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Protein intake...?

junebugx10

junebugx10

New member
Hey guys! I'm preparing myself for a half marathon and I've been going to gym to workout everyday, been running about 2 to 3 miles everyday and been lifting weights. I want to get toned but I've been told I must take protein. I'm 21 female and weight about 124 pounds. What brands and types of proteins do you recommend??
 
Been told you must take protein? Don't have to supplement with protein if you get enough through the diet. Just so you know.
 
Jiigzz said:
Been told you must take protein? Don't have to supplement with protein if you get enough through the diet. Just so you know.
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This

You're weight plays a huge role here. Rule of thumb is .75-1 gram per lb of body mass. Through diet you can easily achieve your specific needs. There is no reason you must take a protein supp. I acquire my protein needs through diet, and I take in around 4500 + calories a day, look great, and do this with only 4 meals a day
 
Thanks guys! But what if I don't eat too many meats...should I take protein everyday ? I got powdered protein called "whey", I'm suppose to take it 20 minutes after a workout to help recover and build muscle...was that a waste of money?
 
junebugx10 said:
Thanks guys! But what if I don't eat too many meats...should I take protein everyday ? I got powdered protein called "whey", I'm suppose to take it 20 minutes after a workout to help recover and build muscle...was that a waste of money?
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Not a waste per se. Use it if you wish to. Meats and dairy are both great sources for protein. It is a daily requirement if you are training hard. Timing of protein intake post workout is a myth propagated by supplement companies to convince you that you "need" their product to grow muscle. Just make sure you are hitting your macros an you'll be fine. That said, I eat big after a heavy weight session within 1-2 hours afterword. Check out MyFitnessPal for a meal tracking app if you do not already have one. You can scan your foods which makes tracking very simple. The biggest part of any training program is tracking your macros: do it for your own benefit
 
PalmFist said:
Not a waste per se. Use it if you wish to. Meats and dairy are both great sources for protein. It is a daily requirement if you are training hard. Timing of protein intake post workout is a myth propagated by supplement companies to convince you that you "need" their product to grow muscle. Just make sure you are hitting your macros an you'll be fine. That said, I eat big after a heavy weight session within 1-2 hours afterword. Check out MyFitnessPal for a meal tracking app if you do not already have one. You can scan your foods which makes tracking very simple. The biggest part of any training program is tracking your macros: do it for your own benefit
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Sums it up.
 
I will not claim to be an expert on female nutrition, nor of nutrition in general. I just know what worked for me. .75-1 gram per lb of bw is a good start. I gained 25 pounds my first year of lifting by going up to 1.5 grams or more. Basically, when I got between 270 to 300 grams, I had good results. So if you are wanting lean mass, I would start at 1 gram and work from there. Just monitor your progress in the mirror. The scale can tell you where you are at, but the mirror tells you if you are where you want to be.
 
Not to fuel an argument, but studies show that increasing protein intake beyond 1.8g/kg/BW is pointless and a waste. The body has a limited capacity (which is WELL understood, despite what you may hear) and above that capacity, the body will deaminate or transaminate aminos.

Studies that show this 'ceiling'if you will are both isotope markers and simple protein turnover anaylsis which INCLUDE muscle biopsies with both trained and untrained athletes across various sports.

Also 3-MH studies can be useful.
 
Jiigzz said:
Not to fuel an argument, but studies show that increasing protein intake beyond 1.8g/kg/BW is pointless and a waste. The body has a limited capacity (which is WELL understood, despite what you may hear) and above that capacity, the body will deaminate or transaminate aminos.

Studies that show this 'ceiling'if you will are both isotope markers and simple protein turnover anaylsis which INCLUDE muscle biopsies with both trained and untrained athletes across various sports.

Also 3-MH studies can be useful.
Click to expand...

All I can tell you is what worked for me. When I went to about 1.5 grams per lb of bw, my weight and strength went up. I also did not put any perceivable amounts of bf on. I have seen where the body can only handle about 37 grams, maybe a little less, at a time. Attribute it to extra calories or whatever, but it's what worked for me.
 
The 37-40g at one time rule is not true; just a heads up. Extra calories would increase mass and allow for optimal recovery (by way of ensuring adequete substrates for repair) but this isn't solely the role of protein.
 
Ha. My meals usually consist of anywhere from 20-120 grams of protein. Around 40-120 grams of carbs. And 5-50 grams of fat. I am not six pack shredded but that's not my goal either. Regardless I look focking awesome
 
I feel like this thread has already happened with science in general demonstrating inconclusive implications.

Just as last time, I tend to experience greater gains around 1.5-2g protein per pound myself and without making the protein an extra source of calories but working it in to my intake level.

If I could remember the previous thread I would link it here but studies have also shown "high" protein intake to induce supraphysical levels of protein synthesis. And now we are looping back to an old argument so I'll leave it there.
 
TexasGuy said:
I feel like this thread has already happened with science in general demonstrating inconclusive implications.

Just as last time, I tend to experience greater gains around 1.5-2g protein per pound myself and without making the protein an extra source of calories but working it in to my intake level.

If I could remember the previous thread I would link it here but studies have also shown "high" protein intake to induce supraphysical levels of protein synthesis. And now we are looping back to an old argument so I'll leave it there.
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The 'celing' is very well understood and I have had many discussions, with both my own nutrition professors and biochemists on the reliability and their interpretation of the data and they all share similar feelings.

