Many figures are bandied about, some of which are grossly exaggerated. And as far as proteins are concerned more is not always better. Proteins are not a miracle ingredient that can only be used by the body for building muscle. If you eat too much protein, be it through food or supplements, you will put on fat instead of extra muscles (remember that every gram of protein contains 4 calories, which is the same as sugar).
As a rule of thumb, if you do resistance training on day X, then your protein intake should be in the neighborhood of 0.8g to 1g per lb of body weight, no more. So if you weight 180lbs, then you should probably absorb no more than180g of protein on a workout day.
Studies show that most sedentary people in the US take in way more protein than they really need on a daily basis. This is mainly due to the fact that Americans eat a lot more meat every day than
is necessary or healthy. Keep in mind these basic figures when calculating your ideal daily protein intake:
- A half-pound steak contains about 60g of protein
- one large egg is about 6g of protein
- 1 cup of milk is 8g of protein
- A half pound of fish has about 50g of protein
- a slice of bacon has 3g of protein
If you have a typically American diet (which I do not advocate) you will probably realize from the above figures that what you are currently eating more than covers your protein needs, even if you work out everyday.
Which brings me to the oft-asked question: should I take protein supplements?
You may conclude from what precedes that if your daily protein calculation comes out at 0.8 to 1g per lbs per day, then you should not and if this figure is lower then you should.
The answer is not as clear-cut though.
THESE ARE MOSTLY FAT, UNHEALTHY PROTEINS
Again, if you have a typically American diet, with a lot of meat, cheese, milk, then I would recommend that you cut the protein in your regular food by about 50% and replace it with a protein supplement.
The main reason for this being that most of the protein you eat in your diet carries a hefty health cost in the form of too much fat and calories. Cheese, whole milk, beef or pork should be eaten with moderation, as they are probably the main contributors to the very high prevalence of heart disease and obesity in this country.
The French who are not exactly famous for their abstemious eating habits still have about 75% fewer heart attacks per 1,000 adults than Americans, and contrary to the trite misconception, this has very little to do with wine and everything to do with smaller portions, especially of meat and dairy products.
WELL CHOSEN PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTS MAY BE HEALTHIER THAN BEEF OR PORK
In other words, absorbing part of your protein requirements in the form of high quality protein powder will help you lower your fat intake (provided you do NOT take this supplement in addition to your regular high protein/high fat diet).
Don't let yourself be fooled by vendors of protein supplements with bombastic names and astronomical price tags. All you need is a protein powder containing all 22 amino-acids, essential (which cannot be produced by your body) and non-essential. Any additional ingredient is a marketing gimmick to charge more for little or no additional benefit.
To make it easy, buy whey protein, since whey effectively contains all amino-acids. The other thing you should check is how many grams of fat your protein powder has per lbs. The less the better. The same goes with cholesterol.
AND YOU DON'T NEED TO PAY TOP DOLLARS TO GET THE BEST PROTEIN SOURCE AVAILABLE
You can buy protein supplements for as little as $10/lb at most drugstores or grocery stores. Interestingly enough, if you bother to do the math, you will realize that protein in supplements is actually less expensive than meat protein, without much of the harmful fat found in meat.
If you want to do it on the cheap or do not trust manufacturers of protein supplements, then NOTHING BEATS EGG WHITES. "Eggbeaters" (or an equivalent brand) are by far the best, cheapest source of high-quality protein in this country. If you don't need the additional convenience of ready-made egg whites, you can simply buy eggs and, if needed, separate the white from the yolk to make it dirt cheap.
I personally eat white meat (turkey or chicken only because I support a more humane treatment of cows and pigs), fish or egg whites only once a day and take 2 scoops (about 40g) of protein powder after each work out . I never take a protein supplement on the days I don't do resistance training. I thus estimate my daily intake (on workout days) at about 120-130g/day which is significantly less than 1g/lb of body weight (I weigh about 165lbs).
THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF PROTEIN IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT FOR SENIOR ATHLETES
A special note for readers over 70: studies have shown that a majority of seniors, in part due to a loss of appetite, do not consume enough protein on a daily basis. The situation may even get worse for a senior who is starting a resistance training program, something which, by the way, is highly advisable at any age (see my post on sarcopenia). Consequently, my advice to senior readers would be to make sure that they get their 0.8g of protein per lb of body weight per day. If you fall short, not only will it be impossible for you to make any progress but you will also expose yourself to a higher risk of injury than other athletes.
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