Experts are always going on about how we need five or seven--or is it nine?--servings of vegetables and fruits per day, and rightly so. But when's the last time someone urged you to eat more meat?
OK, I know--protein comes in many forms, not just flesh. Dairy products, eggs, and soy are also particularly rich sources, and beans, peas, nuts, and seeds offer moderate amounts.
But whether you're a carnivore or a vegetarian, you really want to make sure your body's getting all the protein it needs.
First, let me sell you on some of protein's key benefits:
- It's a muscle builder. If you do any resistance training, you need building blocks to create that firm and curvy bod. Cardio-only athletes also require adequate protein to repair the damage inflicted by intense or lengthy workouts.
- It's a muscle protector. Sufficient dietary protein helps reduce the odds that your body will break down muscle tissue as fuel. That's a real danger if you're restricting calories or engaging in workouts longer than 90 minutes straight.
- It's the most satisfying nutrient. A healthy diet includes proper quantities of all three macronutrients: protein, carbohydrate, and fat. But protein has a higher satiety value (that is, the ability to make you feel full) than the other macros. High satiety = appetite control. That's why I make sure every meal and snack I eat contains protein.
- It "costs" calories to digest it. I've written about the "thermic effect of food"--which refers to the fact that your body burns calories digesting what you've eaten. Protein has a higher thermic effect than the other macronutrients, and the body burns about 25 to 30 percent of the protein calories you take in.
Figuring out how much protein to eat
So how much protein do you need? That depends on whom you ask. The Centers for Disease Control website indicates that the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for an adult woman is 46 grams--an amount I consider grossly inadequate for anyone who is not sedentary.
CDC goes on to say, "In general, it's recommended that 10 to 35 percent of your daily calories come from protein." Good heavens--that's a huge range. For a woman whose daily intake is 2,200 calories, that would be anywhere from 55 grams to 192.5 grams!
The bodybuilding world has long touted 1 gram per pound of bodyweight as a good rule of thumb. The National Strength and Conditioning Association, my certifying organization, recommends an intake of.68 to.9 grams of protein daily per pound of body weight for people involved in athletic activities.
In Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, NSCA also notes that "when caloric intake goes down, protein requirement goes up." So dieters need more per pound than non-dieters.
Given these competing recommendations, how's a girl to decide?
If you are dieting and physically active--and do not have kidney disease, liver disease, or a metabolic disorder that necessitates a low-protein diet--I'd consider taking in more protein than the RDA of 46 grams.
To illustrate why, I want to mention a fascinating study in which people consumed 1,000 extra calories per day for 10 to 12 weeks. Of course, they gained weight. But the low-protein group-whose diet was only 6 percent of calories-actually lost muscle mass while gaining fat.
You definitely don't want that: every pound of muscle lost equals a slower metabolism.
And if people can lose muscle while overeating, can you imagine how much they might lose when undergoing the physical stress of dieting? I'd love to see a study answer that question!
Considering the CDC's recommendation of 10 to 35 percent calories from protein, I tend to aim for the middle: around 20 percent (more for those who train intensely with weights).
Each gram of protein has four calories. So if your daily intake is 2,000 calories, 20 percent of 2,000 would be 400 protein calories--or 100 grams of protein.
Your mileage may vary!
Mary C. Weaver, CSCS, is a body-transformation coach for women over 40 and an NSCA Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist.
Her specialty is helping women lose weight, rev up their metabolism, and take years off their body.
Register today for her FREE teleseminar "The 7 Weight-Loss Secrets Women Over 40 Must Know"
It's set for 7 p.m. EDT Tuesday, July 10, and it will be recorded--so sign up even if you can't make the live call.
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