You probably know that protein is important, but you might not realize why it is valuable and just what it does for your body. Here is what you need to know about why protein matters and whether you should get more.
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Reduce Appetite
If you want to lose weight without suffering from hunger, reducing your appetite is essential. It can be almost impossible to resist tempting food when you feel like you’re starving.
Protein is the most filling of the macronutrients. Unlike fats and carbs, which may make you crave more, protein tends to fill you up and keep you satisfied, significantly reducing your calorie intake.
If you’re trying to diet to lose weight, increasing your protein intake is an excellent way to reduce overall calorie intake and help you feel better while you’re dieting.
Increase Muscle Mass
Your muscles are made of protein. For your muscles to grow stronger, they need protein. If you are causing micro-injuries to your muscles by working out, protein is necessary to heal them.
Whether you have an intense workout plan or an active lifestyle, protein equips your body with what it needs to build the muscles to do what you want to do. If your goal is weight loss, increased muscle mass will also help you to burn fat.
Reduce Soreness
Many of us accept muscle soreness after exercise or strenuous activity as a necessary evil of workouts. However, if you have plenty of protein before and after exercise, you may find that you experience much less muscle soreness.
Protein gives your muscles what they need to heal, which means they’ll be less sore.
Bone Health
We usually think about calcium when we’re worried about maintaining good bone health, but protein has also been found beneficial for long-term health. Eating plenty of protein will put you at lower risk of fractures and osteoporosis.
Boost Metabolism
Protein tends to make the body burn calories faster, especially as opposed to eating carbs or fat instead. Eating a high-protein diet may cause you to burn more calories every day, which means you’ll have to exercise less to achieve your weight-loss goals.
Reduce Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is a serious problem in America. It can result in kidney disease, heart attacks, strokes, and other problems. Higher protein intake is tied to reduced blood pressure.
Increasing your protein intake may be a good way to directly reduce your blood pressure as well as reducing craving for the sweet and fatty foods that may raise your blood pressure.
Do You Need a Protein Supplement?
If you are on a workout plan or trying to lose weight, you may find that a protein supplement can help. If you are sore after workouts or not building muscle like you hoped you would, you should try a protein supplement. There is little to lose, as protein supplements are very healthy for you.
What Kind of Protein Supplement Should You Choose?
If you are worried that you’re not getting enough protein in your diet, a protein supplement can help. Whey protein is well known to be one of the best sources of additional protein, since it contains all of the essential amino acids. If you are trying to decide between whey isolate vs concentrate, here are some things to consider:
- Isolate has nearly no lactose, while concentrate has more
- Concentrate is a more complete substance with calories, fat, and carbohydrates
- Isolate is a more concentrated form of protein than concentrate.
- Concentrate tastes better, with a rich sweet taste that is great in smoothies and shakes
Make Sure That You are Getting Enough Protein
Protein is very important for a number of functions in your body. It can make you feel much more comfortable between meals, help you lose weight, enable you to build muscle, and reduce soreness after workouts. Consider investing in a great protein shake to make sure you’re getting plenty of protein.
