Macronutrient Primer: Protein

Well the time has come for me to write something that I've done a lot of research on, and a lot of reading on. Protein. Protein intake with regards to health, muscle gain, and body composition is one of the more interesting topics I've ever come across. From everything such as "perfect" protein, essential amino acids, and nitrogen balances in the body, protein is a very complex, very important, and often very misunderstood macronutrient. This will be a brief article, where I'll cover protein daily requirements, counting protein, and proteins effects on body composition. These are basically the most important facets regarding protein intake, and the ones I feel most comfortable writing about. If you care to learn more, I strongly recommend that you buy Lyle McDonald's "The Protein Book," as it is hands down one of the more informative books I've ever read on the subject.

What is Protein?

Protein is an organic compound mostly made up of made carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. What sets protein apart from other macronutrients is the nitrogen aspect of the compound. Unlike plants, humans cannot make nitrogen from the air, so we need to obtain our protein and amino acids through the diet.

This is as sciency as this article will get, I promise

Food	Calories	Fat	Carbs (Fiber)	Protein
3 oz Grilled Chicken	130	2	0	24
4 oz Atlantic Salmon	170	8	0	23
4 oz Tilapia	110	2	0	23
1 Large Whole Egg	75	5	0	7
1 Large Egg White	20	0	0	4
4 oz Cod	100	0	0	20
4 oz Flounder	110	1	0	24
4 oz 99% Lean Ground Turkey	120	1.5	0	26
4 oz Sea Bass	120	2	0	21

What are Amino Acids?

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Amino acids attach together in a chain to form protein. There are 20 standard amino acids, and 8 of which are essential amino acids. Essential means that the body cannot make it on its own, and therefore it must be obtained from the diet. The essential amino acids are: Lysine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Valine, Threonine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, and Tryptophan.

Protein Requirements

Everyone will tell you something different when it comes to protein requirements. The FDA says you only need 50 grams per day, based on a 2,000 calorie diet. I believe this is ridiculously too low for anyone, especially for someone trying to build muscle. 

Research has shown you only need 0.8 grams of protein per pond of body weight to build muscle. In my opinion, male or female, protein intake should be set at 1 g/lb as a minimum. Check out this article, which explains different studies on various protein intakes: Protein Intake Studies. The reason why I think protein should be higher is because not only is protein beneficial in building muscle, it has other benefits as well. It has a greater thermic effect on metabolism and has a larger effect on satiety, for two quick reasons. Lyle McDonald recommends a minimum of 1.1 g/lb for male or female. Some men can even go up to 1.5 g/lb of bodyweight. Again, everyone has to do what's right for them, so simply experiment and see what you like best. I love meat, eggs, and dairy, so my protein intake is definitely higher than 0.8 g/lb bodyweight.

Counting Protein from Food Sources

Counting protein from food sources is a very easy task, if you have a scale. I strongly recommend weighing your food to get correct serving sizes and measurements. If you'd rather not do so, try weighing it once or twice to get a rough idea of what 3oz or 4oz looks like, and then, just estimate. Do what works best and is convenient for you.

Protein comes from a myriad of food sources. Meat, some vegetables, dairy, legumes, whole grains, eggs and protein powders are some sources of protein. I personally take in my protein from all of the above and use as many different sources so I can keep a balanced diet. I also like to eat my protein and calories, not drink them. So while I do use Whey and Casein protein powders, I use them predominantly for recipes, baking, and delicious Casein Ice Cream.

Meat, eggs, and dairy are usually more "complete" protein sources, meaning they contain all of the amino acids. Here's a table I use (Values found from past Google Searches)  to measure calories and macronutrients for certain food sources:

Myths About Protein

Too much protein is bad for the kidneys.

This I have a personal connection to, as a blood test a couple of months ago showed I had an elevated BUN. I panicked, cut protein intake in half, and didn't add to my other macro nutrients, like an idiot, and lost valuable muscle. Since the blood test is done fasted, being dehydrated certainly doesn’t help, and dehydration can cause an elevated BUN as well. The idea that protein is bad or stressful on the kidneys stems from the idea that those who have impaired kidney function need to have their protein intake reduced. Unfortunately, this has lead to the belief that too much protein is bad for the kidneys in general. There is NO STUDY or research that proves that protein intake up to 1.5 g/lb bodyweight is detrimental to kidney health. Although there have not been other studies published on higher amounts, I can't imagine folks consuming 2.5 times their bodyweight, etc. 

More Protein = More Muscle!

This is false because there's a net gain in muscle your body can naturally build. Everyone has a different level based on a whole laundry list of reasons, but after your body uses your protein intake towards organ use, and other body functions, then muscle building/retention will be taken care of. Whatever's left over will be excreted in the urine, or kept in the blood stream for other uses. The conversion of protein into glucose is one.

High Protein Intake is Bad for the Bones

The idea that high protein intake is bad for bone health stems from the fact that calcium excretion is increased with a higher protein intake. Studies regarding this are extremely flawed, especially in the methodology. Other studies show that increased protein in elderly men may potentially improve bone mass. And in this study, a higher protein intake was proven to be somewhat beneficial, albeit minimal, for bone health in young children and adolescents, Bone and Protein Study.

High Protein Diets Cause Heart Disease

I've seen some people post this on forums, and this blows my mind. I honestly have no idea where this came from, considering research shows that an increased protein intake can help prevent heart disease. 

Hopefully this article will help clear up some misconceptions you have had regarding protein. Protein is a very complex and interesting topic, to me at least, and there are many different ideas and theories. Regarding intake, I highly recommend to test different intakes and note your body composition how you feel. You can use protein powder and other supplements to help meet your protein needs, but again I personally would rather eat my calories than drink them. If anyone is interested in some whey protein recipes I have, I'll be happy to share. I got whey waffles, mug cakes, donuts, and Ice Cream all in my arsenal.