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If You’re Not a Bodybuilder Why All the Protein
When it comes to getting big, there is no doubt that protein is essential. But what about getting lean or just plain fit, what’s the role of protein for everyone else? Adding protein to each meal can increase your body’s daily caloric expenditure. Basically protein will help you burn more calories throughout the day without doing anything at all. For example, based on your lifestyle (sedentary or active) your body will burn a certain number of calories just from sitting at a desk or getting up to get coffee. However small this expenditure is from these daily tasks, protein can actually increase how much energy your body uses while you sit and work. How’s that for smart? The question is are you putting the right proteins in? Believe it or not all protein is not created equal. You’re body has a strict caste system when it comes to protein, discrimination is common law when it comes to speed of absorption and maintenance of lean muscle. Your body is concerned with the composition of the proteins, specifically amino acids. Some proteins have more, and some have less, but the best have them all. These nutritional gems are called “complete proteins” and I’ve got bad news for our vegans out there, they only come from animal proteins! That’s right, poultry, meat, and dairy are your only natural whole food sources for complete proteins! Combining a mixture of non animal protein can give you all the essential amino acids, however this combination would lead to a very large intake of carbohydrates. For instance if you combined beans, potatoes, tofu, and lentils you might get all your essential amino acids but at the cost of a ton of carbohydrates. This same benefit can be achieved with one serving of chicken or fish, and you’ll be eating a lot less calories.
Protein Burns Fat!
It’s widely accepted that protein aids in the restoration of muscle tissue and therefore muscular growth. But did you know that protein actually burns calories better than any other macronutrient (fats, carbohydrates)? This information comes from studying the “thermic effect of food.” The word thermogenic refers to the production of heat. This process applies to the heat generated in our bodies to burn calories and use energy. Certain foods have a higher thermic effect than others. However, proteins have the highest thermic effect of food.
The thermic effect of food (TEF) has a direct link to the body’s resting caloric use, technically this is called the basal metabolic rate. Guys, we’re talking about calories burned at rest, this is so important for those of us who can’t get out of work everyday and go to the gym so listen up! When combining fats, carbohydrates and proteins evenly in a meal, the basal metabolic rate is elevated to 15%. That’s 15% percent higher than at rest without food. This ratio will increase with a higher amount of protein, and decrease with higher amounts of fats or carbohydrates. Consuming a meal with just carbohydrates can lower the burning effect to 5%. On the other hand, consuming a meal with just protein can elevate this rate as high as 25%. No, I’m not making this up because I love protein (even though I do) these numbers come from extensive research done by scientists and published by fitness professionals.
Getting Your Amino Acids
There are 20 amino acids readily available for our use from food and some are even produced in the body. Amino acids are carried to the body on the back of proteins. Essential amino acids are those we can not produce without the intake of food. Amino acids are the building blocks for muscle restoration, they are also responsible for the thermic effect of protein. Having a variety of these muscle building fat burners will help you in your quest for fitness.
However, it is important that the essential amino acids (isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, pynylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine) are given special attention since they are no produced in the body. These essential amino acids must be taken in through nutrition, eating animal proteins are the only non supplemental forms of ingestion. Although legumes, soy, and other vegetarian protein options are a good source for some of these essential amino acids, they are incomplete. Vegans or vegetarians who are trying to put on some muscle and burn fat should consider a form of supplementation to maximize muscle restoration and burn fat. Essential amino acids can be consumed in a powder or pill form and are available at most any vitamin shop or supplement store.
A big seller on the market now is branch-chain amino acids, also known and listed as BCAA. These products are a combination of the three amino acids “valine, isoluecine, and luecine, which studies have shown are the most stimulating for muscle repair and therefore growth. Don’t confuse this with the full list of essentials that when combined all together are best for thermal activity and weight loss.
However, these three combined can assist with your workout recovery, so bodybuilders and muscle hungry trainees use them more frequently in supplement form. BCAA are sold in a powder or pill form. If you’re not comfortable with these options but don’t mind protein powders there are some good soy protein powders on the market that have all the essential amino acids which can assist in fat burning and muscle gain.
Be sure to read the nutritional content of any protein powder and pay special attention to the carbohydrate count because some protein supplements can contain too many carbohydrates. If you’re goal is weight loss, then you are looking for a supplement that has no more than 5 carbohydrates per serving or per scoop of protein.
Picking Protein
Faster absorption is better during the day while slower absorbing protein is best at night. You should have a combination of whole foods and protein supplement so that you can consume small meals throughout the day without being inconvenienced. Protein supplements, namely whey protein isolate is the fastest absorbing protein supplement on the market and the best choice during the day and directly after a resistance workout. Resistance refers to training with weights.
Whey is a by-product of milk or cheese and is completely natural and mixes instantly with any liquid, so its also very convenient.
Casein protein is much slower absorbing and best for night time consumption before bed because it will release slowly, feeding your muscles during sleep. Whole foods are also absorbed slowly, so they are also a good choice before bed time, of course this requires the discipline to not add a side of pasta or rice right before going to sleep.
The exception to this rule is eggs. Eggs, especially egg whites absorb very fast into the body, the fat from the yolks will slow down the absorption, however there are healthy benefits to yolks as well. I usually prefer a combination of about 1 whole egg to every 3 egg whites. Be advised that a portion of animal protein is not what you’re getting from most restaurants, an 8 ounce steak has about 56 grams of protein, which would be far to high to absorb without storing to fat.
About 4-5 oz of poultry or meat is plenty, if you don’t know what 4 or 5 oz looks like then educate yourself by taking a 1-pound package of chicken, and cutting each piece evenly into about 4 pieces. This will give you about 4oz of chicken since there are 16 ounces in a pound. It’s not going to be easy at first, but once you get in the habit of making these diet changes you’ll reap the benefits of lean muscle and fat loss. You have to ask yourself if your health is worth the time it takes to apply these practices. What could be more with your time than your own health?
written by Mitch Baseman
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