So you’ve decided to prioritize protein in your diet. Congratulations! You’re one step closer to your goal of building muscle and feeling full all day long.
It’s not quite as simple as adding an extra dollop of peanut butter to your peanut butter and jelly sandwich or throwing another patty on your cheeseburger to double it up. No, you need to consider a few best practices when embarking on a protein journey and be strategic. That’s what WH is for! First, some frequently asked questions…
How much protein should you eat?
While the recommended daily allowance (RDA) was for a long time 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight, Kelly JonesRD, a board-certified sports nutritionist, now says that people who exercise regularly probably need 1.4 grams per kilogram or a little more to support tissue growth.
Working with an expert can help you determine the best amount for your Lifestyle and fitness goals.
Are animal or plant protein sources best?
It depends on what you eat and how you approach it. What you should know is that meat provides all the essential amino acids your body needs in one fell swoop, but you’ll need to mix and match plant sources to get the optimal amount of these nine essentials. (Check out some of the best plant-based options if you go this route.)
Meet the experts: Kelly Jones, RD, is a board-certified sports nutritionist and owner of Kelly Jones Nutrition. Tracy Anthony, PhD, is a professor of nutritional sciences at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
Ok, so what is the ideal time of day to consume protein?
In general, the time of day you consume protein is not as important as how you distribute your intake throughout the day.
If you’re like most Americans, you probably get most of your protein needs at dinner. Women ages 20 to 49, on average, consumed about 42 percent of their daily protein needs at dinner and just 17 percent at breakfast. a survey conducted by the Agriculture Research Service of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Instead, we should aim for an even distribution of proteins throughout the day, experts say.
“Research shows that spreading protein intake into moderate doses approximately every three to four hours rather than all at once is associated with optimal muscle repair and, in those seeking growth, more optimal growth,” says Jones.
In fact, evenly distributing protein intake across meals, rather than shifting it to dinner, “stimulated 24-hour muscle protein synthesis more effectively,” according to Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch.
Why is it useful to consume proteins throughout the day and not all at once?
This could be due to the way our body metabolizes protein and its building block, amino acids. While excess carbohydrates are stored in the body as glycogen and excess fat as body fat, amino acids are not hoarded as amino acids for later use.
Rather, our body first converts the protein we consume in a meal into fat or glucose by supporting metabolism, producing hormones, maintaining bones and, yes, even promoting muscle protein synthesis.
Research seems to indicate that about 20-25 grams of protein at a time is the upper limit that our body can use in muscle synthesis (although a study Put the number closer to 30 grams.) Basically, anything over 20-30 grams in a single meal won’t make much difference in terms of protein action in the body.
Another reason you should consider spreading your meals evenly throughout the day? You’ll probably just be less hungry.
“People find that when they place more emphasis on protein at breakfast and also pay attention to it at snack time, they feel more full throughout the day,” says Jones. “They are less distracted by hunger and have fewer blood sugar spikes and drops.”
Do I need protein immediately after training?
Maybe you have heard the term anabolic or Metabolic window (they are often used synonymously) refers to the period after exercise when your muscles are recovering, and nutrition can play a role in supporting this process.
Depending on who you talk to, you may be told that this time frame is only 15 minutes. That would essentially mean you would have to drink a protein shake while showering to get the timing right.
Fortunately Research has led experts to extend that window significantly to three or four hours (sometimes even five or six if you really push it), but both experts WH spoke to agreed that within two hours is optimal.
“Don’t take more than two hours, and if you have big muscle building and repair goals, schedule it as close to your workout as possible,” advises Jones.
As for the amount of protein, aim for 20-25 grams after training, recommends Tracy AnthonyPhD, Professor of Nutritional Sciences at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
How about Before-Sweat protein?
If all this talk about post-workout fueling has you wondering what about pre-workout fueling, we’ve got that answer, too. If you’re working out for an hour or less, you probably don’t need to worry about protein intake beforehand and can just focus on consuming high-quality protein afterward, Jones says.
However, if you’re planning a two-hour run, for example, or tend to feel hungry if you don’t eat before your workout, grab a high-carb snack with a few grams of protein first.
“It will improve your energy levels a little bit and also reduce the amount of muscle damage that will occur there,” says Jones.
What could a protein day look like?
True to the principle of protein distribution, Jones recommends three meals (and possibly two snacks) to keep amino acid levels constant throughout the day:
- Morning: If you plan to wake up early and work out, munch on a banana beforehand to help stabilize your blood sugar. For breakfast after a workout (or as the first meal of the day if you haven’t worked out), Jones recommends a vegetable omelet and a slice of avocado toast. If it’s not time for lunch after three hours, munch on a snack of peanuts or pistachios with crackers and hummus, or combine the nuts with a small piece of fruit.
- Afternoon: Cook either a chicken breast or a salmon fillet (or, if you prefer plant-based proteins, tofu) and prepare cooked vegetables and quinoa as a side dish. (Or you can toss the protein and quinoa on a bed of lettuce and add a little dressing.) If you’re someone who eats dinner later, you’ll be craving a snack again in between meals. Jones recommends roasted edamame with some raisins.
- Evening: For your last meal of the day, choose a protein you haven’t had before (either one of the above or shrimp), along with farro (a higher protein grain) and some roasted broccoli. Since you’ve ensured your protein is spread throughout the day, hopefully you shouldn’t need a late-night (or midnight) snack.
Of course, these are just suggestions, and every body responds differently to protein amounts and timing. (Check out this powerlifter’s shopping strategy; she aims for 130 grams of protein per day.) Anthony suggests experimenting a bit to find what works best for you and your specific goals.
“You can try timing; you can try going a little higher and a little lower dose within that range and see how you feel,” she says. “That’s the beauty of personalized nutrition: You have that flexibility because everyone is an individual and you don’t know until you know.”
Amy Wilkinson is an entertainment editor who also specializes in health and wellness. When she’s not editing or writing, she teaches as a fully certified Pilates instructor.
