Why do you need to exercise? Is it for health, to get the right body shape, to gain weight, or to lose weight? Maybe you need to exercise for one of these or other reasons. No matter what your goals are, you need to plan your diet in order to achieve the desired results outside of the physical activity.
This week Activ8 would like to share some tips about the most important nutrients for your body that are useful for building muscles. Protein!
Do you need extra protein or protein supplements to build muscles?
About 10 to 20 percent of the calories our body consumes must come from protein! For example, if your body needs 2,000 calories, it should be 200 to 700 (50 to 175 g) protein.
So the question is how much protein do I need and when is the best time to consume protein?
General recommendations are to consume 15-25g of protein at meals and in the early recovery phase (anabolic window) — 45 minutes to1 hour after a workout. Studies show higher intakes (more than 40 g) are no more beneficial than the recommended 15-25 g at one time. It is because our body can’t store protein, so once needs are met, any extra is used for energy or stored as fat. Excess calories from any source will be stored as fat in the body. Extra protein intake can also lead to elevated blood lipids and heart disease, because many high-protein foods we eat are high in total fat and saturated fat. Extra protein intake, which can be taxing on the kidneys, poses an additional risk to individuals pre-disposed to kidney disease
Protein consumption per a day | Example (75 kg person protein per day consumption) | Protein consumption per a day | Example (75 kg person protein per day consumption) | |
Age | 20-40 | 20-40 | 40-60 | 40-60 |
Regular person | 0.8 | 60 | 1 | 75 |
Exercise person | 1.1 | 82.5 | 1.5 | 112.5 |
Regular exercising person ( weight lifting, running, biking) | 1.2 | 90 | 1.7 | 127.5 |
The recommended dietary allowance to prevent deficiency for an average sedentary adult

It’s very easy to get the recommended 15-25 g protein per meal or post-workout snack. You can have a balanced diet by including all food groups: protein, grain, dairy, fruit and vegetables.
For example
Banana + yogurt + hardboiled egg = 19 g protein
Chicken breast + Half cup rice + half cup vegetables = 25 g protein
At the conclusions the recommended amount of protein you can get through food alone, without the use of supplements. But if you need immediate protein right after a workout and don’t have time for a meal and if you want to use a protein supplement, here’s what to look for:
- About 200 or less calories
- 2 g or less of saturated fat
- No trans-fat or partially hydrogenated oils
- 5 g of sugar or less
Before taking on any diet, please consult a professional nutritionist or your doctor if you have underlining health conditions.
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