How Much Protein Do I Need?

How Much Protein do I Need?

How much Protein do I need and should I take a protein supplement are common questions we get asked at the shop. With longer days and brighter evenings it's the perfect time to focus on your fitness goals.  The bright evenings are getting many of you are getting back in action and you want to make sure that you are fueling your body optimally. Whether it’s weight resistance training, a light jog or joining your local dance class; your body will thank you for getting your heart pumping and limbs moving.

Here are some tips from Aoife Rose, my colleague in our Wexford store. She is a Personal Trainer and one of our product advisors in store. I often turn to her for her expert advice. 

Aoife Rose says that it is important to support your body as best you can; what goes out (energy) must come back in! Replenish your body and improve your health and fitness by supporting it nutritionally throughout your fitness journey. 

Her top tip is to be sure to stay hydrated: the average female adult needs a minimum of 2 litres daily, the average man needs a baseline of 2.5 litres. Dehydration is the culprit for so many issues that many people struggle with, fatigue, brain fog, muscle pain after training (DOMS- delayed onset muscle pain) and digestive issues. Hydration really is essential and it doesn't have to cost us a penny.

How much protein do I really need?

The most common question she gets asked is how much protein is needed per meal. Protein is an essential macronutrient that we need to survive and thrive. For maintenance, you need roughly 1.1 g of protein per kg of body weight, this means that if you weigh 60kg your baseline needs would be 66gm per day. However, it you want to build muscle and strength, your needs rise to 100-120g of protein per day. The most important thing to remember is to include protein with every meal: a complete meal will have a balance of healthy fats, carbohydrates and proteins.

Protein is found in varying quantities in fish, meat, eggs, dairy products, lentils, pulse, nuts, seeds, and grains. A healthy balanced diet should provide you with enough protein. However, if you are looking to supplement your protein, Aoife Rose’s advice is to stick with a clean, natural protein such as pea protein. A bioavailable powder like the pea or hemp could be more easily absorbed by the gut and minimise risk of digestive issues for those of you who may have sensitivities or already have digestive problems. If you have digestive issue this will almost guarantee you will get the full 20g it states, as oppose to other proteins that may only leave you absorbing 7-8g of the 20g you’d expect. 

Take a look at what you are eating and do a food diary for one week. This will give you an idea of how well you are doing. Rather than rushing out to buy protein powders see if you can make some dietary changes. For example, for breakfast you could natural yoghurt, nuts with chia seeds, and some fruit. Or take a look at a protein rich breakfast cereal like Surreal High Protein Peanut Butter Cereal with 14gm of protein per serving, or Tribe Protein Muesli with 10gm of protein per serving.  And eggs are always a great option. 

For your lunch you could have beans on toast, tuna on toast, or some left over chicken dinner. It doesn't really matter so long as you get that portion of protein.  Dinner is usually the easiest, especially for the meat eaters because the meal usually consists of fish, meat, chicken, turkey, or eggs. If you are vegan there is plenty to choose from including lentils, pulses, edame beans, tofu, nuts, nut butters, and grains like quinoa, these all provide protein. Regards protein bars Aoife Rose advices that you take a look at the sugar content before rushing in as many bars can be top heavy with sugars.

I hope that Aoife Rose's tips will help if not give us a call at the store and we can help  you figure it out.

One more top tip- whatever you choose to do… enjoy it.

Now, let’s get those limbs moving!