Protein for Sport Performance
It all begins with an idea.
You hear us talk often about the importance of protein over the other two macronutrients in class, you hear it on instagram, but you may not fully understand why it’s so important. Protein is the building block to our tissues, it aids in recovery from the fitness that we do, and it helps in making you feel full when you consume it.
Protein is the building block to our tissues! Without protein, we cannot repair, rebuild, and sustain life for very long! When we work out, it’s inevitable that some muscular damage occurs. Supplying yourself with adequate protein enables your body to quickly repair and recover for your next workout. Even if you arn’t doing much moving in a day, you still have protein requirements. Failure to consume enough can lead to stagnation in your lean body mass improvements and potential injuries!
How much protein? To keep it simple, if you are consistently working out then consuming a gram per pound of bodyweight is gold. For example, if you weigh 140lbs, your goal would be to consume 140g of protein! Most lean sources of protein are about 7g per ounce. Meaning if you have an ounce of chicken, there is approximately 7g of protein in there! If your piece of chicken is about the size of your palm, then you may have 21-28g of protein in that single serving! Well on your way to your goal.
Finally, protein comes with a sense of feeling full or satiated. A major negative of highly processed carbohydrates is that you can eat and eat and somehow still find room to eat some more. It’s unlikely you’ll do the same thing with protein, as it makes you feel more full after consuming it. For some, this makes getting to your protein goal extremely difficult. For others, this is a way to help you curb your enthusiasm for after meal snacks! Fill up on the important protein first!
When you want some extra assistance with your nutrition, reach out to Pat at Pat@activemvmnt.com. Nutrition is the foundation of what we do in the gym and if you need yours reviewed, it’s free with your CrossFit Active Movement membership!