by Lani Muelrath, M.A. sharaff photo
Has the protein been tipped off its pedestal?
When it comes to protein as a necessary macronutrient for health, growth, and repair, protein is essential, right up there with carbohydrate and fat.
But what about all the hoopla (propaganda?) about high amounts of protein being optimal, perhaps even necessary, for muscle building? In other words, do high amounts of dietary protein enhance muscle development, or even spare muscle when exercise loads decrease?
Good Guys/Bad Guys
We've all seen the wild fluctuations and debate about which macronutrient is currently king. Years ago carbohydrate reigned supreme - fats and proteins didn't seem to hold a candle. Fat became the bad guy, protein seemed lost in the shuffle.
For awhile. Then protein was pushed hard.
I remember during the gym explosion (along with my subscription to Muscle and Fitness Magaziine) in the 80, pushing protein was BIG big business. It got many of us tracking every gram, trying to pack more in, while keeping fat and carbs in check. It was all to help us keep fat stores reduced while building muscle density. Eat muscle to make muscle.
Of course, as a vegetarian, my protein supplementation had to get a little creative! But I bought the protein-party line along with everyone else.
Never very successfully or for very long, because the heavier protein diet never really appealed to me or left me feeling that great. I always tended to gravitate naturally toward a moderate protein diet.
And I never, EVER personally experienced a difference - body composition wise - with higher or lower levels of protein in my diet. It seemed my results were far more dependent on my exercise and workouts.
To this day, that continues to be my experience. I aspire to a trim physique, with enough muscle for good energy, function, and shape, and to optimize my metabolic rate as well.
But workouts and calorie load seem to have much more bearing on results than paying attention to grams-per-kilo or oz-per-pound of protein ever did.
How Much Protein? Some Exciting News
Which is why I am thrilled to see that my friend, nutrition, and fasting expert Brad Pilon has a new book just about to explode onto the marketplace.
Released early 2009, his much researched book How Much Protein: The Shocking Answer To the Question, How Much Protein Do I Need To Build Muscle?" delivers some enlightening details.
You may be familiar with my discussion of Brad's first book, Eat Stop Eat, and my discussion of experiences with his work on fasting in Min-Fasts: My 4-Month Report and 5 Reasons To Try Mini Fasts.
Well, I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of Brad's NEW book. According to the research explored in the How Much Protein…. book, my personal experiences and suspicions about protein and muscle have been substantiated.
But you don't have to just take my word for it! There are some great opportunities in coordination with release of this new book of which you will able to take advantage!
Don't Get Me Wrong
This is not a "protein bashing" book in the least. It is simply an exploration into a commonly held belief in the fitness industry regarding protein consumption and muscle anabolism.Think the debate will continue? I'm betting we can count on it.
© Lani Muelrath, M.A. All Rights Reserved
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