Protein--For the Hype Or Health Of It?

Over the past several years, protein sales have exploded. Gone are the days of protein supplements being reserved for bodybuilders and athletes. It’s hardly possible to miss some type of ad, article or research touting the benefits of protein.

The good news is food scientists have made great strides in the realm of proteins that are no longer the powdery, odd-tasting ingredients of the past. Not only have protein shakes and snacks come a long way, but because various powdered protein formulations share similar physical characteristics with grain flours, a significant portion of a flour-containing recipe can be substituted with a protein powder, providing a higher protein, lower carb count.

Low-carb, high-protein foods including wonderful tasting pastas, cookies and even breads and bagels, now are available to help low-carb dieters eat without feeling like they’re on a diet, and more importantly, without sacrificing nutrition.

But why all the rage over protein? The word protein is a derivative of a Greek word meaning “of primary importance,” and whether a person is trying to lose weight, gain muscle or maintain optimum health, the benefits as well as the necessity of protein cannot be overstated. Next to water, protein is the most abundant substance in the human body. All tissues, bones and nerves are comprised mostly of protein. The muscles, skin, hair, nails, heart, brain and internal organs use protein as their primary building material. Collagen, which is a special type of protein, is important for strong arteries, tendons, ligaments, teeth and connective tissues. Protein even comprises a major portion of the blood and lymph and is essential for proper hormone function and immune system health.

In addition to being an essential nutrient for life, protein has a number of specific benefits desired by the carbohydrate conscious consumer. Protein increases calcium absorption from the gut and preserves muscle and bone mass when one is dieting to lose weight. Protein promotes growth hormone release, which fosters fat burning and the preservation of lean body mass. Protein creates significantly more heat during metabolism than comparable amounts of carbohydrate. Most importantly, in terms of losing fat and changing body composition, protein is critical for building and repairing muscle tissue. When you are trying to lose fat, you reduce calories. Unfortunately, the body views fat stores as more precious than muscle tissue and will tend to burn up muscle tissue before it goes to fat for energy. This physiological adaptation, which used to protect our ancestors from famine, no longer works in our favor. This is unfortunate because muscle is our metabolically active tissue--our greatest calorie burner.

Every action--from walking to breathing and even blinking--is powered by muscle. The more muscle, the higher the metabolism and the more calories the body burns, even at rest. Conversely, less muscle mass means a slower metabolism. Pound for pound, muscle burns 25 times more calories than fat. One pound of muscle can burn 30 to 50 calories in a day, or 350 to 500 calories a week. One pound of fat only burns two calories a day, or 14 in a week. So, building just five pounds of muscle is equivalent to burning 26 pounds of fat in a year. Therefore, building and preserving lean muscle tissue not only makes fat loss easier, but more permanent.

One of the best ways to ensure this muscle building, fat loss success is to consume small protein-based meals throughout the day. Probably the biggest mistake made by people who are trying to lose body fat is to not eat enough. There is a misconception that by limiting calories, skipping meals and not eating breakfast, the body is certainly burning fat, right? Nothing could be more wrong. Eating only a couple of times a day slows down the metabolic rate as if the body were going into a state of fasting. This is actually fat storage mode, rather than fat burn mode. What is worse is that the body will actually begin to catabolize, or burn, muscle tissue (not fat) for fuel. The body begins sacrificing brain tissue, internal organs, skin and muscle to supply the body with the energy it needs. Talk about self defeating!

This low-calorie approach not only leads to enhanced fat stores and permanently lowered metabolism by breaking down precious muscle tissue, but, if you are exercising to enhance your fat burning, body reshaping program, you are also depriving the body of the protein it needs to rebuild and repair what you have torn down in the gym.

Contrary to popular belief, you do not build muscle when you work out. Exercise, even weight lifting, actually breaks down muscle tissue. The body needs an adequate amount of protein, particularly immediately after working out, to recover and repair muscle tissue. This is critical for building and preserving lean muscle tissue. Without protein, the body must break down existing muscle to repair what was broken down in the gym. This is counterproductive, for sure, as well as the reason so many people don’t see the results they are looking for and become disillusioned with working out. Again, a common mistake that can be remedied by simply consuming an adequate amount of protein each and every day.

Think of metabolism as a fire and imagine lighting two fires. On one fire, you toss a big fat log and let it sit for several hours. The second fire, you periodically feed foot long chunks of firewood. Which fire is going to burn hotter and more efficiently? Obviously, the fire that you are constantly feeding with the right fuel burns better. When you return to the first fire, you’ll find smoldering embers and half the log left unburned. Meanwhile, the second fire is hot enough to melt glass. Likewise, if we only eat a couple meals a day, particularly larger, heavier meals (because we are starving since we haven’t eaten most of the day) we will end up with a sluggish, “smoldering” metabolism, and left over food or calories, stored as fat. Conversely, if we feed our bodies small, frequent, protein-based meals, not only will we keep our metabolism stoked and burning efficiently, we will be building and preserving that all important muscle tissue, which will in turn further increase metabolism.

Catherine Wilbert is a certified nutritionist, performance nutrition specialist and certified fitness trainer. She is a nationally recognized nutrition and wellness expert, and the founder and product formulator for PhytoCeutical Formulations LLC, producer of high quality nutritional supplements, as well as the owner of The Nutrition Co. and Vitality Juice Java and Smoothie Bars, a growing chain of blended functional beverage, organic juice and coffee bars and nutritional supplement stores. Wilbert can be reached at cwilbert@catherinewilbert.com.