Protein is an essential nutrient that feeds our tissues – however, it is often considered infamous. While it holds a key place within our everyday diet, many people are still unsure about the foods protein can be found in, about the amount of protein they should be consuming on a day to day basis, and fall prey to some of the myths that sail along the world wide web. Some have an irrational fear regarding protein and believe their muscles will take on a rapid growth, as their first association with protein are protein powders for bodybuilders. Below are several of these myths about our friend protein debunked, which will hopefully help you embrace protein for what it is: a building block of your very body.
Myth Number 1: Too Much Protein is Not Good for You
Even though nutritionists say that a healthy intake of protein will do a lot of good for you, especially if you are trying to lose weight, some people still disagree. The popular opinion is that a high-protein diet might actually do you more harm than good and have a negative effect on your kidneys and ultimately cause osteoporosis, i.e. weakening of the bones.
However, after being subjected to a number of studies, proteins have been shown not to have a long-term effect on your bones – on the contrary, a “significant positive relationship between protein intake and bone mass or density” has been shown. Moreover, fears about kidney-related issues were also put to rest as eating protein does in fact lower the risks of kidney diseases caused by high blood pressure and diabetes.
Myth Number 2: You Need Proteins to Get Buffed
Proteins are a must in every bodybuilder’s eating regime and are not to be avoided if you want to get larger muscles, which is why they eat plenty of meat, vegetables, eggs, milk, etc. But how much is enough? Should you eat more of these foods in order to get extra muscular? In short: no, this is absolutely unnecessary. On a daily basis, we can build only about 10g of muscles, which contain only about 25% of proteins, which in turn means that a daily dosage of “additional” protein would be two or three grams, which is close to nothing! However, novice gym-goers still try to overdose on proteins, hoping to achieve unprecedented muscle growth in a short amount of time.
This issue, of course, seems to make no sense. People advocating an extra consumption of proteins for bodybuilders either do not know what they are talking about or secretly own a farm of animals whose meat they wish to sell to gullible novice gym enthusiasts. Instead of eating too much protein, you should try adding gym supplements to your routine and the results will be more visible – and you will be much healthier.
Fact Number 1: Proteins Do Build Muscles
While you should not eat too much protein, you must eat some if you want to build muscles. Fast digesting proteins – like whey, soy, beef protein, for example – will in fact be a huge asset to an aspiring bodybuilder. They can build muscle and, if your meals are timed properly, the results can be seen in just a few weeks. This is of course true at the very beginning of your exercising efforts. As your muscles get used to the strain, they will slow down in their growth, which is when the time has come to switch your exercises. Depending on when you eat and which proteins you take before and after the gym, slow digesting proteins – casein, soy isolate, etc. – will also have a role in forming your muscles.
Fact Number 2: Proteins are Everywhere!
Well, not exactly everywhere, but everywhere around your fridge. People generally do not know what items contain proteins and tend to stick to just one or two for their daily dose of energy. However, once you learn that proteins can be found it eggs, lean red and white meat, fish (particularly salmon), as well as milk, nuts and seeds, you diet will become more versatile, and you will realize you are already eating a generous amount of protein. Furthermore, you will start eating some of the things you have previously ignored just because you did not know they contained proteins. Bear in mind that a versatile diet is key to achieving any goal, be it muscle growth or weight loss. If you keep eating the same things over and over again, you will get nowhere.
Between the Facts and Myths
It seems that protein has always been relegated to somewhere in the middle, considered not completely good and not absolutely bad for you. Nonetheless, you must know all the important information about it, as well as your daily protein requirements in order to properly include it in your diet.