Should We Take Protein to Help Increase Lean Muscle?

Protein is important to the body. It helps the body build muscles as well as giving the energy to run it. To keep the body healthy and energetic, protein is needed.

Proteins are essential nutrients for the growth and maintenance of a human body. They are one of the building blocks of body tissue. Like carbohydrates, it is one of the body's fuel source.

It can be found in all cells of the body and is the major structural component of all cells in the body, especially muscle. Thus, it's one of the key nutrients for success in terms of sports.

Debates have taken place regarding the protein intake requirements. The way to know how much protein a person takes daily is determined by the amount of energy rich food sources it takes in daily. The body can work better if it has the right amount of fuel to make it run. This is the reason why those who go to the gym take protein to build their muscles and to replenish those that they lost during the workout.

Protein is very important to keep the body fueled to do physical activities. It also helps increase a person's muscular mass. Less protein means weak body and less lean muscle. Without an adequate supply of protein the body's cellular process is affected like the process of the respiratory enzymes and blood cells. These processes need protein to keep it going.

There is a recommended consumption of protein and this varies depending on the age of the person. For women 19 to 70 years old, it is recommended that they take 46 grams per day. The dosage is different for men aged 19 to 70 because they need to have at least 56 grams of protein.

People who engage in strenuous physical activities like athletes need more protein compared to those who engage in normal physical activities. They need more protein because they have higher muscle mass and they sweat more. For these active persons it is suggested that they take at least 1.6 grams per kilo to 1.8 grams per kilo daily. The dosage can be as much as 2 to 2.25 grams per kilo.

If you want to have leaner muscles, just remember to take sufficient protein.

You may eat a smaller meal about every three waking hours or five to six per day. Never miss a meal and you must take the right amount of protein every mealtime. Women's meal must contain 15 g of protein and for males it should contain at least 20 g to be considered "sufficient."

It is recommended that protein should be from natural sources. These natural sources include, egg, meat, and fish. Dairy products are also good sources of protein. The only downside in dairy products is that there are people whose bodies can't tolerate it. These dairy products include cheese, chocolates and other products that come from milk.

Whole grains and cereals are another source of proteins. The downside to this is that these food sources have limited amount of threonine, which can only be found in meats and vegetables. These food sources rich in protein are oats, buckwheat, millet, rye, rice, corn, bulgar, wheat, amaranth, sorghum and quinoa.

Another good source of proteins are nuts, seeds, fruits and legumes. On the other hand, soybeans, kidney beans, mung beans, kidney beans contain seven percent of protein. This is also the same with cashews, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, Brazil nuts, almonds and sunflower seeds.


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