Protein for dummies

Protein

Let’s face it one of the many questions we have as triathletes and endurance athletes is how much protein do we need daily and am I getting enough of it? To answer this we need a little bit of insider knowledge of what protein is? And what it does inside the human body?

What are Proteins?

Proteins are compounds composed of many Amino Acids linked together like a Chain by forming a peptide bond. This Chain of Amino Acids is then wrapped around itself to form many different types of structures. These relatively larger structures are then pieced together like building blocks to form tissues in the body such as Muscles, Skin, Bone, and many more critical body parts.

Proteins role in the body:

Protein is the second most abundant molecule in the human body and is absolutely essential for survival.  As tissues in the body break down or get injured you need dietary protein to repair or regrow these tissues this is especially important to endurance athletes.  Not only does the human body use protein to grow and repair it will also use proteins as a source of energy through a process known as gluconeogenesis although this is not a preferred source of energy.

How much protein do I need?

There is much debate on protein requirements I personally feel that we already consume too much protein in our diets so this is what I recommend depending on your activity level.

·         Recreational Endurance                  .36g/lbs

·         Resistance Training                         .36g/lbs

·         Moderate Endurance                      .54g/lbs

·         Elite Female Endurance                  .53-.63g/lbs

·         Elite Male Endurance                     .72g/lbs

·         Muscle Maintenance                      .36g/lbs-.54g/lbs             

·         g/lbs= Grams per Pound

For Example:

If I am a 180lb man that is a moderate endurance athlete I need about 97g (180lbs X .54g/lbs) of protein per day. What I recommend for this is to break those 97 grams up into 4-5 meals, so for each meal 20-25g would be adequate on a daily basis. Remember that a piece of chicken the size of a deck of cards is 20-25g of protein.

Sources

There are many sources of protein and meat is not the only source you can also find it in Beans, Nuts, Whole Grains and many more.  I encourage you to go out there any try many different types of protein my personal favorite is from Pepitas also known as pumpkin seeds. This is not all there is to Protein I would need much more of your time to tell you that story but if you are interested in finding out more check this out. Click Here.  

Hydration- Water for life

There is no greater impact you can make on physical performance than there is with hydration.  Poor hydration can lead to disaster on the race course or in training as I’m sure many of you have found out the hard way.  Let’s face it there are four basic nutrients that your body needs, carbohydrates, protein, fats and water. You can survive for many days without carbohydrates, proteins and fats but you will not last more than a day or two without water it is 100% necessary for life as we know it. 

Let’s take a look at what proper hydration does for your body from an athletic point of view. One of the most important roles hydration plays is in body temperature regulation. Water acts to cool the body down by absorbing heat and acting like an evaporative cooler via sweat on the skin.  Another important role hydration plays is in maintaining proper blood volume. Since water makes up a large portion of blood if you are dehydrated your blood will become thicker like syrup making it harder for your heart to pump blood to the rest of your body. You become less efficient. Studies show that a 2% loss in body weight during prolonged endurance activities is enough to impact performance capacity. So if you weigh 150lbs that is only 3lbs lost!

Stay hydrated:

1.       Drink early Drink often

2.       Pay attention to the color of urine

a.       Darker the color the more dehydrated

3.       Activities lasting more then 90 min use a sports drink that contains electrolytes

4.       Pay attention to weight loss in training

a.       If you loose more than 2% body weight drink more water

5.       Carry a reusable bottle of water with you

6.       Practice hydration in training this will transfer to race day

Benefits of proper hydration:

1.       Improved athletic performance

2.       Cooler body temperature

3.       Faster recovery from training

4.       Improved circulation

Hydration plays in important role in athletics as well as in everyday life. Pay attention to how often you are drinking water and you may be surprised. So go ahead and have a glass.. (of water)