For all women, protein is a crucial macronutrient. You must consume enough protein for your body to develop and heal, even if you aren’t attempting to gain muscle. What happens when a woman increases her intake, and how much is too much?
We’ve spoken to nutrition experts to get their breakdown of how much you should be consuming in order to address such queries. To make it simpler for you to meet your daily protein objectives, we’ve also compiled a list of the top protein powders for women.
All diets must include some kind of protein. According to registered dietitian Helen Bond, “Protein creates and maintains all of the body’s cells, including those that makeup muscles, organs, bones, cartilage, skin, and blood.” Consuming enough protein will help your body develop and repair itself effectively, but it also has additional advantages.
Eating enough of it may assist you in maintaining a healthy weight since it is more satiating than carbohydrates or fats. Moreover, eating protein may actually promote calorie burning. According to a process known as thermogenesis, Bond claims that eating protein may increase the body’s metabolism.
The body will produce heat and burn calories as a result of the effort required to digest it. Nonetheless, you should use caution to avoid going too far. Eating too much protein may result in weight gain, just like eating too much of any nutrient.
In particular, when it comes to animal proteins like red and processed meat, Bond explains that certain high-protein diets are less healthful than others because they include more fat, saturated fat, and salt. Consuming more red and processed meat is also associated with a higher risk of developing bowel cancer.
Focus on leaner types of protein when attempting to improve your consumption since consuming too much-processed meat and full-fat dairy products may also raise your cholesterol. Increasing your protein consumption won’t improve your health or performance if you’re already getting enough to fulfill your requirements, according to certified dietitian Anita Bean.
“But, your protein requirements may rise if you increase the amount of activity you perform, especially strength and conditioning.” Positive protein balance is necessary for our bodies to efficiently build muscle. If you want to do this, you must make sure you’re getting enough protein in your diet to help your body build muscle.
We can estimate our protein requirements depending on our body weight, according to Bean. “For moderately active women, a daily protein consumption of 0.75g per kg of healthy body weight—or 45g for a 60kg person—is advised.
If you regularly exercise or are really physically active, this rises to 1.2 to 2g per kg of healthy body weight each day, according to the expert.
According to a study that was published in Food Function, protein insufficiency might cause immune system impairment, weakness, cardiac issues, and stunted development. This is because amino acids are necessary for healthy immunological function, cell development, and replacement of damaged cells. In light of this, it’s crucial that you consume enough protein to sustain yourself.
Since the body requires protein to develop lean muscle and heal any muscular damage, those who are physically active have greater protein requirements, according to Bond. As a result, women who routinely exercise or are highly physically active may need between 1.2 and 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day.
Protein should be consumed after exercise, according to Bond and Bean, who also advise including it in meals and snacks throughout the day. In order to aid in the recovery of our muscles, it has long been recommended that we consume high-quality protein one to two hours after engaging in physically demanding activities, according to Bond.
“What we now know is that our daily total protein intake matters more than when we consume it to support our body’s ability to develop and repair itself. So, it is advisable to spread out your protein intake throughout the day and try to consume a comparable quantity at each meal to guarantee that your body can use the protein you’re ingesting. “Eating 20g of protein at each meal, plus a protein-rich snack, is an excellent objective to strive for to fuel and build our muscles all day long.