Easy Ways To Increase Your Daily Protein Intake

September 5 2013 ·

Easy Ways To Increase Your Daily Protein Intake

Protein is an important nutrient that plays a key role in a variety of normal body functions. It transports nutrients throughout to organs and tissue, defines our genetic code, stabilizes blood sugar levels, improves digestive functions, regulates weight, increases energy levels, and it works to rebuild damaged muscle fiber. If you are a bodybuilder or weight lifter, you’ll want to consume a greater amount of protein to speed up your recovery time.

How Much Protein Do I Need?

So, how much protein should you consume in a day? There’s really no easy answer to this question, as it depends on a number of different factors, such as your body weight, age, gender, physical activity levels and current health. Some doctors and nutrition specialists recommend non-athletes to consume 1/2 gram of protein per body weight. For instance, a person weighing 150 pounds will need to consume 75 grams of protein each day, while a person weighing 200 pounds will need to consume 100 grams of protein each day.

Of course, athletes and bodybuilders require a greater amount of daily protein to meet their body’s needs. As previously stated, protein plays a key role in muscle repairs. Small tears and damage occurs when you work out a specific set of muscles, which is essentially the cause of muscle soreness. Resting for at least 48 hours will give your body time to rebuild these torn muscle fibers; however, you can speed the process up by consuming a protein-rich diet. Ideally, you should strive for .75-1 gram of protein per body weight if you are an athlete or bodybuilder.

Dietary Sources of Protein

If you are having trouble achieving the recommended amount of daily protein, try to consume more of the following foods:

• Tuna
• Salmon
• Halibut
• Turkey
• Pork
• Grilled chicken
• Eggs
• Nuts
• Soy
• Yogurt
• Cheese (low fat)

Protein Shakes

Even if your diet is based around the food previously mentioned, you may still find it difficult to achieve a full gram of protein for each pound of your body weight. Thankfully, protein shakes are an excellent source of protein that’s sure to give your body a beneficial boost of this vital nutrient. Drinking just 1-2 protein shakes a day can boost your intake by as much as 50 grams.