understanding protein

Protein is all the rage. Many adolescent athletes want to eat endless amounts of protein because they think it will make them stronger/faster.

Here are some straight Protein truths.

1.) Protein is best from whole foods

2.) Protein alone does not "fuel" you

3.) Protein needs a stimulus to build muscle

4.) Protein timing (when to eat) is critical

Yes, the overwhelming majority of protein intake should be from whole foods. Minimal/non processed meat, chicken, pork, fish, and even a vegan option, like Quinoa is a complete protein! Make/cook these in abundance so your athlete always has leftovers (see our L2M blog post from January 23). Protein bars, shakes, and other foods, when carefully selected (read the ingredients, keep it clean - ie. minimal sugar for example!) are fine for quick on the go or between school and practice or games, but should not be used as meal replacements!

Protein does aide in our daily and athletic lives, however, protein is not our fuel, rather it's mainly for recovery and building muscle. Our fuel for everyday and athletics should come from high quality carbohydrates like whole wheat grains and pastas, bread, or other similar foods. For the growing/developing athlete, carbs are mandatory in much higher levels than for older populations (We see you Keto eating parents!).

Protein alone will not make you stronger, you must be giving your body a stimulus such as resistance training (body weight or external) or running/sprinting, to name just a few. Stressing your body consistently under these stimuli is simply the best way to get stronger particularly in the adolescent years (most of these athletes do plenty of running already, so weight/resistance training is mandatory!).

Finally, timing is critical. And that timing is consistency! For growing athletes, 25-40 grams of quality protein per meal (3-4 meals per day) is a good target for most adolescents who are growing and training (lifting, practicing, competing). Being consistent in your protein (and all macros: PRO, CARB, FAT) is critically important. LRN 2 Move encourages our athletes to start on the lower end (of grams per day) to make sure they can tolerate the uptick in protein/calories and slowly build up to an overall caloric intake (including all macro and micro nutrients) to insure consistent quality (muscle) weight gain.