My clients must get fed up of me banging on about getting enough protein 😂 , sorry guys!!

Hopefully I will demystify protein and help you to see why it is arguably the most important macronutrient (macronutrients are carbs, protein and fats).

First off, in order to bulk you need to consume loads but you also need tons of carbs and to train in a very specific way. This is only recommended for advanced strength trainers and for those who are fully committed to gaining muscle size. It's very much a lifestyle.

Why is protein so amazing?

In short it's the building blocks of everything in your body. From the things which are obvious such as your muscles to those which are less so, such as hormones.

Studies have shown there are many benefits to having a protein rich diet with no adverse effects from having too much, your body will simply keep what it needs and remove the rest! Although to be clear: calories are still calories, so if you increase your protein intake you may need to adjust elsewhere 🙂.

Fun Fact: did you know that having a protein rich diet can help you recover from illnesses quicker?

For those of you who are trying to lose weight, it's actually suggested that in order to lose fat and not have it negatively effect how much muscle you have (something you do not want), eating a high protein diet is very effective. It can be as simple as switching your snacks to something high in protein; however please be mindful of the amount of fat and sugar in there too. For example, some yoghurts shout about how they're high in protein, however they omit that they're also loaded with sugar. Low fat, greek yoghurt is a great option, or even a grilled chicken breast.

Keep in mind that body composition matters most and muscle weighs more than fat so, depending on the amount of fat you are trying to lose, you may not see a huge difference on the scale. Many body builders rate as obese on the BMI scale because they're heavy and it doesn't account for the fact that they have low body fat.

The BMI scale is heavily flawed as an indicator of health.

For those of you who go to the gym and refuel with a protein shake, studies have shown that unless you're an athlete and/ or taking part in an endurance challenge, having a protein shake during or right after doesn't really do anything. The main thing to focus on, is overall protein intake over a 24h period to get those gains.

Not all Protein Is Created Equal...

As with most things nutrition, protein is nuanced. Some are higher quality than others, there are those which are obvious: fish for example is a fantastic protein source, however a sausage is less great, high in fat and super processed.

And those which are less obvious as you also have complete and incomplete proteins. Put simply: a complete protein is one which has everything your body needs in it, an incomplete protein doesn't and needs to be paired with another incomplete protein to create a whole one.

You can find complete proteins in animal based products: meat, fish and dairy for example. Incomplete proteins tend to be plant based. However, if you're a veggie or vegan you can still get enough protein it just means you need to eat more, therefore you need to be extra conscious of calories. A couple of good example of 2 incomplete proteins creating a whole would be: rice and beans or wholewheat bread & peanut butter.

I could go on and on about how great protein is but I like to keep it succinct and not overload you with too much information. The main things I want you to take away from this are:

• There's no such thing as too much protein, only too many calories

• Ensure you're eating high quality, complete protein sources wherever possible

• Be careful to not be drawn into marketing where a product is high protein but also high in fat and sugar - always check the label!

Please let me know if you have any questions or as always, would like some free advice 🙂. I'm always here!

C xx

Want to know how I can help you? Drop me an email: claire@clairepaynefitness.com 

More information can be found on the rest of my website: clairepaynefitness.com