2024
Nutrition Part two
Nutrition again. It’s a great subject. In the last blog I discussed the role of carbohydrates in, protein and fat . So, just to recap. Carbs create energy , fat is a good energy but looks bad , and protein repairs tissue such as hair , nails and skin .
In this post I will go further into how protein has become the word mostly associated with building muscle although this isn’t entirely accurate .
When we lift a heavy weight with a number of reps in the anaerobic system , we microscopically tear our muscle fibres . These tears are what is required for muscle stimulation and growth . After a heavy session of weights , it takes about 7 days for the muscles to repair , knit back together and get a bit bigger and stronger. Protein assists in the repair of muscle tissue , it does not MAKE your muscles bigger or give you muscles !!
The reason that this myth has exploded in the world of nutrition is because of the supplements industry which is a multi billion dollar world. Young men and increasingly women in search of the perfect body are easily sold to with protein powders , promising huge muscle growth. Trained salespeople armed with so called scientific knowledge on how you will end up looking like Thor, do a great job in making you believe that this is possible by buying their product .
Whilst there is some evidence to show that whey and casein protein may help you repair quicker than normal protein the difference is negligible. However, more importantly isn’t it enjoyable to eat steak , lamb , eggs and fish ? Whole foods also contain far more nutritious content than protein powder overall .
What the salesperson won’t tell you is that your body can only store about 50 Grammes of protein a day and if you exceed that amount then your body will just get rid of it. So really it can become very expensive wee !!
Another problem with excessive protein is that it can put a lot of strain on your kidneys which , along with many other functions , breakdown protein in your system. Obviously this a bad situation and combined with the fact that there is no fibre in protein, this can not only lead to constipation but other bowel problems such as colon cancer . The kidneys eliminate waste from the body and during digestion protein is broken down into various byproducts. Healthy kidneys remove byproducts and filter out the waste in urine .
Sources of protein can come from the ground aswell as in animals, but these may be low in some of the essential amino acids . However the bonus of plant based protein is that they are low in saturated fat and high in fibre .
Bearing in mind that high protein diets are popular in the body building and weight loss world , it is easy to forget how too much protein can be very damaging aswell as not enough carbs , for example there is not enough alkali in protein.
This is a common problem in today’s world as diets with too much acid are rife . So do your research and choose a diet that works well with your goals.