The Importance of Protein

Hi again! Curtis here,

Today I want to briefly discuss the importance of protein for your results, not just within the gym, but overall health in general.

I’ve worked with thousands of individuals from all over and the number one issue I run into with about 95% of the clients I’ve served is the lack of protein in the diet.

Whether your goal is weight loss, putting on muscle, etc, your results can dramatically improve by something as simple as eating a bit more protein throughout your day.

So, let’s talk about it!

First, we'll touch base on what protein actually is:

Protein is one of the three macronutrients (four as I know some dieticians consider alcohol a macronutrient.) The others being of course our carbs and fats.

Protein and fats are then divided into a subclass considered the “essential macronutrients,” simply meaning we as living organisms cannot survive without these in our diets.

It is found virtually everywhere in our bodies—muscle, bone, skin, hair, organs….everywhere.

It also powers certain enzymes within our cells to carry out certain metabolic reactions as well as immune functions, like production of antibodies.

Protein is present in most of the foods we eat on a daily basis and then gets broken down into what we call amino acids. Not all food sources of protein, however, are created equally, some foods obviously have a much higher quantity of protein than others, as well as a much different amino acid breakdown (which we can dive into a bit later).

My point is though, and hopefully you can see a bit more clear now, WE NEED IT.

The issue and great debate then lies in how much do we really need?

There are a ton of “influencers” and gurus out there that will tell you to not even look at it, that it will blow a hole through your kidneys.

And then there are also a ton of bodybuilders and meat-itarians out there who will tell you to intake about 5 grams per pound.

So what’s the answer?

Realistically, the best answer is simply…it depends.

It depends on a number of factors, some being activity levels, goals, timeline of those particular goals, etc.

Ultimately a rule of thumb I like to tell the majority of my clients is to shoot for .8 grams-1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day. Now, obviously this is a very simplified approach, and it does depend on a number of different aspects to daily lifestyle, but you can’t go wrong starting there.

If you’d like a more detailed and specific approach to your diet, reach out to me at curtis@innateperformance.com or submit a contact form on our website. We look forward to discussing your nutrition goals with you!

-Curtis