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The United States RDA for protein is .8g per kg of body weight (or .36g per pound of body weight). This amount is supposed to meet the needs of a normal, healthy adult. This recommendation has been the source of a great deal of debate over the years between the government, some scientists, and the athletic/fitness community. Governmental authorities and some medical professionals have preached over the years that exceeding the recommended allowance for protein can lead to various ailments such as osteoporosis, cancer, kidney disease, and cardiovascular issues (due to the fact that protein from animal sources contains a relatively high amount of fat---specifically saturated fats). In fact, while they most often don’t say it outright, the implication is that a high consumption of protein will lead to one or more of these problems. The anti-protein camp also often points out that the RDA provides for nearly twice the daily need of protein. For the individual in hard training, or someone who just wants to enjoy optimal health, the preceding statements are at best misleading, and at worst incorrect.
Prior to delving into some of the reasons the RDA for protein is insufficient a brief word concerning one of its determining factors is in order. Nitrogen retention studies and their results are one of the factors used in determining the RDA. Testing the amount of nitrogen excreted by the body against that ingested indicates whether or not you are consuming adequate protein to avoid a deficiency. A net loss of protein indicates that the body is breaking down more protein than is being ingested. This is known as a “negative nitrogen balance” and is not a desirable state. The retention studies used to help in the determination of the RDA did not involve athletes in hard training. They used average, relatively sedentary individuals.
Do hard training individuals require more protein than their sedentary counterparts? According to the anti-protein camp the RDA more than allows for any increased protein requirements that an athlete might have. In virtually the same breath they also state that pregnant women, burn victims, and people suffering from various other ailments will require an increased protein intake. In other words, people whose bodies are under one form of physical stress or another require increased protein consumption. Anyone who has performed a few sets of 20 rep squats or ran for a few miles at a high intensity level can readily attest to the great demands this places on the body. Hard training places huge demands on the skeletal muscles of the body, huge stress. Hard training actually damages muscle tissue. One study of marathon runners found the muscle cells in the legs of the runners to be twisted, torn, and literally inside out. This was the state of the muscle cells the day before the race! One does not need to be Albert Einstein to ascertain that this sort of exercise induced damage just might require an increased intake of protein when compared to that of the average sedentary individual.
Speaking of that average sedentary individual and his needed daily intake of protein, is the RDA for protein the amount of protein intake needed in order to just subsist, or to have optimal, thriving health? In other words, when the RDA was being devised did the anti-protein camp determine what was enough to keep us alive and to avoid dreaded protein deficiency diseases, or did they take into account the amount that would help us to maintain optimal health? Optimal health cannot be realized without a vibrant immune system. Antibodies, the components of your immune system that allow you to fight foreign proteins (in the form of toxins, bacteria, viruses etc.) that enter the body, are proteins themselves. Without adequate protein we cannot manufacture sufficient antibodies. Proteins are integral to maintaining good health, from antibodies in the immune system, to regulation of fluid levels in the body, to transporting nutrients.
The body does not have a storehouse for protein as it does carbohydrates (glycogen in the liver and muscles) and fat. Protein must be continuously ingested in order for the body to maintain optimal health. Now, while the body does not have a storehouse per se, it does have a sort of “pool” of amino acids in the form of those that are in the bloodstream at any given time. Amino acids in the blood have a half-life of roughly 4-6 hours. Without getting into a long explanation about the specific amino acids, suffice it to say that there are basically nine essential amino acids (one of these, histidine is not always considered essential). The term essential refers to the fact that the body cannot manufacture these proteins, they must be ingested. The aforementioned inability to store proteins for future use is the genesis of the terms complete and incomplete proteins. Complete proteins contain all of the essential amino acids in adequate supply. Incomplete proteins are lacking in one or more of the essential amino acids or contain them in limited supply. If you have been reading closely, you might be thinking that the above statements contain a contradiction, that it isn’t correct to say that the body cannot store proteins for future use (as above) because the bloodstream will “store” amino acids from previous meals for up to 6 hours. This “pool” should allow the body to always have all of the essential amino acids it needs regardless of whether you are consuming complete or incomplete proteins at each meal (assuming you eat a varied diet). At face value this is a logical conclusion, but let‘s examine it more closely. One flaw in this argument is that you must ingest in your subsequent meal a food that contains an adequate amount of the essential amino acid(s) your last meal was lacking. This takes a greater amount of thought than most people use when planning their meals (if they plan at all). It also assumes that your body will “put off” whatever function or use it has for protein at any given time, that it will “wait” for you to consume your next meal, and if it will, that this has no negative consequence. Your body requires all of the essential amino acids at the same time in order to perform protein related bodily functions. It cannot use an incomplete array of amino acids. Thus, you may be cheating yourself out of proper recovery from your training, or optimal continuous functioning of your immune system if you do not consume adequate amounts of all of the essential amino acids at the same time (most animal based foods contain “complete” proteins). This underscores the need to ingest sufficient quantities of protein throughout the day (and complete proteins at that). All of the AtLarge protein products provide you with more than enough of the essential amino acids. This makes them a perfect adjunct to your daily diet. They can make your ingestion of incomplete proteins (most of the non-animal based proteins) no problem. You simply include a serving of AtLarge protein with each meal and you are assured of consuming adequate quantities of all of the essential amino acids during each meal.
The RDA for protein, while possibly sufficient for sedentary individuals interested in the status quo for health, is simply not sufficient (in my opinion) to maintain optimal health. If it is insufficient to foster optimal health, it is woefully insufficient in promoting maximal results from your hard training. Hopefully, after reading this article you will agree. If you do agree, you may be wondering how much protein you should ingest daily. The optimal amount of protein to consume varies greatly by the individual (as the quality of the protein each individual ingests and unique genetics can vary so dramatically). As with all things, too much protein can be a negative as well. We at AtLarge Nutrition recommend at least 2g per kg of body weight for those in hard training. For relatively sedentary individuals looking to simply enjoy optimal health we recommend 1.5g per kg. You may wish to experiment for yourself to determine what is best for you (remember, if you have any pre-existing health problems to consult with your physician first before making any dramatic dietary changes). To do this, simply start with our recommended intake and maintain this level for one month. Before you start make sure to maintain a training log for at least one month. In addition, pay attention to your energy levels and general health (are you catching colds easily etc.) during the same period. Once you have consumed our recommended intake for one month, check your training progress and reflect upon how you felt during this time. If you are satisfied with the results, then maintain this protein intake. If not, simply bump your intake by 10g per day and then restart the experiment. Obviously training progress and well being are not solely controlled by protein intake, but if you are getting sufficient sleep, keeping stress to a minimum, and eating properly otherwise (see other articles on this site), then by controlling for these variables you can get a better feel for how varying your protein intake effects you. Good luck, and good health!
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