FEED YOUR MUSCLES

Your muscles and body tissue depend on protein and the amino acids it contains to stay strong and durable. Without su cient protein, the body will break down under the demands of training. Individual needs depend on a range of factors, but for anyone who works out regularly, a high protein intake of 1.5g to 2.2g per kg of bodyweight is recommended. Aim for 20-30g every three to four hours to maintain muscle protein synthesis (the process by which the body uses protein to repair damaged muscles caused by intense exercise). If you’re maintaining a calorie de cit to lose weight, that muscle protein synthesis (MPS) is especially important, because your body is going to be searching for fuel and, unless you’re taking on enough protein to trigger MPS, muscle protein breakdown will occur. How you get your protein – be it from plant or animal sources – doesn’t really matter, so long as you’re utilising combinations that provide complete proteins with all nine essential amino acids. Animal sources are rich in these amino acids – the so-called ‘building blocks’ of muscle – but many plant sources are incomplete proteins when taken on their own. However, emerging research suggests getting complete protein sources in one go isn’t as important as once thought. So long as your diet is varied – and you’re getting regular doses of those aminos – you should be ne.