All about macros (part 2/3) Protein
Last post I explained the definition of macros and explored the complicated chemistry of carbohydrates.
This post I’ll talk about everyone’s favorite macro – protein. Why is it so valuable? Where does it come from? How much do you need? What’s the best source?
Remember from the first post in this series that everything in nutrition is about categories and chemistry.
Proteins are complex molecules made up of chains of amino acids (A.A.). Those amino acids are the building blocks of life and are used to:
- Form DNA
- Create hemoglobin (the part of your red blood cells that carries oxygen)
- Build and repair muscle
- Create hormones
- Makes chemical reactions happen
- Form antibodies (the basis of the immune system)
Essential A.A. (must eat!) phenylalanine, valine, threonine, tryptophan, methionine, leucine, isoleucine, lysine, and histidine | Non Essential A.A. (body can make) alanine, arginine, aspartic acid, asparagine, cysteine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine serine, proline, and tyrosine |
How much protein do I need?
Plant vs Animal Protein
- Plant proteins have lower “bioavailability”
- Most plant protein do not contain all of the essential A.A.
- The other micronutrients we need from protein rich foods (iron, b12) can also have different forms or be absent.
That doesn’t mean we “can’t” do plant based lifestyles – we just have to be more thoughtful about food to ensure we’re getting what we need.
In order to create a “complete” protein and get all of the A.A. that you need, you pair…
grain (eg, rice, oats, wheat)
nut (eg, almonds, peanuts, cashews), or
seed (eg, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame)
+
bean (eg, chickpea, soy beans, black beans)
lentil, or
pea
A.A.’s aren’t the only consideration when deciding whether or not to go animal or vegetable for your protein source. Calcium, iron, b12, and vitamin D are also nutrients to consider.
Animal based foods also contain a more biologically available source of iron compared to plant based foods. In order to better absorb the iron in plants, pair greens and beans with a food rich in vitamin C (most fruits / vegetables).
Is there such a thing as too much protein?
Excessive protein displaces other foods in the diet which can negatively impact health and performance. Protein cannot do the job of carbohydrate or lipid. If what your body needs is carb, but you give it protein, it doesn’t feel great. I’ve had endurance athlete often make this mistake – over fixating on protein instead of carbohydrate. They often find they’re uncomfortable full / nauseous, but still hungry.
Moreover, when people increase their protein intake, they do it in the form of meat or protein shakes which edges out plant based foods and associated nutrients.
Plants are amazing at disease prevention due to their high levels of fiber, antioxidants, as well as vitamins and minerals. Additionally animal based protein also tends to increase the amount of saturated fat (and often sodium) in the diet which is not awesome for our cardiovascular health.
What about protein supplements?
While protein supplements (shakes / bars) provide amino acids, they often lack of the other nutrients we need that come from protein rich foods. If protein supplements are the “only” way you can hit your protein needs, it’s worth reevaluating the diet and the target.
Sometime athletes feel like they “need” a protein supplement – but in reality, you don’t. The “benefit” of protein supplements are that they are convenient and sometimes taste good. But they are not superior to whole food sources.
Protein itself is not a magic bullet – by itself, it does not “create” muscle. What makes you gain muscle is physical activity – namely, lifting heavy things.
Protein (with carbohydrate) after workouts can improve recovery and adaptation to training. But eating protein without challenging your muscles may not result in change. There’s also a limit to how much protein your body can use in the repair process. More protein does not mean more muscle.