When protein intake increased beyond a certian level, leucine oxidation increased at the rate of ingestion and because all aminos constitute the building blocks required for hormonal transport and muscle repair, the fact that leucine oxidation increased is a pretty good conclusion that the body no longer needed those aminos which indicates the upper ceiling.
I read your studies posted a while ago, but I felt as though we wouldnt reach a common ground and so I left the discussion as it was. Of course extra protein is not harmful and so it doesnt really matter what your intake is
 
One factor that you guys ^^^^ are neglecting is the role of protein in satiety.
Some people (myself unfortunately not included) find that protein blunts hunger more than do the other two macros. For those people, an "excess" of protein may be preferable to extra quantities of the other two -- even if the extra protein doesn't ultimately contribute to muscle building/repair past a certain point -- simply because it serves as a safeguard against overeating.

There are also some studies on the efficiency with which the body uses calories of the different macros. I don't remember everything exactly (I will look them up again when I have more time), but some studies purport to show that the body only avails itself of 0.7-0.8 calorie of actual food energy per 1 calorie of protein consumed. By contrast, those studies say, the body is very efficient at using (and not wasting) the whole 1 calorie of carbohydrate and/or fat.
This totally looked like junk science to me when I read it, but it's borne out by my food diary. Specifically, when I go back to Uruguay, I eat absurd amounts of protein (sometimes north of 400 grams on workout days) and a lot less carbohydrate. And sure enough, according to the diary, I can consume an extra 300-350 cal/day (= about 20% of those protein calories) and still be at long-term maintenance.
So, even if protein doesn't particularly blunt your appetite, you may come out ahead of the curve by eating more of it, even on an isocaloric diet.

Of course, anecdotes are not data, and so YMMV.

And for you lucky bastards (aka "hardgainers") who don't have to worry about keeping your appetites in check, well, you may want to do the opposite. Proportionally less protein, more carbs and fats.
 
Oh, and, three responses to the OP if you are still reading this:

1/
If you are training for a 13.1-mile race, you should definitely be running more than 2-3 miles a day. Probably about twice that much (if your goal is just to *finish* the half marathon), say 25 to 35 miles/week. If you're just starting, build up to it.
If you are varying your tempo -- some fartlek/speedwork, some normal tempo running, and occasional sprints on the track (a couple times a month) -- then you can knock the mileage down a bit.

2/
Your two goals (being "toned" and running a 13.1-mile road race) are going to butt heads after a while.
Endurance work, if you get too serious about it, will have pernicious effects on the "toned"/"full" look of muscles. (Long story short: More cortisol, fewer androgenic and estrogenic hormones.) It'll make you long, lean, sinewy, and whip-like -- take a look at some marathon runners -- but it's not the best route to a beach bod.
For women, the best route to a beach bod is disciplined (your diet should be on point), but lazy (you honestly don't need to work out very much). Lazy is always a good thing, if you ask me.

3/
Make sure you're getting monthly bloodwork, especially thyroid tests (t3, tsh, and t4).
Basically, endurance training can f*** with thyroid function in women, a LOT more than in men. Who knows why -- it's probably an evolutionary adaptation, to keep you from losing too much fat to have the bebehs -- but, it is what it is.
If your thyroid levels are tanking, cut back the training, and/or find a doctor who is far-seeing enough to write you a temporary rx for some thyroid meds. Or else you risk turning into a zeppelin as soon as you cut back the mileage.

Good luck.
 
junebugx10 said:
Hey guys! I'm preparing myself for a half marathon and I've been going to gym to workout everyday, been running about 2 to 3 miles everyday and been lifting weights. I want to get toned but I've been told I must take protein. I'm 21 female and weight about 124 pounds. What brands and types of proteins do you recommend??
Click to expand...
I like Protean, XF UP 2.0, and PROnom. Taste is subjective, but they are the best tasting, IMO. The guys above me have made some great points for you to consider. You don't NEED protein powder if you're already getting enough via your diet. If you're not consuming enough protein from real food sources, supplementing w/powder is fine. Also, in terms of the timing of your protein, just get it in when you can during the day - don't stress over WHEN you get in your protein. Your total consumption at the end of the day trumps timing.Understand that distance running and "toning" are counterproductive. If you want more muscle, distance cardio/lengthy cardio is going to minimize your gains. If you want to run your 1/2 marathon, cool. But just know that you're not going to get jacked in the process.
 
eluruguayo said:
One factor that you guys ^^^^ are neglecting is the role of protein in satiety.
Some people (myself unfortunately not included) find that protein blunts hunger more than do the other two macros. For those people, an "excess" of protein may be preferable to extra quantities of the other two -- even if the extra protein doesn't ultimately contribute to muscle building/repair past a certain point -- simply because it serves as a safeguard against overeating.

There are also some studies on the efficiency with which the body uses calories of the different macros. I don't remember everything exactly (I will look them up again when I have more time), but some studies purport to show that the body only avails itself of 0.7-0.8 calorie of actual food energy per 1 calorie of protein consumed. By contrast, those studies say, the body is very efficient at using (and not wasting) the whole 1 calorie of carbohydrate and/or fat.
This totally looked like junk science to me when I read it, but it's borne out by my food diary. Specifically, when I go back to Uruguay, I eat absurd amounts of protein (sometimes north of 400 grams on workout days) and a lot less carbohydrate. And sure enough, according to the diary, I can consume an extra 300-350 cal/day (= about 20% of those protein calories) and still be at long-term maintenance.
So, even if protein doesn't particularly blunt your appetite, you may come out ahead of the curve by eating more of it, even on an isocaloric diet.

Of course, anecdotes are not data, and so YMMV.

And for you lucky bastards (aka "hardgainers") who don't have to worry about keeping your appetites in check, well, you may want to do the opposite. Proportionally less protein, more carbs and fats.
Click to expand...
Yeah, this was all previously discussed as well. I hope a "cloud" feature finds its way to forums one day.
 
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