Myth of the century: Eating more protein makes muscles more toned, not fat

Why do food companies always stick the word “ROTEIN” on their products? The reason is because: this nutrient has a “good reputation” for human health. While carbohydrates and fats have both been condemned over the years, protein has remained almost completely unscathed. This is mainly due to a myth that is being spread around the world: eating more protein builds muscle.

Sorry, but that’s not true.

While protein is required to build muscle, eating more protein than recommended won’t automatically make you “muscle”. Otherwise, Americans will be quite muscular by consuming more protein than they need, about 100 grams per day compared to the recommended 65 grams.

Myth of the century: Eating more protein makes muscles more toned, not fat
Protein does not make us gain muscle, only exercise can when it comes to toning muscles.

Along with the notion that eating more protein makes us stronger is the idea that protein doesn’t make us fat. However, like carbohydrates, each gram of protein contains 4 grams of calories. In the body, proteins are broken down into constitutive amino acids. Any amino acids that are not used by the body’s bones, tendons, enzymes, etc. will be converted into glucose (sugar) or ketones. Glucose can then be stored as fat.

So, if protein doesn’t build muscle, what will? The answer is practice . Lifting weights or playing sports puts stress on the muscles, forcing them to adapt and grow in response to stimuli. If you’re an avid exerciser, exceeding the weekly recommended amount of 150 minutes of moderate aerobics and twice vigorous intensity, a bit more may be needed, but surprisingly, the benefits are back. unclear.

Only advanced athletes, who train hard almost every day, can actually need higher amounts of protein – almost twice the average adult recommendation or 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight. body. Thus, for a man weighing 86 kg, the amount of protein to eat per day is about 140 grams. A woman weighing 72.5 kg needs 116 grams of protein per day. Consuming more than this does not increase muscle mass. Compared to Americans’ 100 grams of protein per day, those numbers are hardly out of reach.

Of course, there is no panacea or single supplement that will make your body better. Even if that’s true, intriguing rumors certainly persist. Studies show it’s still safe to eat twice the daily recommended amount of protein over the long term, but don’t expect to do anything to your muscles unless you’re ready to move. body.