It seems that you can’t stroll past a health food store
nowadays without your eyes being drawn to the immense and often bewildering
array of protein products on offer. Heck, protein is so popular it seems that no
self-respecting gym goer would ever be caught post-workout without their
protein packed milkshake.
But is its popularity warranted?
On balance, the simple answer is yes, especially if you are
on a diet and as Uncle Bryn of Gavin & Stacey fame would say “I’ll tell you
for why”.
First and most importantly protein helps preserve your
muscle mass. Unfortunately, when you reduce your calories in a bid to lose fat
your body can lose muscle faster than Jeremy Clarkson loses his temper, and
believe me losing muscle is something you don’t want to do, as purely from an
aesthetic point of view the more muscle you have, generally the better you look
(up to a point of course). Secondly muscle is metabolically active, meaning it
constantly burns calories and because it constantly burns calories, the more of
it you have, the more calories you burn and the more calories you burn the less
likely you are to put on fat. Research shows that eating more protein when
dieting can reduce this muscle loss from happening quite so drastically.
'Unfortunately, when you reduce your calories in a bid to lose fat your body can lose muscle faster than Jeremy Clarkson loses his temper'
There are, mind you, many other reasons to eat more
protein. Another huge benefit is that it
makes you feel full. Compared to carbohydrates and fats, protein leaves you
feeling much fuller, which for most people is really important when on a diet.
As I’m sure you’re aware that feeling of never being quite satisfied is the
reason why many diets fail. Increasing your protein can help combat this. Some
studies have even shown that eating a high protein meal leads to less calories
being consumed in subsequent meals.
Yet another reason to eat more protein is that your body has
to work hard just to break it down, some might say almost as hard as Amanda
Holden’s plastic surgeon! Roughly 25% of the calories you consume from protein
are used up by the body in just processing it, for fat it’s just 2-3% and for
carbohydrate it’s 6-8%. So potentially if you replace some carbohydrates in
your diet with protein, it could perhaps help you lose weight.
But isn’t too much protein bad for you?
Some people have suggested that a high protein diet is bad
for your kidneys, however on balance it seems that as long as you don’t have
any pre-existing problems, your kidneys can deal with it just fine. In fact,
one study has shown no adverse effects on the kidneys with protein intakes of
2.8g per kg of bodyweight per day, which, if you have the time or indeed the
inclination to work out is a hell of a lot of protein.
Thanks for reading.
To book your free trial personal training session, or to book a place at my bootcamp class, or of course for more detailed information on exactly how much protein you should be eating, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Matt
