Protein

Protein

Commonly referred to as the building block of muscle, protein is an important macro for developing and maintaining lean muscle mass. Protein also has other important roles in the body such as: producing antibodies for the immune system, aiding in the digestion and absorption of food, providing structure for muscles, tendons, ligaments, organs, bones, hair, skin and all other tissue as well as other functions.

Protein generally comes from 2 sources: animal and plant based. Animal based protein sources contain much higher concentrations of protein as opposed to plant based. In order to get the equivalent amount of protein say from a vegetarian diet, you are going to need a much larger quantity in order to meet those dietary needs.

Animal based

This includes sources such as: Beef, Pork, Chicken, Turkey, fish, lamb and bison. Insects are slowly becoming a sought after animal protein source too. I will say now I am not going to get talk about whether or not to eat meat. This article is simply to inform.
There are plenty of places on the internet for that. However; I will say, in today’s climate you have to be mindful about where your meat is coming from. Where it came from and how it got on your plate definitely impacts the quality of the meat itself.

Plant based

Items like Soy or Tofu, nuts, seed and beans are plant based sources that you may explore to get protein in your diet. Protein powders are another great source. If you’re vegetarian then you may want to explore pea or soy based protein powders.

Overall Protein is critical to the development of muscle and it's essential to include it in your diet.

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Akil Sherman, CPT

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