Here's a great article from Men's Health written by Adina Steiman.
If you are what you eat, what does that make a vegan? A string-bean,
milquetoast kind of a guy? Of course not—and renowned strength coach
Robert dos Remedios, a vegan, is strong evidence to the contrary. Really
strong.
But most men eat animal products. And we really do become what we eat.
Our skin, bones, hair, and nails are composed mostly of protein. Plus,
animal products fuel the muscle-growing process called protein
synthesis. That's why Rocky chugged eggs before his a.m. runs. Since
those days, nutrition scientists have done plenty of research. Read up
before you chow down.
You Need More
Think big. Most adults would benefit from eating more than the
recommended daily intake of 56 grams, says Donald Layman, Ph.D., a
professor emeritus of nutrition at the University of Illinois. The
benefit goes beyond muscles, he says:
Protein dulls hunger and can help prevent obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
How much do you need? Step on a scale and be honest with yourself about
your workout regimen. According to Mark Tarnopolsky, M.D., Ph.D., who
studies exercise and nutrition at McMaster University in Hamilton,
Ontario, highly trained athletes thrive on 0.77 gram of daily
protein per pound of body weight. That's 139 grams for a 180-pound man.
Men who work out 5 or more days a week for an hour or longer need 0.55
gram per pound. And men who work out 3 to 5 days a week for 45 minutes
to an hour need 0.45 gram per pound. So a 180-pound guy who works out
regularly needs about 80 grams of protein a day.
Now, if you're trying to lose weight,
protein
is still crucial. The fewer calories you consume, the more calories
should come from protein, says Layman. You need to boost your protein
intake to between 0.45 and 0.68 gram per pound to preserve
calorie-burning muscle mass.
And no, that extra protein won't wreck your kidneys: "Taking in more
than the recommended dose won't confer more benefit. It won't hurt you,
but you'll just burn it off as extra energy," Dr. Tarnopolsky says.
It's Not All the Same
Many foods, including nuts and beans, can provide a good dose of
protein. But the best sources are dairy products, eggs, meat, and fish,
Layman says. Animal protein is complete—it contains the right
proportions of the essential amino acids your body can't synthesize on
its own.
It's possible to build complete protein from plant-based foods by
combining legumes, nuts, and grains at one meal or over the course of a
day. But you'll need to consume 20 to 25 percent more plant-based
protein to reap the benefits that animal-derived sources provide, says
Dr. Tarnopolsky. And beans and legumes have carbs that make it harder to
lose weight.
So if protein can help keep weight off, is a chicken wing dipped in
blue-cheese dressing a diet secret? Not quite: Total calories still
count. Scale down your fat and carbohydrate intake to make room for lean
protein: eggs, low-fat milk, yogurt, lean meat, and fish.
But remember, if you're struggling with your weight, fat itself is not
the culprit; carbs are the likely problem. Fat will help keep you full,
while carbs can put you on a blood-sugar roller coaster that leaves you
hungry later.
Timing is Everything
"At any given moment, even at rest, your body is breaking down and
building protein," says Jeffrey Volek, Ph.D., R.D., a nutrition and
exercise researcher at the University of Connecticut. Every time you eat
at least 30 grams of protein, Layman says, you trigger a burst of
protein synthesis that lasts about 3 hours.
But think about it: When do you eat most of your protein? At dinner,
right? That means you could be fueling muscle growth for only a few
hours a day, and breaking down muscle the rest of the time, Layman says.
Instead, you should spread out your protein intake.
Your body can process only so much protein in a single sitting. A recent
study from the University of Texas found that consuming 90 grams of
protein at one meal provides the same benefit as eating 30 grams. It's
like a gas tank, says study author Douglas Paddon-Jones, Ph.D.: "There's
only so much you can put in to maximize performance; the rest is
spillover."
Eating protein at all three meals—plus snacking two or three times a day
on proteins such as cheese, jerky, and milk—will help you eat less
overall. People who start the day with a protein-rich breakfast consume
200 fewer calories a day than those who chow down on a carb-heavy
breakfast, like a jam-smeared bagel. Ending the day with a steak dinner
doesn't have the same appetite-quenching effect, Layman says.
Workouts Require Fuel
Every guy in the gym knows he should consume some protein after a
workout. But how much, and when? "When you work out, your muscles are
primed to respond to protein," Volek says, "and you have a window of
opportunity to promote muscle growth."
Volek recommends splitting your dose of protein, eating half 30 minutes
before the workout and the other half 30 minutes after. A total of 10 to
20 grams of protein is ideal, he says. And wrap a piece of bread around
that turkey, because carbs can raise insulin; this slows protein
breakdown, which speeds muscle growth after your workout. Moreover, you
won't use your stored protein for energy; you'll rely instead on the
carbs to replenish you.
One study, published in the
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, pinpointed 20 grams as the best amount of postworkout protein to maximize muscle growth. (See
5 Perfect Protein-Packed Gym Snacks.)
You're doing this because resistance exercise breaks down muscle. This
requires a fresh infusion of amino acids to repair and build it. "If
you're lifting weights and you don't consume protein, it's almost
counterproductive," says Volek. Protein also helps build enzymes that
allow your body to adapt to endurance sports like running and biking.
Powders are for Everyone
Everyone—not just muscleheads—can benefit from the quick hit of amino
acids provided by a protein supplement, bar, or shake. Your best bet is
a fast-absorbing, high-quality kind like whey protein powder (derived
from milk): "It appears in your bloodstream 15 minutes after you consume
it," Volek says.
Whey protein is also the best source of leucine, an amino acid that
behaves more like a hormone in your body: "It's more than a building
block of protein—it actually activates protein synthesis," Volek says.
Whey contains 10 percent leucine while other animal-based proteins have
as little as 5 percent.
Casein, another milk protein sold in supplement form, provides a
slower-absorbing but more sustained source of amino acids, making it a
great choice for a snack before you hit the sack. "Casein should help
you maintain a positive protein balance during the night," says Volek.
Building muscle while you sleep? Thanks to protein, anything's possible.
