Food Fact Friday

Proteins are the basic building blocks of the human body. They are made up of amino acids, and help build muscles, blood, skin, hair, nails and internal organs. Next to water, protein is the most plentiful substance in the body, and most of it (around 60% to 70%) is located in the skeletal muscles. (Source)

There are 20 amino acids that are required for growth by the human body, but just eight are able to be produced in your body. These are called essential amino acids, and must be supplied by food and/or supplements (see photo - this essential amino acid powder is incredible to aid the bod before and after an intensive workout, trust! Tastes amazing too. Cons: expensive!). The other twelve non-essential amino acids are made within the body, but both are required to synthesize proteins.

If you're a fellow fitness enthusiast, however, your protein needs may increase because resistance training and endurance workouts can rapidly break down muscle protein. A position statement published by the ADA, DOC and ACSM recommends that endurance and strength-trained athletes have between 1.2 and 1.7 g/kg (0.5 - 0.8 grams per pound) of protein for the best performance and health.

The RDA (recommended daily allowance) for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight of adults (roughly 0.36 grams per lb of body weight).

How to Calculate Your Protein Needs:

Weight in kg x 0.8-1.8 gm/kg = protein (grams).

The range 0.8 - 1.8 is based on your average activity level; use a lower number if you are in good health and are sedentary (0.8), or a higher number (between 1 and 1.8) if you are under stress, are pregnant, are recovering from an illness, or if you are involved in consistent and intense weight or endurance training.

I'll use myself as an example! So my weight in kg is 53 - I'm gonna multiply by 1.4 as an in-between figure - which equates to my body needing 74g protein per day!

How does your calculation work out? More on the wonders of protein in another post to come soooon! Have a great weekend, guys!