The info in this blog is knowledge I've acquired over the years from various sources like books, podcasts & blogs. I'm constantly adding to this knowledge in my mission to become the 1st super healthy 100-year-old who can do backflips. As I learn more, I will update this blog as necessary to reflect any new findings.
PROTEIN + GYM = MUSCLES
My early thoughts on protein were that hench gym dudes worshipped the stuff, & if you wanted to be equally buff you also needed to worship the stuff. The first time I actually put this idea into practice was in my early teens. At this point, my mum had spent years subliminally attempting to fatten me up. It was done out of love of course but nevertheless still slightly problematic. She's always held the idea that I was too skinny, too scrawny & too slender. After years of this idea being negatively reinforced, eventually I adopted it. I began telling myself I was too skinny & wanted to evolve from being that skinny kid to being that big, strong kid that my mum wanted me to be.
I devised a solid 2 step muscle plan:
By my calculation’s protein + gym = muscles. I used to be into wrestling as a kid & The Rock was one of my idols. I saw him in a film as an American football player starting his fictional day off with raw eggs before going to train. Naturally I thought if it works for The Rock in this fictional film then surely it will work for me in real life. Only thing was, I had no idea how gross raw eggs tasted. I cracked 2 open into a glass (just like the rock did in the film which had such an impact on me that I no longer have any recollection of its name). It didn't look very appetising so I figured I'm going to have to get this down me in one like a shot. Only thing was, as soon as those eggs made contact with the back of my throat, I had the biggest shock of my life (well maybe not the biggest shock but it was mildly jarring). Not only was the taste unpalatable but the texture was even worse. It was all slimy, repulsive & made me gag. I had to spit it into the sink immediately. All of my motivation to get hench went down the drain with those eggs. This was the end of my mission to get big & strong. I never even used my gym membership. I decided I'd rather eat nice food than try & please my mum.
Looking back now it was the right decision if not made for the wrong reasons. I was too skinny in my mums’ eyes, still am now & always will be. But I'm perfectly healthy & that is the only thing that matters. Other people’s expectations are rarely rooted in logic, reason & a rational reality. Coming from a family where all the males are built like wardrobes it's natural for my mum to place those expectations on me as that is her idea of what a healthy male looks like. This is just HER perspective though. HER opinion. HER point of view. It doesn’t mean it’s right & it doesn’t have to be mine. Analysing my build from a rational perspective, my weight is healthy in comparison to my height. Well, it is according to the general guidelines, & also a nutritionist I saw earlier this year when I was trying to get down to 8% per cent body fat. My percentage of fat & muscle is also more than healthy according to the previously mentioned parameters but most importantly in comparison to my goals. The latter is the most important thing to determine.
What are YOUR goals?
&| are they actually YOUR goals or are you just trying to live up to society or other people’s expectations?
My first introduction to the concept of protein & its function stemmed from trying to live up to my mum's expectations. All the info I had at that point about protein came from TV, family & friends. I didn't challenge these ideologies until I started dabbling in veganism & my mum literally thought I was going to waste away.
Will I get enough protein without eating meat?
What actually is a protein & how does it serve us?
Does protein + gym actually = muscles?
These were just a few valid questions I sought answers to & will talk about in this blog.
WHAT IS PROTEIN?
Proteins are made up of chains of small molecules aka building blocks called amino acids. These amino acids join together to form long chains. If you want to try & visualise a protein, imagine a string of beads & each bead being an amino acid.
There are 20 different types of beads (amino acids) that help form the thousands of different proteins in your body. 9 of which are considered essential because our body cannot produce them naturally. We lost this ability at some point in our long evolutionary history. The only way we can obtain these 9 illusive amino acids is through our diet.
Along with fat & carbs, protein is classed as a "macronutrient," meaning that the body needs relatively large amounts of it. But unlike fat & carbs, the body does not store protein. It has no reservoir to draw on when it needs a new supply so we've got to replenish them daily.
HOW DOES THE BODY USE PROTEIN?
Protein's main role is in growth & development by building and repairing the body’s various cells & tissues (including your muscles, bones, organs, & skin). It’s also necessary for various other body functions from blood clotting & hormone production to immune system response. So basically, this stuff is kind of like a big deal.
When we eat foods containing protein, it gets broken back down into these singular amino acid building block beads, & then reassembled into different protein configurations as necessary. It's then dispatched to perform those various jobs mentioned previously throughout the body.
MUSCLE PROTEINS
Muscles are made mainly of straight, long-chain proteins, which form muscle fibres. We need to eat proteins to build our muscles, & also to repair the damage that our muscles suffer when we use them. If like me you wondered whether consuming more protein builds more muscle, the short answer is no & the long answer is sort of.
