As a ROAR customer, the chances are you already know all about the benefits of consuming protein after exercise. Whether you’re training to build muscle mass, race faster or lift heavier, you’re probably focusing on your protein intake. Grabbing a raspberry blondie protein pot after your workout gives you a protein hit AND a taste sensation. We all understand the importance of that fantastic flavour. But why do the personal trainers of this world keep telling us to up our protein intake? Let’s take a look at the top seven reasons why eating plenty of protein is enhancing your health and fitness.
1. Protein after exercise will support your recovery
The main objective of eating protein is to speed up your recovery. When we exercise, we damage our muscles by causing microscopic tears in them.
Amino acids, which make up our muscles, are the fundamental components of proteins. By consuming protein after exercise, you’re giving your body the nutrients it needs to recover and rebuild.
Alloy personal training uses an interesting analogy of your body as a structure that needs to be repaired after being damaged during exercise. It sees protein in your diet as the concrete and other materials required for the repairs. The body receives the amino acids it needs to build new muscle tissue in addition to being repaired.
So, instead of just repairing your building where it was, it also extends it, giving it a more appealing appearance.
2. Boost energy
By putting the fuel into your body that it needs to recover from a workout, you boost your energy reserves. Whilst this might sound a little technical, it really isn’t. Properly fuelling after exercise will make you more inclined to move gently. Walking around and going about your day-to-day life.
Ever sat still straight after a hard training session? We challenge you to do it and then try getting back up again without grunting, groaning and sounding at least 150 years old.
Better still, don’t do that. Just grab a pot of ROAR double chocolate protein dessert and make sure your energy levels quickly return to optimum.
3. Consuming protein after exercise helps to develop muscle mass
An effective post-workout routine aids in both muscle growth and the body’s ability to recover. The muscles that come to mind when we see someone at the gym looking shredded are our skeletal muscles. While some people naturally gain weight and muscle, the majority of people need the proper nutrition to do so.
Making sure that your body begins the process of building muscle requires a high protein diet. Beyond just making you look bigger, lean muscle also has additional advantages. One of the best ways to make sure your body burns more calories is to build lean muscle. Your overall metabolism will run more quickly the more lean muscle mass you have. You’ll need to adjust your calorie intake as you gain more muscle mass because your body wants to maintain its current metabolism rather than slowing it down.
4. Maintains your immune system
In general, the majority of the protein we consume is made up of the L-glutamine amino acid. L-glutamine is an essential building block for more than just muscles; it also has a significant impact on the immune system. This amino acid serves as a source of energy for crucial processes like those of our white blood cells. Our immune system typically performs at its best when there is a sufficient amount of protein in our diet. L-glutamine speeds up the recovery of the body as a whole, not just our muscles.
5. Consuming protein lowers blood pressure
According to the British Heart Foundation, eating a variety of proteins from various different sources can reduce your risk of hypertension (high blood pressure). It is not clear from the survey that was conducted whether they took into consideration the fact that people who exercise regularly are more likely to be aware of their protein intake. Because we all know that exercise is a great way to lower blood pressure too!
6. Helps you to feel full
Protein is the macronutrient with the highest satiation level. This is thanks to its ability to be utilized for its amino acids rather than its calories, unlike fat or carbs, which tend to be better energy sources than recovery sources.
For those that tend to overeat after working out, protein is a great way to help prevent this from happening. Your body does not produce as many enzymes to break down food that is high in protein, making it sit in the intestinal tract for longer periods of time. As your body doesn’t have the enzymes available to immediately break down protein into calories, it uses the protein for amino acids as a recovery agent more effectively.
Protein should be part of your post-workout meal to prevent you from undoing the hard work you just did. Your body will be able to use up all of its other energy sources before turning to protein thanks to its ability to keep you fuller for longer.
7. Consuming protein after exercise enhances thermogenesis
Thermogenesis is the use of energy through heat production. You may have heard of non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT). This just means the energy we expend in day-to-day life, excluding eating, sleeping and exercise. Eating protein kick-starts thermogenesis more effectively than fats and carbs.
So, if you’ve had an adequate amount of protein after working out, your body will use stored calories to give it the energy it needs to keep going.
If you work hard on exercise of any type, always keep in mind the advantages of consuming sufficient protein. Eating protein has advantages that go beyond building muscles. Whether it is increasing the amount of energy your body needs to burn or repairing the body, it is a crucial component of keeping the body functioning.