Close your eyes and think of the word protein, to many it may be a world of bodybuilding and huge weights, but it’s far more important than that.
It’s one of the key nutrients needed to stay healthy and it plays a vital part in helping our bodies to grow and recover.
We’re big believers in getting the right nutrition on board for our clients, so we’ve put together this blog to stress the importance of protein for exercise, what is protein needed for and how it can benefit you.
Why is it so important in exercise?
Protein plays a huge part in exercise, and it’s not just because it helps muscles to grow.
By exercising, your muscles become stretched, with the fibres under intensive work and sometimes breaking. To combat this, protein is needed to help restore them back to their best.
It’s one of the main reasons why you may feel extremely stiff or sore for a few days, the lack of protein in your body hasn’t been able to fully repair your muscles in time.
The more you keep active, the more protein you will require, and it can be difficult and sometimes expensive to get the right or excess amount from foods alone.
That’s where supplements come in, either through protein powders, shakes, or bars. This extra boost of protein will help your body be able to react quickly to the strains of exercise, meaning you can train for longer or more times during the week.
Will it make me stronger?
It’s much more complex than a simple yes or no, but in essence, yes it will make you stronger when you exercise.
The fact you are less prone to injuries will be enough to ensure you can carry on training for longer, building up strength in the process.
Protein can also be a good fat burner if you exercise regularly, so not only will you add tone and muscle definition, but you are likely to lose fat from your body.
Be careful if you don’t exercise however, as excess protein will become fat, whilst the lack of activity will see the muscles slowly start to waste away, becoming smaller and weaker.
What protein is right for me?
There’s several and you shouldn’t be put off if you’re looking to diet or anything similar. There really is the right protein for everyone based on their lifestyle, it’s just finding the right one and sticking to plans and workouts.
If you are serious about the gym, then you’ll want to look out for whey protein, with many supplements having their top of the range product like this. The GHN Ultimate Competition Whey, for example, is designed to prevent muscle tissue breakdown due to the rapidly absorbing protein, helping athletes push their muscles to the very limit, safe in the knowledge that their muscle tissue won’t be affected anyway near as much.
Those wanting to achieve a lean and defined physique rather than the biggest muscles possible, then there are excellent diet options, with vegans covered too thanks to the excellent GHN Vegan Isolate Protein which is available in flavourful dark cocoa or mixed berry.
Check out our full list of proteins, as well as the rest of our nutrient collections here - https://granthodnettnutrition.co.uk/
For further advice on our products or how to use them, get in touch with Grant or his team through any of the GHN social media channels.
