{"id":7571,"date":"2020-12-22T20:58:29","date_gmt":"2020-12-22T20:58:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/calisthenicsnerd.osmiumweb.com\/protein-why-do-we-need-it\/"},"modified":"2026-03-12T09:47:35","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T09:47:35","slug":"protein-why-do-we-need-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/athenscalisthenicscenter.gr\/en\/protein-why-do-we-need-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Protein – Why Do We Need it"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Proteins<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0are large\u00a0biomolecules<\/strong> consisting of one or more long chains of\u00a0amino acid\u00a0<\/a><\/strong>residues.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

They perform a vast array of functions<\/strong> within organisms<\/strong>, including\u00a0catalysing metabolic reactions,\u00a0DNA replication,\u00a0responding to stimuli, providing\u00a0structure to cells\u00a0and\u00a0organisms, and\u00a0transporting molecules\u00a0from one location to another.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Our bodies are<\/strong> constantly recycling proteins<\/strong>, so the ones that we eat in our diet can be used to replace broken down proteins in order to maintain balance<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Protein and Muscle Mass<\/span><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Muscle mass is built when the net protein balance is positive<\/strong> (+) : muscle protein synthesis exceeds muscle protein breakdown.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Research shows that muscle protein turnover is the greatest after working out<\/strong> and muscle mass increases over time when resistance exercise<\/strong> (i.e.\u00a0<\/em>weight lifting, body weight exercises, etc) is combined with nutrient intake<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

In general, it is recommended that 10-35% of your daily energy intake <\/strong>comes from protein<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The recommended daily intakes (RDIs) can also be calculated by a person\u2019s body weight<\/strong>. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics<\/a> recommends that the average individual should consume 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram<\/strong> (or 0.35 grams per pound) of body weight per day <\/strong>for general health.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

So, a\u00a0person that weighs 75 kg (165 pounds) should consume an average of 60 grams of protein per\u00a0day.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

But for people who regularly participate in demanding physical activities like Calisthenics<\/a>, it is\u00a0recommended\u00a0that they eat a range of 1.2-1.7 grams of\u00a0protein\u00a0per kilogram (or 0.5-0.8 grams per pound) of body weight per day.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Consequently, the same 75 kg (165 pounds) individual should increase their protein intake to around 110 grams in order to maintain muscle mass.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

In the table bellow, you can see different weight categories and their daily protein intake requirements :<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Weight (kg)<\/strong><\/td>\r\nProtein Intake (g\/day)<\/strong>
0,8 grams\/kilogram<\/strong><\/strong><\/td>\r\n		Protein Intake <\/strong>(g\/day)<\/strong>
1,45 grams\/kilogram<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
60<\/td>\r\n48<\/td>\r\n87<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
65<\/td>\r\n52\u00a0\u00a0<\/td>\r\n94<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
70<\/td>\r\n56 \u00a0\u00a0<\/td>\r\n102<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
75<\/td>\r\n60\u00a0\u00a0<\/td>\r\n109<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
80<\/td>\r\n64<\/td>\r\n116<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
85<\/td>\r\n68 \u00a0\u00a0<\/td>\r\n123<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
90<\/td>\r\n72 \u00a0\u00a0<\/td>\r\n130<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n
Daily protein intake requirements<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The 30g Protein Myth<\/span><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

– At this point, you must been wondering how to spread that recommended protein intake throughout your day?<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"maximum<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Although researches<\/a> suggest that, for optimal results, you should spread your daily protein intake throughout your meals, truth is there is no ”maximum” amount of protein your body can digest in a meal.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The belief that our body can only digest up to 30 grams of protein at a meal, is completely wrong.<\/strong> You don’t digest up to certain amount of protein and then, all of a sudden, stop digesting food.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Your body will digest all of the protein provided in a sitting,<\/strong> although, most of the protein from a hight protein meal won’t go to building muscle. Hence, if this is your main goal, you should spread the protein you eat throughout the day.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

– Now, what really happens to the protein if you eat it all in one meal?<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

There is no long term storage site for amino acids<\/strong>, the building blocks of protein. Your stomach tissue will hold some amino acids temporarily, but these won’t do much to build muscle later on accordion to this research<\/a>, from N. Deutz and R. Wolfe.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

After eating a meal packed with protein, some of that protein will go into building muscle<\/strong>, some into building other structures<\/strong> in the body (proteins, neurotransmitters etc) and the rest of the protein is used for<\/strong> energy or converted to body fat<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The nitrogen (from amino acids) is combined with other compounds to form urea, which is processed by the kidneys and extracted in the urine.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

– But then, how much protein should I eat per meal?<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

That depends on several factors such as:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n