Every couple of years, a new health trend seems to become mainstream. From zero-fat diets in the 90s, which prompted almost every product to release a âlow-fatâ alternative to their initial offering, to zero-carb offerings⊠the list goes on.
In todayâs day & age, there is a massive emphasis on high-protein diets. And unlike the above fads, a high-protein diet can actually provide excellent health benefits in a sustainable manner. Now we are not saying for everyone to go out and start slamming 200g + of protein into themselves on a daily basis, but we certainly would recommend eating more than the standard guidelines for your daily intake of protein. If youâre exercising & seeking to change your body composition, the most important macronutrient is without doubt protein!
Here are a list of benefits you can get from eating high amounts of proteinâŠ
1. BUILDS LEAN MUSCLE.
If youâre looking to build lean muscle â you need protein. The general rule of thumb for protein intake for building muscle is to eat a gram per pound of lean body weight. So if youâre a male weighing 170 pounds & of 20% body fat, youâre looking at eating 136g of protein. If youâre a female weighing 120 pounds & 25% body fat, you should look to get 90g of protein in daily.
This protein will help your cells recover & grow. Exercising causes tiny tears in your muscle fibres, and when provided with adequate protein, they will grow back stronger & bigger!
2. STABILISES YOUR BLOOD SUGAR.
Eating a diet consisting primarily of carbs can be extremely difficult for your blood sugar levels. Fast-acting carbohydrates cause spikes in your insulin levels, from which fat is then stored. However, consuming a portion of protein with each carb-heavy meal will enable your body to stabilise these spikes.
Stable blood sugar allows you to avoid the storage of fat, fatigue, hunger & even diabetes. So ensure that with each meal youâre getting a healthy dose of protein!
3. THERMOGENIC EFFECTS
High-protein diets are linked to having thermogenic effects on the body. Studies have found that resting energy expenditure in response to protein supplementation was significantly greater when compared to a carbohydrate containing meal. So basically, high-protein diets will help you burn more calories when youâre doing nothing.
Increasing your protein intake will often see you substitute fats or carbs in its stead. And as protein is far more satiating than the other two macros, it will see you eat less calories throughout the day â potentially putting you in a calorie deficit & thus helping you to burn even more fat!