rich in proteins

Protein is an essential nutrient, responsible for multiple functions in your body, including building tissue, cells and muscle, as well as making hormones and anti-bodies. Everyone needs protein in their diet, but if you do endurance sports or weight training you may need to increase your protein intake, and to factor it into your training routine at specific times to reap its muscle-boosting benefits.

How much protein should I eat?

For most people a daily dose of around 0.8-1g of protein per 1kg of body weight is recommended. For strength athletes 1.2-1.7g per kg of body weight is recommended per day, with a recommendation of 1.2-1.4g per kg of body weight per day for endurance athletes. After exercise, protein is particularly important since muscles need it to recover and grow. A portion of protein (15-25g) is recommended within 30 minutes of exercise, when your muscles are particularly receptive to protein synthesis. 

For most of us, our daily protein requirements are easily achieved by a healthy, balanced diet. The Department of Health advises adults to avoid consuming more than twice the recommended daily intake of protein (55.5g for the average man and 45g for the average woman). This is because there is evidence that, in the long term, consuming too much protein can lead to health issues such as an increased risk of osteoporosis and a worsening of an existing kidney problem.

One of the main issues with our Western diet is that most of our breakfasts and lunches are low in protein but high in carbohydrates, with a protein-packed evening meal. It is better to aim to spread your protein intake out throughout the day.