CYCLING SUPERFOODS #12 TURKEY

Gobble up some turkey for a tasty poultry protein boost

The word protein is thrown about a lot in regards to sport, fat loss and most nutritional topics, and a wide array of foods can fulfil your daily quota of protein. Here we give you a snapshot of why we need it and an easy recipe that will enable you increase your daily intake.

The benefits

Protein helps in the recovery of muscle and cells within your body and in the preservation of lean muscle mass when in a calorie deficit, which you need to be in when losing weight.

How much?

As active individuals we should be having anything between 1.6-2.2g per kilo of bodyweight per day. The more active you are the higher you can go on that scale, likewise if you’re on a weight loss journey.

We have something called a net protein balance, eating protein makes this into a positive. Not having protein for a while makes it a negative, which will impair muscle recovery, so you should aim to eat protein every three to four hours.

We should aim for at least 0.3g per kilo of bodyweight per serving to sufficiently stimulate muscle protein synthesis (the driving force behind making a positive protein balance, leading to that recovery process).

It should be noted the older you are the harder this can be to stimulate. Research has shown that 40g of protein per sitting is a lot more beneficial to those over the age of 50.