Why is protein good?

FerryfieldLad
FerryfieldLad Posts: 185 Member
edited September 24 in Health and Weight Loss
Why is protein good when your dieting and working out?

Also, can you have too much?

Cheers

Replies

  • PattiPositive
    PattiPositive Posts: 71
    Ive read you need protein for muscle and that too much is hard on your kidneys. Google it. I think you can go to Mayoclinic.com and find answers there.
  • lisabernard
    lisabernard Posts: 59 Member
    Carbs give you energy and make you feel full for short periods. Protein gives you energy that lasts and makes you feel full for much longer periods. It also helps build muscle. I try to get over 100 grams of protein a day. Good luck!
  • JoyfulJC
    JoyfulJC Posts: 18 Member
    Protein helps build and re-build muscle. Muscle in turn burns more calories than fat. So, the goal should be to reduce your fat and increase your muscle body composition. Fat and Protein calories are processed differently in your body than carbohydrate calories. Fat and Protein are processed more slowly which aids in curbing hunger and helping you feel fuller longer. This is why it is key for you to always pair a carbohydrate with a fat or protein.

    So, protein is good for you even if you are not dieting or working out. It's a necessary nutrient for your body. They recommend that you consume at least .5 grams of protein for each pound that you weigh. So if you weigh 150 lbs you should be eating at least 75 grams of protein a day.

    Remember, when watching your calories your carbohydrate and fat limits should be the MAXIMUM number you consume each day where the protein limit should be the MINIMUM number of grams you consume per day. You can't eat "too much" protein. But, it's still important to keep a close eye on your calories. Too much of anything is bad if it means that you're eating more calories than your body is expending.
  • FerryfieldLad
    FerryfieldLad Posts: 185 Member
    Thank you! Cleared it up for me!
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
    Protein is good (and essential) ALL the time - not just when you're dieting/working out. It is a component of every cell in your body. Proteins in our body are constantly being broken down and used, and the protein we consume is used to replace those. High protein diets are recommended when working to build muscle, because protein is the building block of muscles, and without adequate protein intake, muscle growth/building is nearly impossible.

    http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/protein.html
    http://build-muscle-gain-weight.com/protein-the-muscle-builder.html

    For someone with healthy organs, it takes a lot of protein for an extended period of time to have negative effects on the body. Most sources say you can consume up to 30/35% of your calories from protein on a regular basis without any negative effects. Some people go even higher. As long as you're eating a healthy, balanced diet and not getting an extreme % of your calories from protein for an extended period of time, you should be okay.
  • usmcpatience
    usmcpatience Posts: 168
    Proteins, (chains of amino acids) are what help build muscle in your body. Without protein, your metabolism would slow SIGNIFICANTLY because proteins help in the reproduction of cells. For those on a diet and exercise program, protein is particularly important because, when dieting and exercising with any intensity, you're forcing your body to break down muscle and fat tissues for energy. Protein provides those amino acid chains that help repair the tissue damage caused by exercise.

    High-protein diets are recommended for intense body building, but for general diet and exercise, just make sure you're getting the recommended amount in your diet.

    Hope this helps!
  • carl1738
    carl1738 Posts: 444 Member
    Protein is good for many reasons. When you are exercising and working out, protein is what your body uses to repair muscle tissue and build muscle. If you are doing strength training, it is usually recommended to get between 0.7 to 1 gram of protein per pound of your target weight. For example, if your target weight is 160 pounds, you should aim for between 112 to 160 grams of protein per day. Protein also takes longer for your body to digest than carbs, so it keeps you feeling full longer than simple carbs. It also has the advantage of using more energy for your body to digest, which keeps your body burning more calories even at rest. It takes about three times more energy for your body to digest protein as it does carbohydrates, and about twice the energy that fat takes to digest. Some people believe that too much protein can cause kidney damage, but Men's Health recently quoted a study that has determined this to be false.
  • becka95
    becka95 Posts: 14 Member
    I figured I would check with one of the specialists that I work with because I have always been told that you need to increase your protein if you are exerciseing for muscle mass. This is actually a myth.

    A high protein diet consisting of more of your caloric intake you need, causes a buildup of toxic ketones. This can force your kidneys to flush these ketones from your body. As your kidneys work overtime they are also flushing out water from your system. You risk the loss of muscle mass and bone calcium. The loss of water looks great on the scale but dehydration also strains your kidneys and puts stress on your heart.

    But..... Most people do not take in the right amount of protein and actually find that they are significantly less than they need on a daily basis. I know for myself that once I found out how much I actually need, I wasn't even taking in half of the daily amount on most days. You can change the options in your tools and it will tell you based on the your calorie intake and it will tell you what your goal should be for the day.

    Below is an article on livestrong.com. The second paragraph talks about the effect of too much protein in your diet.

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/17777-much-protein-needed-diet/
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