The Fitness Junction

This week:

• Knowledge Corner: Protein 101

• Monthly Challenge Update: May yoga-a-thon

• Meme Center: Pillow talk

Knowledge Corner: Protein for Dummies

Protein. The Holy Grail of nutrients for anyone seeking gains in the gym. As one of the three macronutrients, protein is essential for supporting almost every kind of bodily tissue and a wide range of chemical processes. Over 10,000 unique proteins are at work making this happen for us every day. For those looking to increase muscle size and strength, consuming adequate protein is vital. Due to protein’s key role in fitness, there is a thick literature examining all the variables (quantity, quality, timing, etc.) to determine how to maximize the benefits of protein. While these studies allow us to narrow down specific protein recommendations, the science isn’t always translated into easily actionable daily protein guidelines.

I like to keep protein recommendations simple. If you are training to improve strength and/or muscle size, then you should aim to consume 1 gram of complete protein for every pound that you weigh. If you weigh 200lbs, 100g of protein is your target. This amount of protein should ideally be consumed in 4 or more servings of 20-40g throughout the day. Here’s a breakdown of those suggestions:

1. 20-40g per serving: Muscle protein synthesis (MPS) – one of the key mechanisms for repairing and growing muscles - doesn’t get into full swing in doses less than 20g of protein. You can get another 10-20% boost to MPS by getting up to 40g each serving but any more than 40g doesn’t show significant additional increase to MPS. As you get older, you’ll need to get closer to 40g as a minimum because anabolic (muscle building) resistance increases with age.

2. Complete protein: A complete protein contains all nine essential amino acids (the main components of protein, “essential” means that humans have to acquire them via their food). In general, animal proteins (chicken, eggs, dairy, etc.) are complete and plant proteins (soy, pea, etc.) are incomplete. I’ll do a blog post breaking down complete vs incomplete proteins and amino acids in the future.

3. Four servings (or more) per day: Spacing out protein servings throughout the day is the most effective way to achieve continuous MPS. I do this by eating animal protein for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and supplementing with a protein shake in between meals (I will also do a future newsletter on shopping for protein powders). The rumor of the “anabolic window” - which recommends that you consume protein immediately after a workout - is just that, a rumor. As long as you hit your 1g per lb of bodyweight daily target, you’ll be good. An extra serving of protein before bed hasn’t been shown to definitively increase MPS but it couldn’t hurt if you’re trying to maximize MPS.

So that’s the easiest way to think about protein. There are a lot of more detailed rabbit holes to go down to get to the absolute 100% best recommendation, but if you can follow those guidelines, you’ll be achieving the 95% solution and on the path to gains and success.

_{Sources: Stronger by Science, National Academy of Sports Medicine, Harvard School of Public Health}

Trivia

Speaking of protein and protein powders, when was the first shaker bottle patented?

• A. 1956

• B. 1969

• C. 1974

• D. 1983

May Challenge: Yoga Once Per Week

This week was a banger. Alongside my niece, I did a Cosmic Kids Yoga Adventure. To be honest, it wasn’t the most efficient or effective mobility session, but I have no regrets.

Doing yoga once a week this month has been great addition to my workout routine, and I aim to hold myself to that standard moving forward. For June, I’ll be shifting to a mental challenge: Read a book chapter five days a week, every week. I hope you’ll join me!

Meme Center:

Trivia answer: C. 1974. Two Tupperware employees developed a food shaker/blender that is the forefather of the modern ubiquitous shaker bottle. Another fun fact: Your shaker bottle can be an excellent tool for mixed drinks. My go-to shaker bottle beverage is a white Russian.

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