RE: CATHE: How many GRAMS of PROTEIN to eat after weigh...
Jackie, this article may be helpful. I also want to point out that protein is available in many sources other than meat,milk,fish,etc.... In fact, if you eat whole grains, there's quite a bit of protein in them. One of my favorite breads contains 5 grams of protein per serving. Of course, breads, beans and other vegetarian sources do not contain the full 22 amino acids but for the most part, people get plenty of protein, more than they realize, through all sorts of sources. You certainly want to eat protein after strength training and I am usually hungry for tuna or chicken breast but all the protein you consume throughout the day along with carbs and fat go into building and fueling you. Look at your diet as a whole and create a balanced eating plan to ensure you meet the reqirements for energy and muscle building pre and post workout.
"Do Amino Acids and Protein Build Bigger Muscles?
Why the confusion?
Many athletes are confused about how much protein they need and when they should eat it. Protein is an important nutrient for athletes. It provides the building blocks called amino acids that are used to repair muscle that is damaged during exercise and build bigger muscles. Because of these roles, some athletes think if they eat more protein they will automatically get bigger muscles. Unfortunately, this is not the case; however, eating enough protein at the right time will help athletes maximize the strength and performance benefits they can get from strength-training.
When should an athlete eat protein?
Athletes need to eat protein throughout the day, but in relation to strength-training exercise, eating protein before and after may be helpful. For hours following a strength training workout both protein (muscle) breakdown and synthesis (building) increase. Therefore, it is important to consume some protein so the body has the amino acids it needs for growth and repair. If you don’t eat after a workout your body can be at risk for actually losing muscle mass. Additionally, some research supports that eating a little bit of protein before a workout also helps with muscle repair and growth.
Does the kind of protein matter?
YES. To stimulate muscle growth and repair, you need to eat protein rich foods with essential amino acids (amino acids that need to be obtained from the diet). These foods include: meat, fish, poultry, soy, eggs, milk and milk products. Eating small amounts of essential amino acids post-workout will help stimulate protein synthesis.
How much protein should an athlete eat?
As mentioned above, overall protein needs are a concern for many athletes. The sales of protein drinks and bars show that many athletes think they need to supplement their diets with extra protein in order to meet their needs. This is simply not true. Very few athletes, either strength or endurance, need more protein than 0.7 gram per pound of body weight (or 105 grams for a 150 pound person). More importantly, this amount of protein can easily be met by eating around 15% of total calories from protein (as long as the athlete is eating enough total calories to meet their daily need).
Practical Recommendations:
Large amounts of protein will NOT make the muscles repair quicker and growth bigger. In fact, small amounts of protein intake spread throughout the day are more beneficial to muscle repair and growth than sucking down a large high protein shake immediately after exercise.
Strength athletes should eat 0.05 grams of essential amino acids per pound of body weight immediately before or within the first few hours following exercise.
For a 150 pound person this equals 7.5 grams and can be obtained by drinking 1 cup of low-fat milk or eating 1 ounce of skinless chicken.
Special amino acids formulations (powders, supplements, etc.) are not necessary. Instead, athletes should combine a high quality protein like low-fat milk or yogurt, skinless chicken, tuna or other fish with their carbohydrate recovery snack.
Protein is NOT the only important nutrient to eat before and after exercise. Carbohydrate is needed to make sure that the protein an athlete eats is used for muscle repair and growth, not for energy.
Combine protein with carbohydrate rich foods. The carbohydrate provides energy and restocks the body’s energy reserves, while the protein helps with muscle repair and growth.
A great recovery snack is low-fat yogurt or a tuna fish sandwich!
This information is based upon a presentation by Martin J. Gibala, Ph.D. presented at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute” HOT TOPICS IN SPORTS NUTRITION conference, July 2003.
Bobbi
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