Heading to the gym to lift a few weights can be a gateway drug to a whole wellness routine. Before you know it, you’re doing pre-workout mobility drills. You’re foam rolling, or using one of those fancy massage guns that make it look like you’re about to drill a hole into your thigh. And what about those $15 protein shakes they’re selling in the front lobby? If you don’t drink one after you work out, does all that energy you spent picking things up and putting them down become a waste of time?
That barista trying to upsell you on an extra scoop of protein powder may not have solid science backing him up, but it’s true that people who exercise regularly have higher protein needs than your average couch potato. Our bodies need the amino acids we get from protein—the building blocks of muscle—to repair the tissue that’s broken down during workouts.
Sports dietitian Sarah Gilbert, MS, RDN, LDN, CSSD, of the Sargent Choice Nutrition Center at Boston University points out that most Americans are already getting way more protein than they need. The US recommended dietary allowance for the average person is only .8 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day, or around 70 grams—about two large chicken breasts—for a 195-pound guy.
On the other hand, while the exact guidelines vary, someone who’s, say, seriously into lifting weights or training for a marathon needs a good deal more than that. For instance, Ricky Ng, the director of performance nutrition at the Las Vegas Raiders, says the team keep players’ targets between 1.6 and 2.4 grams per kilogram—so, two to three times as much as the normal recommendations.
Timing Matters Too
Beyond eating enough, one common issue is timing protein intake incorrectly. Many of us will rely on mostly carbs at breakfast and as snacks, then eat a huge portion of meat at dinner. But in order to build muscle, you want to get protein three to five times a day, or basically at every meal and snack, says Ng. (Although it used to be recommended to eat protein within 15 to 60 minutes after a workout, that theory’s been debunked.)
Getting a steady drip of protein is important because our bodies can’t hold onto extra macronutrient the way it can with carbohydrates. Any excess that can’t be used immediately might be turned into sugar if we’re low on carbs, or stored as fat, says Gilbert. But if we’re low on protein stores when our muscles need them, our body might grab some from other muscle tissue, which is not great for growth. Ng says that without ample, steady protein intake, we might not see the progress we’d expect from workouts, or find that it takes an extra long time to recover from the gym, or get sick easily.
Not All Protein Is Created Equal
If you want to get granular about your protein, Ng says that sources rich in leucine are best for muscle growth, since that particular amino acid signals and drives protein synthesis. Also helpful, he adds, are proteins that come with omega-3s (which maximize anabolic potential, or the body’s ability to build and repair muscle tissues) and vitamin D (which signals muscle protein synthesis). “Key proteins for our players include salmon, pasture-raised eggs, kefir or Greek yogurt, chicken, and beef,” he says.