Written by Edgar Ulloa
In the last couple of years, there’s been an overwhelming amount of fitness influencers doing the rounds on social media talking about various exercise and nutrition topics. Among the slew of information, one of the most mentioned macronutrients that gets brought up is protein. Few, if any, of these fitness influencers actually go in depth to explain protein, often leaving their viewers with more questions than answers. What is protein? How much of it do we really need? Why is it so important?
Protein, simply put, is nothing more than chains of amino acids. Each type of protein has a unique sequence of amino acids that dictates what specific function it will serve. For example, one type of protein might become an antibody in your immune system, while another might become a neurotransmitter in your brain. As you can imagine, proteins are extremely important for our body to function properly and stay healthy. We need dietary protein to survive and thrive. Our bodies are constantly breaking down and building up new proteins in a process called protein turnover. Unfortunately, while our bodies can store carbohydrates and fat, they can’t store protein in the same way. We’re always losing little bits of amino acids during protein turnover, so it’s critical to get enough protein from our diet to keep this process going.
That being said, how much protein do we really need? The answer is going to be different for everyone. The average person eating a standard Western diet is most likely not protein deficient. However, “not deficient” doesn’t mean optimal. It means they’re getting enough protein for basic protein turnover and to prevent malnutrition. So what amount of protein is, in fact, optimal? The simple answer is: it depends. An athlete who trains regularly, maybe even every day, is going to require more protein than an office worker who is sedentary most of the day. For sedentary, generally healthy adults, about 0.8 grams of protein per kg of body mass will be enough to cover the basic daily requirements. Meaning 55 grams of protein for a 150 pound person and 72 grams of protein for a 200 pound person. However, our protein needs can increase if we’re training hard frequently, have a heavy manual labor job, are injured or sick, are chronically stressed, or just because we’re getting older. We may also need more protein if we’re trying to lose weight, because protein helps us feel fuller for longer.
Remember that protein is involved in repair and rebuilding of tissues, hormones, and our immune system. While we can make certain types of amino acids ourselves in our bodies, known as non-essential amino acids and conditionally essential amino acids, there are certain types of amino acids our bodies can’t make that we need to obtain from food. These are called essential amino acids. Our bodies need a range of essential amino acids from the foods we eat, meaning we need to make sure our protein sources are diverse and, preferably, from whole, less-processed foods. Understandably, many people struggle to reach their optimal protein intake. Whether because of a busy schedule, travel, or other factors. While it is highly preferred to get your protein from whole, less-processed foods, protein supplements like protein powder can be an easier and more practical way to ensure you get the optimal amounts of protein your body needs in order to not just function, but thrive.