The Active Man’s Guide to Protein

By Henry Halse // Rhone.com

Image via Rhone.com

Protein, fat, and carbohydrate make up the three macronutrients. Some experts believe you should lower fat intake and others believe you should lower carbohydrate intake. However, lowering protein is rarely recommended because it’s so important. Nothing can replace protein in your diet.

Unlike carbohydrates and fat, you can’t store protein for future use. To make protein, your body has to break down existing cells in your body. Muscle tissue, for example, is broken down into its component parts known as amino acids.

Amino acids enter your bloodstream where they travel to another area of your body that’s in need of protein. If you eat enough protein, you can build cells faster than your body breaks them down.

How Much Protein?

The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for the average adult is .8 grams per kilogram of body weight. To figure out your body weight in kilograms, divide your weight in pounds by 2.2. According to the RDA, a 150-pound man should eat at least 54 grams of protein per day.

However, this number is too low for an active man. Think of it as a daily minimum, rather than a daily target, since this recommendation is geared towards sedentary adults. If you workout three or more times per week your protein requirements…

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The Pursuit Online Journal by Rhone

An Online Journal created to inspire men to dare and achieve in pursuit of progress. www.rhone.com/blogs/pursuit