Nobody wants to waste their money on unnecessary supplements, so a decent dose of scepticism goes a long way when it comes to looking after your health and your bank account. As it’s one of the most popular nutritional supplements in the world, you may have wondered whether protein powder is all hype.
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oing a little research into how a supplement works can help you determine whether you can benefit from adding it to your daily routine. Read on to find out what protein powder does so you can decide for yourself whether or not you need it.
Why use protein powder?
Not only is protein necessary for the maintenance of our bones, muscles, and skin, but the body also needs it to make hormones, enzymes and other vital chemicals. Naturally, making sure you get enough protein is essential for good health and fitness. If you feel weak when lifting weights, unusually tired, or your post-workout recovery is slow, you may not be getting enough protein for your needs.
The general recommendation for people aged 19 years and over is 46g of protein for women and 56g of protein for men. However, this recommendation is very general, and many people will need to exceed this recommendation to meet their nutritional needs.
How much protein your body requires for tissue growth and repair is determined by many factors, including sex, age, body composition, health, and activity level. For example, research suggests people with an intense training program may benefit from doubling the recommended protein intake. Protein should comprise anything from around 15% to 30% of your daily caloric intake, depending on your individual needs.
Although protein is available to us through many dietary sources, protein powder provides a fast, convenient, and tasty source of complete protein. This is especially beneficial for athletes, older adults, vegetarians, vegans, and anyone who struggles to meet their daily protein needs.
Suppose you really want to get on top of your nutrition. In that case, it makes sense to choose a protein powder that also contains superfoods, as these nutrient-dense additions provide many of the vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and antioxidants that we need for good health.
Using protein powder makes it easy to support your health and wellbeing
What does protein powder do?
Along with carbohydrates and fats, protein is a macronutrient, and it provides the body with amino acids. Our bodies require 20 different amino acids, which are sequenced and folded to combine in almost endless ways to fulfil the many roles of protein in the body. However, a protein source is considered ‘complete’ if it provides all of the 9 essential amino acids that can’t be made by the body
Protein plays a central role in growth and development throughout the entire body. In addition to muscle growth, protein is essential to the growth and repair of virtually all cells and body tissues - from your skin, hair, and nails to your bones, organs, and bodily fluids. Protein also plays a role in crucial bodily functions like blood clotting, immune system response, vision, fluid balance, and the production of various enzymes and hormones.
Regardless of the protein source, the body’s first objective is to break dietary protein down into all its amino acids before sending them to the liver for processing and reassembling into the various kinds of proteins that go to work in the body.
Our bodies are continually regenerating and replacing cells and tissues, so there’s never a time when we don’t need a variety of proteins. For instance, some proteins in the body provide a structural framework for the brain, nervous system, blood, skin, and hair. At the same time, some make antibodies that help the immune system fight bacteria and viruses. Other proteins help with DNA synthesis, chemical reactions, and transporting other molecules.
Protein powder provides a convenient and easy way to ensure all of these vital processes can occur at an optimum level. In other words, using protein powder makes it easy to support your health and wellbeing. Although adequate protein intake helps the body in many different ways, protein powders are best known for benefits like healthy weight management, lean muscle growth, and post-workout recovery.
Healthy weight management
Protein powder is a useful tool for healthy weight management because it helps us feel fuller for longer. Protein not only reduces levels of ghrelin, the hunger hormone, but it also increases the hormones that make you feel satiated. Increasing your protein intake with the help of protein powder not only helps you curb your appetite but due to its high thermic effect, protein powder can also help raise your metabolism.
When we feel full and satisfied, we not only tend to have smaller portion sizes at mealtimes, but we also have fewer cravings for unhealthy snacks. Along with improving your body’s ability to use body fat for energy, this effect makes protein powder a convenient and strategic snack between meals and an excellent tool for supporting healthy weight maintenance or weight loss.
Lean muscle growth
Most people have heard that protein is essential for muscle growth. The research backs this up; protein supplements significantly improve muscle size and strength in healthy adults who perform resistance exercise training, such as lifting weights. However, if we don't get enough protein, our bodies cannot repair and rebuild properly, and we’ll start to lose the lean muscle we already have.
Although maintaining or gaining muscle mass is the key to looking leaner and feeling stronger, there’s more to it than just improving your physique. Many health benefits come with gaining a little extra muscle, including a faster metabolism, better mental health, increased energy, reduced risk of injury, and healthier ageing. Post-workout protein smoothies can help you enjoy all kinds of gains!
Post-workout recovery
Protein's primary function is to build and repair cells, including the muscle cells damaged when exercising. On top of assisting with lean muscle growth, protein powder can help repair damaged muscles and tissues by increasing muscle protein synthesis.
This function accounts for one of the most practical benefits of using protein powder; it helps speed up recovery and reduce muscle soreness after exercise so you can get back in the gym sooner and reach your goals faster.
Combining your protein with carbohydrates before and after exercise can further improve your performance, speed up your recovery, and reduce muscle soreness in the days that follow. This nutrition hack enables you to exercise more regularly and reach your health and fitness goals faster, and it’s as easy as enjoying this Choc PB Oatmeal Protein Smoothie!
Tropeaka Lean Protein is naturally gluten-free, soy-free, vegan-friendly, NON-GMO and 100% all-natural
Do I need protein powder?
Now that you know what protein powder does, you can consider your diet and lifestyle and decide whether you could benefit from using it. Although protein powder can support your health and fitness in many ways, from improving your immune function to increasing your body’s ability to use body fat for energy, only you can know for sure what you need.
Whether you live an active lifestyle or need to fill in some nutritional gaps, protein powders are a great choice. However, with so many different protein powders on the market, it pays to check the ingredients to ensure you're getting a high-quality supplement. As many manufacturers prefer to cut costs, not all protein powders are healthy.
For starters, there are many benefits to choosing a plant-based protein powder over an animal-derived product - especially when it comes to building lean muscle the healthy way! Made from golden yellow peas, sprouted brown rice and omega-rich sacha inchi, Tropeaka Lean Protein is naturally gluten-free, soy-free, vegan-friendly, NON-GMO and 100% all-natural.
As it provides all nine essential amino acids, Lean Protein powder is a convenient and delicious source of complete, high-quality protein. It also contains digestive enzymes for optimal protein absorption, along with a selection of superfoods that provide an abundance of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and antioxidants - not to mention the fantastic flavours! In other words, Tropeaka Lean Protein is all health and no hype.
