Protein 101: What, Which and How Much

What is Protein?

Proteins are large molecules that our cells need to function properly. They are found throughout the body—in muscle, bone, skin, hair, and virtually every other body part or tissue. They make up the enzymes that power many chemical reactions. Haemoglobin, that carries oxygen in your blood, is also a protein. At least 10,000 different proteins make you what you are and keep you that way.

Protein is made from twenty-plus basic building blocks called amino acids. These amino acids can be arranged in millions of different ways to create millions of different proteins, each with a specific function in the body. The structures differ according to the sequence in which the amino acids combine. Because we don’t store amino acids, our bodies make them in two different ways: either from scratch, or by modifying others.

Nine amino acids—histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine—known as the essential amino acids, must come from food.

How Much Protein Do I Need?

Protein is a macronutrient, meaning that the body needs relatively large amounts of it. The National Academy of Medicine recommends that adults get a minimum of 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight per day, or just over 7 grams for every 20 pounds of body weight.

This amounts to 56 grams per day for the average sedentary man and 46 grams per day for the average sedentary woman. Extra protein can help you maintain and improve muscle mass, strength, and functionality.
For strength training, increase daily protein intake to 1.18g to 1.69 grams per kilo of body weight. For endurance training, bump it up to anywhere between 1.29 to 1.80 grams. For adults over the age of 65, the journal of Clinical Nutrition suggest