How Important Is Extra Protein REALLY?

tiddlebit11
tiddlebit11 Posts: 182
in Food and Nutrition
Ive just starting doing strength straining but want to know just how important it really is to increase your protein level, or if in fact the intake does not need to increase per se?

I know theres a lot of bro science around this sort of thing (eg people for/against protein shakes) but does anyone have any solid evidence to back the need for a certain amount of protein or increasing protein levels if intending to do strength training?
Can the workouts alone provide an increase in muscle mass?

A bit of background on me:
I am female
I am vegan - thus NO i cannot take whey protein supplements or anything like that
I currently have a protein intake of 23g per day
I am about 46/47kg (having weighed myself in a week or so)
I do IF daily (fast 20 hours, eating 4 hours - although this is for medical reasons, not weightloss per se, as i have a history of serious digestive issues from past illness and IF helps combat this)

Thanks in advance everybody

Well, maybe not thanks...i mean really you could not be helpful at all and thus not warrant a 'thanks'...maybe i shouldnt just assume everyone will be helpful and pre-thank them...annnnd now dont know why im talking to myself....screw it! Im going to say THANKS anyway! Take that other me!

Replies

  • vorgas
    vorgas Posts: 741 Member
    Protein is broken down into amino acids, which is used to repair, maintain, and improve muscle (among other things).

    So let's say you're a normal cardio junkie and you get by fine on X grams of protein. That means your muscle is being maintained adequately.

    Now you add weight training, in particular strength. This tears up your muscle. Well, now you need extra protein to repair those tears, right?

    And of course you want to get stronger. And your body wants to adapt to the new demands you're placing on it by making those muscles bigger. Guess what's needed for that? More protein.

    The general guideline is between 1 g per pound of muscle up to 1.5 g per pound of body weight total. So your top end would be about 150 grams of protein. But that's serious powerlifter range. It looks like you have fairly low body fat, so I'm going to guess that a low end for you would be about 80 grams. Note, the Mayo Clinic advises about 40 grams a day just for general health. If you're lifting, you're going to need a lot more than that.
    Can the workouts alone provide an increase in muscle mass?
    No. You don't get bigger or stronger in the gym. You get bigger and stronger after your workout. It's the rest, the recovery, and the healing that adds strength and mass. Lift weights until your arms fall off. If you don't give your body what it needs to repair and rebuild, it won't do a bit of good.
    I am vegan - thus NO i cannot take whey protein supplements or anything like that
    They do make soy protein powders and protein powders from various nuts. Plenty of protein sources beyond whey and egg. Also, keep in mind it's actually the amino acids in protein that your body needs. You can get amino acids in raw form, although these are typically fairly expensive.
    I know theres a lot of bro science around this sort of thing (eg people for/against protein shakes)
    While it's true that there is broscience around shakes, etc, nobody really argues about the need for protein during a strength regimen.
  • TigerBite
    TigerBite Posts: 611 Member
    I recommend hemp protein powder over soy ... Soy is just, just ... NO ... If you have ANY predisposition to thyroid or other hormone issue or fibroids, fibrocystic breast disease, etc. (family history) it has the potential to exacerbate these conditions ...
  • tiddlebit11
    tiddlebit11 Posts: 182
    Thanks, just to clarify for anyone else that responds, i didnt mean to sound nasty saying that i cannot take Whey protein, and i know (and own) pea protein and soy protein powders, i was merely mentioning it as in the past when i have made posts, people tend to ignore the fact that im vegan and continually tell me that whey protein is the best source, thus i was only trying to avoid this :P

    Also didnt mean to sound negative towards bro science things, and wasnt singling out protein shakes in particular, it was just the only thing i could think of :P

    But yeah, nothing in my post was meant to sound harsh, so sorry if id reads like that :)
  • tiddlebit11
    tiddlebit11 Posts: 182
    Also - does fat intake affect building muscle?

    If so, how?
  • tiddlebit11
    tiddlebit11 Posts: 182
    Bump
  • cmsoo
    cmsoo Posts: 1
    Fat intake affects muscle building only in the maintenance of the overall health of the body. Fat intake is necessary for hormone maintenance and joint lubrication. Hormone maintenance is absolutely essential for protein synthesis (aka building muscle) and joint health is essential to maintain your ability to consistently train. So you're going to need a certain amount of fat, but surplus fat consumption will not assist with muscle building, except in the case of serious powerlifters that see greater performance at higher body fat %'s because the girth and joint lubrication assist in performance (but I'm guessing that isn't something you need to worry about).

    Aside from protein needs, also realize that except in the very early stages of weight training, there needs to be a caloric surplus in order for protein synthesis to occur (so you'll have to be gaining weight). Weight training leads to muscle breakdown and muscle building is an adaptation that the body takes on in order to combat this breakdown stimulus - this adaptation requires calories and amino acid intake.

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