How to Fuel Up With The Right Amount of Protein

How to Fuel Up With The Right Amount of Protein
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Megan_A_Ware]Megan A Ware 

Building and toning muscle happens when you do resistance exercises that challenge your muscles, not from eating excess protein. Consuming extra protein doesn't mean you'll build more muscle, it only means you'll burn more protein as a fuel source.

If you have meat and other animal products with most of your meals, you're probably already getting plenty of protein with your average daily intake. Most Americans are actually eating about 1.5- 2 times the recommended dietary allowance for protein. The problem is that the majority of this extra protein are coming from animal products that are often high in calories and lacking in the nutritional benefits that other plant-based proteins provide. Any excess protein is burned for energy or stored as fat.

Humans do not have the ability to keep extra protein stores on hand, so we need to consume adequate protein each day, evenly distributed throughout the day. For optimal muscle building and toning, try to eat 20-25 grams of protein at each meal. Our bodies can only utilize about 20-25 grams of protein at one time and any excess is waste product. Eating no protein throughout the day then eating three chicken breasts for dinner with 60 grams of protein isn't nearly as effective as spreading the 60 grams out throughout the day. If you find that 20-25 grams is too much, break it down to 10-15 grams at meals and maybe 5-10 grams at snacks or after your workout.

As for protein powders and bars and such, why not use real foods instead of supplements? Natural foods contain protein the way nature intended. We don't know the half of the science behind the way the components of a whole food (food in it's natural state) interacts in our bodies and gives us benefits as opposed to "food" engineered in a lab.

Following exercise, the body needs to repair and generate growth to the muscles and restore energy. A combination of carbohydrates and protein is a perfect choice. Eating within 30-45 minutes after exercise is a great window of time for repair.

A whole grain English muffin with peanut butter or berries and Greek yogurt are two examples of great post workout snacks that encompass both complex carbohydrates, healthy fat and protein. Experiment with different combinations of foods as your body will let you know what works best for before and after workouts.

Don't get your nutrition advice from a friend's Facebook post or a blogger with no credentials-- make sure your information is coming from a respected nutrition professional, a Registered and Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist. The reason there is so much conflicting information out there is because of those individuals trying claiming to be nutrition experts when they've had no proper education or scientific background to understand the body and it's complicated interactions and relationship with food. To learn more visit my website-- [http://www.meganwarerd.com]http://www.meganwarerd.com.

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