How to make the best use of protein

In the overwhelming noise and narrative of eat more protein we tend to forget two critical aspects - exercise and sleep. Both under-rated but crucial for assimilation of protein.

Exercise - it leads to calibrated wear and tear of our muscle tissue and the body needs this dose of breakdown to stimulate muscle protein synthesis. Consistency with exercise is the most crucial aspect. Atleast 150 mins/ week.

*Yes, protein shake is fine but the problem often is that the protein shake, in the absence of a wholesome diet, is just not effective. And exercise will then only lead to exhaustion, injuries and frequent illnesses. You can just skip the protein shake if it doesn’t sit well in your stomach and have a wholesome meal instead.

Sleep – Without it, any amount of exercise or protein intake, is pretty much useless. Sleep is where most, if not all, the repair work takes place. If you are eating protein for better hormones - GH, Insulin, Testosterone, etc., sleep becomes even more critical for you. Men need about 7-8 hrs a day and women can need upto 9 hrs around hormonal milestones.

Essentially, there is no alternative for a common sensical approach. Good health is not about consuming or avoiding the nutrient that is currently in spotlight but building habits that last a lifetime.

P.S. The anabolic ceiling is real. It means that your body is not going to have a protein sparing effect and optimally grow, repair and maintain just because you ate a lot of protein per meal.

Part 2 of the Protein series.

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