You are going to the gym and are hitting the weights hard. You are going all-in almost every day, but you still can’t find the results you strive for. Or maybe you just want to get stronger, but some exercises still manage to get the best out of you. If any of these situations resonate one way or another in your head, it is time to increase your protein intake.
What Are Proteins?
You can consider proteins as the building blocks of your body. Everything that is somehow related to cellular structure and regulation of functions inside the body involves proteins in diverse forms.
The basic unit of proteins is amino acids. Proteins are composed of many amino acids bonded together to form longer chains. Combinations are numerous, and genes are the ones that mostly determine this.
What Are Its Uses?
A remarkable aspect of proteins is that the purposes that they serve in the body are extensive. Here are some of them:
- Maintenance and growth of tissues
- Acting as corporal messengers
- Helping with biochemical reactions
- pH and fluid regulation
- Providing structure to the cells in the body
- Keeping your body free from infections
- Storage and transportation of nutrients
- Energy (to a lesser extent than carbohydrates and fats, though)
As you can notice, the purposes of proteins within the body are too many. Thus, it is very important not only to consume proteins to build muscle but also to keep your body functioning adequately.
What Are the Advantages of Consuming Protein?
Eating proteins entails a massive amount of benefits for your body. They are mostly encompassed by:
- Proper maintenance of bone structure
- Strength and muscle mass increase
- Reduction of hunger and appetite
- Minimization of food cravings
- Enhancement of metabolism
- Acceleration of fat burning
- Blood pressure control
- Helps with weight loss
- Keeps kidneys safe!
These are one of the few reasons why intaking protein is so fundamental for people of all walks of life and conditions. It doesn’t matter if you are on a diet, if you barely hit the gym, or if you are preparing for your tenth bodybuilding contest… We all need it!
How Much Protein Is Required?
Depending on your needs, your protein consumption varies. For instance, if you are a pregnant woman, or if you are a middle-aged person your daily intake should be higher than average.
In general terms, an average diet consists of 2000 daily calories. From the total amount of calories, an estimated 10% to 35% of calories should come from proteins. This means that around 200 calories should come from proteins as a minimum (considering 10% of the daily intake). Given that each gram of protein contributes 4 calories, the average adult would roughly require 50 grams of protein per day as a minimum.
Obviously, if you plan on getting big, your protein intake should be higher. The average person has to eat 0.8 grams a day. If you want results, your protein intake should be 1.5 grams per kilo of body weight (or 0.68 grams per pound). So, for a 2000-calorie diet, your estimated number of calories from protein would be ~300 calories, or from 75g to 100g of daily protein consumption.
Is Protein All You Need to Get Big and Strong?
You need protein to get big, but you also need to complement your proteins with a healthy dose of several other macronutrients to make your body work under top-notch conditions. To ensure that you get the best nutrition available, go to https://thevipfitness.com/ for high-quality nutrition and training advice.