Protein and Your Workout

Protein has many benefits and is one of the essential nutrients your body needs.  It can be found in all animal and fish products, as well as many legumes.  Your body uses protein to build and repair muscles (including the heart), bones, skin, and other tissues among other uses.  There are some diets high in protein which can help overweight individuals lower the blood sugar levels and reduce food cravings throughout the day.  This may or may not work for you. That, however is a much different use for the consumption of protein than what I want to discuss.  What is the importance of protein in a workout?
Since protein is used to build and repair muscles, it is essential to eat enough protein to maintain your daily lifestyle and make gains throughout your exercise program.  Eating protein throughout your day as part of your regular meals is generally effective in fueling your body with the proper amounts of protein to repair overused muscles and allow for modest gains as well.  It is more effective to eat a little bit of protein within an hour of a workout.  If you would prefer to eat before your workout, then you should mix the protein with some whole grain carbs and some healthy fats.  The whole grain and the fats will allow your body to digest more slowly while providing you with fuel for the workout.  If you prefer to eat afterwards, you should mix your protein with a faster acting sugar.  Since it is important to get the protein to your muscles as fast as possible, a good recovery meal will include a simple sugar (sugar is the vehicle that transports protein to the blood, and then, your muscles) as opposed to whole grains.  Post-workout, fat will just get in the way of the protein’s job.  While it is not terribly important to worry about the ratio of sugar to protein, know that it is about 3-1, which means you should be getting more sugar than protein in a workout meal.
From a workout perspective, you will get most of your energy from sugar, readily available or stored.  Cardio supplements the sugar with metabolizing fat to allow for longer workouts.  Neither a long run nor a heavy weights session uses any protein at all for energy.  Protein is not an efficient source of energy for any type or workout.  Even in the highest protein diets, your body will still struggle to metabolize fat and sugar for energy.  Through the process of ketosis, the body will metabolize its own fat for energy as a last resort.  It is highly inefficient, you will feel very sluggish, and worst of all, you will smell bad (your breath, your sweat will smell like wet hoagies!)  To confirm the lack of energy, I have tried this over a four week span to see how I feel.  They were some of the worst workouts I ever had, and I used a modified hi-protein diet.  This is not meant to scare you away from hi-protein diets if that is what works for you, but understand that it can and probably will hinder the energy you have long term for your workouts.
Good pre-workout snack: Half a whole grain bagel with some peanut butter on it.
Good post-workout snack: Chocolate skim milk.

Comments

• 
  

• Tip of the Month

  January 2012

  Smart Starbucks and Steakhouse Choices

  Starbucks Choices
  • Peppermint Choc Mocha- 520cals, 20g fat
  • Pumpkin Frappuccino- 420cals, 13g fat
  • Flavored Latte- 360clas, 16g fat
  • Latte- 220cals, 15g fat
  • Coffee w/cream and sugar 180 calories
  • Cappuccino- 120cals, 4g fat
  • Coffee w/sugar 90 calories
  • Coffee w/cream 90 calories
  • Coffee w/whole milk 60 calories
  • Coffee w/skim milk 30-50 calories

  Order a coffee with cream and sugar every work day?  Add 900 calories per week to your diet.  That is over 13 pounds in one year.

  Enjoy a cappuccino every day instead, and you save 300 calories per week, and cut 4 pounds per year from the above diet.

  Go to coffee with skim milk and Splenda?  Now you are only adding 250 calories per week, and under 4 pounds per year in coffee weight.

  Enjoy a flavored frappucino or latte once per week?  That could add up to 26,000 calories, and another 7.5 pounds per year.

  Just your coffee could account for 20 pounds of caloric intake annually!

  Steakhouse Choices
  • Caesars Salad- 800cals
  • Chopped Salad, 320cals
  • Spinach Salad, 170cals click here for more »

  click here to read past tips

• Recipe of the Month

  January 2012

  Drink alcohol a little more wisely!

  Drink Choices
  • Eggnog, 350cals
  • White Russian, 260cals
  • Riesling, 160-200cals
  • Shot of liquor, 70-125cals
  • Tonic or Soda, 100cals
  • Winter Beer, 150-200cals
  • Beer, 150cals
  • Bloody Mary, 130cals
  • Wine, 120cals
  • Light Beer, 55-85cals
  • Champagne, 85cals
  Enjoy a small glass of eggnog and two gin and tonics, and you have drank 750 worthless calories.
  Or, start with some champagne, and enjoy two glasses of wine and you only have drank 330 calories, less than half of your first choices.