Working out hard….cutting carbs….eating less sugars…but still not seeing the results you want?
Gladiators, ask yourself… “Am I getting enough protein daily?”
Protein is an important component of every cell in the body. Your hair and nails are mostly made of protein. Your body uses protein to build and repair tissues. You also use protein to make enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals. Protein is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood.
There also is a misconception of the correlation between protein in-take and “bulking” mass gainers. These are NOT the same.
Along with fat and carbohydrates, protein is a "macronutrient" meaning that the body needs relatively large amounts of it. Vitamins and minerals, which are needed in only small quantities, are called "micronutrients" Unlike fat and carbohydrates, the body does not store protein, and therefore has no reservoir to draw on when it needs a new supply.
So the question lies in…”How much protein should you consume daily?”
Depending on your specific fitness goals, body composition, and exercise programming a general recommendation is grams of protein equal to your bodyweight/ideal bodyweight daily.
For example, if you weigh 165 lbs or 82.5 Kg (for my international gladiators) then your grams in protein would be 165 grams per day to sustain lean muscle mass and help reduce water weight.
My favorite analogy for those fearful of gaining weight by increasing their protein in-take. Think of a wet towel, it is heavy. Now wring out the towel and what happens it isn’t as heavy anymore. Your protein is the wringing out of your excess water weight…in conjunction of course with a balanced diet and exercise program.