9 Important Facts About Protein

When looking to build muscle or increase your strength, the breaking down of muscle tissue through progressive overload, which is done through strength training exercises, then causes your body to repair and make the muscle bigger and stronger over time.

For this process to occur, your body needs protein to properly repair the damaged tissue caused by exercise.

Here are a few more facts about protein, its importance, and how it supports your body during and after exercise.

1. In the body, protein consumed through diet helps to build and repair muscle but also is used in cell transport as enzymes to support various physiological functions and act as hormones.
2. Protein can also be used as an energy source for muscle contractions when all other energy sources have become depleted. This process is called gluconeogenesis. This is an energy source of last resort and we want to avoid this process. We do not want to use protein as energy as we want protein to be used for the functions mentioned above. If you are going to be doing prolonged high intensity exercise beyond 1 hour, it would be a good idea to use a sports drink to keep glycogen in your system for energy and not deplete it.
3. Protein is made of amino acids. There are 20 different amino acids. Four are non-essential because your body can produce them. Nine are essential and cannot be produced by the body and must be consumed through diet. The rest are considered conditional as they can become essential under certain instances, such as when the body is stressed from illness, and must be consumed through diet.
4. 1 gram of protein gives 4 calories of energy.
5. Protein is very satiating, giving you a feeling of feeling fuller, for longer, which can help with weight loss and portion control. It is also more energy expensive to digest compared to carbohydrates and fats.
6. Protein should comprise 20-30% of your total daily caloric intake.
7. Foods high in protein are meats, fish, and eggs. Soy is the only plant-based protein source with all 9 essential amino acids.
8. Protein intake should be spread throughout the day, eaten at each meal and snack time. Include protein with every meal.
9. Almost half of the protein stored in your body is in muscle, about 15% is in structural tissue such as skin and bone, and the remaining is in other tissues and organs.

Strong, functional muscle is what keeps us moving well, keeps us able bodied and doing the things we love to do. It also keeps us free of injuries and keeps our metabolisms up. It gives us functional longevity and a better quality of life. So be sure to prioritize protein intake and strength training and reap all of the rewards!