Why Do We Need Protein?

What Do We Need Protein?

Protein is an essential nutrient our bodies need for survival.  It has many vital roles in our biological process.  It is responsible for building, repairing and strengthening tissues in the body.  Proteins make antibodies to support the immune system.  Certain proteins are involved in muscle contractions and movement.  Every cell in our body consists of proteins and without protein we could not survive.

Proteins can be further broken down into smaller units called amino acids which are the building blocks that help our bodies function properly.  These amino acids join together in various combinations to make the different proteins for the body.  There are 22 amino acids the body needs in order to function efficiently(and our bodies can make 13 of them).  The other nine are called essential amino acids because our bodies cannot do without them so they need to be obtained from our diet.

For people involved in strength training or weight lifting, adequate amounts of protein are necessary to rebuild and repair muscle tissue that is broken down during intense exercise.  The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for protein varies by age but gives a general guideline that 10-35% of your daily calories comes from protein. Individuals involved in strength training actually need a higher amount of protein.  If it is not supplied in the diet then the body will resort to breaking down its own sources, muscle tissue, to replenish its need for protein.  This is counterproductive in a strength training program. Therefore, it is important that people who are looking to increase their strength or build more muscle consume adequate amounts of protein.

For more information about the amount of protein you need to be consuming in order to reach your strength training goals or if you’ve been thinking about hiring a personal trainer, please contact us.