The need for protein

Thank you for subscribing to Fitness and Nutrition Center’s series on Sports Nutrition. In this series you'll learn:

1. Part 1 - What sports nutrition is
2. Part 2 - Hydrations key
3. Part 3 - Fueling your body
4. Part 4 - Carbohydrates rule
5. Part 5 - The need for protein

Let's go ahead & get started today with "The need for protein".

Part 5 - The need for protein
============================
Another aspect of the athlete’s sports nutrition is that of protein.  Protein is yet another fundamental building block that you need to incorporate into your diet in the right manner in order to succeed at building your body into an energy producing machine so you can win at your game, whatever that is.

Protein is a necessary element in your diet but you should take note that you do not need to go on an all protein diet by any means.

In fact, too much protein can be detrimental to your actual results.

Again, we can bring back that team.  Here, without protein or with not enough protein, your body will have a difficult time building up to the endurance level that it needs. 

It will not have enough of what it needs to build muscle tissue so that your workouts are meaningful. 

As part of your body’s necessary team for success, protein intake should be monitored carefully, especially around your events and competitions. 

What’s Protein?

Protein comes from most products that are in the meat group.  It comes from fish, beef, poultry, pork, lamb, eggs, nuts and dairy products as well. 

The amount of protein you eat will vary but it should be consumed at about 15 percent of the total amount of calories that you take in, still a significant amount and right behind that of carbohydrates.

While carbohydrates will be used to provide your body with the energy it needs to go from one place to the next, protein is essential for building the body up so that it has the physical capabilities for that to happen.

Proteins are what give your body the necessary abilities to build new tissue in your body, to repair damaged tissues in your body and to maintain fluids throughout your body. 

They do other things as well, but for the athlete, this is the most essential aspect to know.

What is important to note about protein is the body’s inability to store excess amounts of protein.  Unlike that of the carbohydrate, it can not store it up to use when needed. 

The body will use protein for its needs and then it will burn it for energy.  If it does not need to use it for this matter, then it will convert the protein into fat and pack it onto your thighs, and everywhere else for that matter. 

Therefore, balancing the right amount of protein in your diet is essential to the athlete competing to win.

What Do I Need?

When it comes to protein, there are several things that you need to carefully consider.  How much you need is varied depending on these characteristics:

For more information about this part of What sports nutrition is, please refer to our definitive guide to sports nutrition by signing up for our email updates (see top right of sidebar on my blog). Once you've done that email me (webmaster[at]healthybiz2000.com) and I will immediately send you the guide in PDF format (if you prefer MS Word let me know).