The only way to build muscle is through exercise causing muscle fatigue, resulting in damage. Damage that occurs specifically to the proteins that make up our muscle fibres. Mechanical overload is the nerd term for this structural damage as a result of strenuous exercises like weightlifting or explosive plyometrics (aka HIIT). The muscle damage initiates a repair process which I don't really understand so won't bother trying to explain. The gist is that the role of protein is to help repair tissues (muscle fibres) damaged by exercise, this process results in bigger, stronger muscles. So extra protein alone doesn't give you extra-strength & muscles. But protein + explosive workouts/weights + muscle fatigue + muscle repair = more muscles
HOW MUCH PROTEIN DO WE NEED EACH DAY?
The ideal amount of daily protein that you should consume varies depending on a number of factors, including age, gender, activity, health, total diet & other variables. As always there's no definitive answer that suits everyone’s needs. However, in most cases, the recommended daily amount of protein for adults can be calculated based on your body weight.
The internet most commonly recommends that most adults doing minimal/no physical activity should consume a minimum daily average of 0.4-0.8 grams of protein per kilogram (kg) of body weight.
If you exercise primarily with weights or bodyweight for more than 1 hour most days of the week, you can consume anywhere between 1.2-2 grams per kg of body weight each day. As I exercise daily for at least an hour I aim for 1.6 grams of protein per kg of bodyweight & this amount has served me well in maintaining a lean frame. I'm 66kg so usually consume just over 100g of protein daily. All of these are rules of thumb & you will need to determine what works best for you to achieve your goals.
CAN YOU GET ENOUGH PROTEIN ON A MEATLESS DIET?
It is a common belief amongst carnivores that you can only get protein from meat. This is simply not true. Below is the average serving sizes of a few different protein sources:
- 100g serving of chicken breast meat = 20 grams of protein
- 100 g serving of eggs (around 2 eggs) = 13.6 grams
- 100 g serving (½ cup) of black beans = 22 grams
- 100 g (½ cup) serving of lentils = 9 grams of protein
From the list, you can see that vegetarian and vegan diets can provide more than enough protein when enough calories are being consumed (No need to worry mum).
MEAT VS. PLANT PROTEIN
For optimal health, your body needs all the essential amino acids in the right ratios. When a protein source has an adequate supply of all nine essential amino acids it’s bestowed with the godly title of complete protein. When it’s low or lacking in 1 or more, it’s branded as incomplete, which is kind of sad. I'm going to call them basic proteins because I feel like it's less judgemental. This is the main distinction between plant & animal proteins.
All animal proteins are complete proteins. This includes both meat from animals, as well as the products that come from them (eggs & dairy products)
Plant proteins, on the other hand like beans, legumes (lentils, peas), nuts, seeds, & whole grains are mostly all basic proteins (incomplete proteins). Only a couple of plant proteins are lucky enough to be classed as complete. These lucky buggers are soy products (e.g. edamame, tofu, soy milk) & quinoa.
It isn't the end of the world that most plant proteins are lacking in 1 or 2 essential amino acids. It's literally just 1 or 2 in most cases so as long as you're obtaining your plant protein from a variety of sources throughout the day, they will all come together to form a complete protein/amino acid profile. I can't lie, picturing all the amino acids coming together to complete each other is a super cute thought.
USING MEAT SUBSTITUTES
Although meat substitutes might seem like a modern trend related to health benefits, they have actually been popular since ancient times. Mainly, through cultural & religious prohibitions against meat. For example, tofu was created in ancient China by vegetarian Buddhists. Today the primary sources of meat substitute are soy-based products, gluten-based products from grains & the use of other protein sources such as nuts.
As a personal general rule, I tend to stay away from meat substitutes because I keep my processed food intake to the bare minimum. I aim to consume mostly natural whole foods as this is what the human body has evolved to digest. I will eat meat substitutes occasionally but these are rare occurrences.
At the end of the day, protein is extremely important for us to function to the best of our abilities as human beings. Where we get that protein from, not so important as long as we are consuming a predominantly nutritious, well-rounded diet. How much protein we need to consume, also not so important. The average person can easily get enough protein on a predominantly nutritious, well-rounded diet. It's a different story however if you regularly do strength & endurance training & have specific goals in mind. If that is the case, you'll need to tailor your protein intake to your suit your needs on a predominantly nutritious, well-rounded diet.
For anyone interested in dabbling in a more plant-based diet for whatever reason, I’ve listed some plant-based protein sources below.
PLANT-BASED PROTEIN SOURCES
Beans & Legumes Per 1/2 cup (cooked)
Grains Per 1/2 cup (cooked)
Plant-based Beverages Per 1 cup (250mL)
Vegetables Per 1 cup
Nuts & Seeds Per 1/4 cup
Spreads, Nut Butters & Misc. Per 2 Tbsp (30mL)
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