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No matter how active your lifestyle, you definitely need protein. You almost never see fad diets that tell you to cut protein, and that’s because you shouldn’t. Proteins are great for portion control and they’re essential for muscle growth and repair. But if you’re confused on how much you really need, here are some ways you can figure out how much protein is best for you.
How much activity do you get? If you take it easy on the exercise, or you’re taking a break while you get your diet in order, you should be following the general guidelines for protein intake. All adult women should get, at minimum, 46 grams of protein per day.
What kind of activity do you do? If you mainly do cardio, your exercise isn’t that focused on muscle strain. You don’t need to add that much extra protein to your diet, no more than an extra 10-15 grams on top of the base 46 grams. If you’re really into strength training, you’re putting a lot of strain on your muscles, and they’ll need a lot more protein to repair and grow. People who do a lot of weight training should be getting an extra 20 to 25 grams of protein.
How old are you? Most of the previous numbers have been for younger adults. Adults over 50 need twice as much protein as younger adults for muscle maintenance. The older we get, the less efficient our bodies are at producing new muscle, which means we need more protein to make up for that deficiency. If you’re a strength trainer over fifty, you need up to forty grams of extra protein after a training session, and if you’re an endurance trainer, you need 20 grams extra protein after training.
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Protein is one of the most important parts of a healthy diet. Be sure to get as much as you need, so you can kick those empty carbs and build muscle at the same time!
What are your favorite high-protein foods?
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