Unlocking Recovery: The Role of Protein and 3 Ways to Boost Your Intake

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that protein is ESSENTIAL. Whether you’re an avid gym-rat or someone that has never been to the gym - protein is essential for organ function, cognitive function and muscle function - basically, to live. Once we start to add exercise into the equation, it becomes crucial that we consume a certain number of protein per day to allow for the best recovery possible. So in this blog, we will talk about how protein aids in recovery and 3 ways to get more of it in your diet!

Before we move on, let’s preface this by adding in the definition of Muscle Protein Synthesis. Muscle Protein Synthesis (MPS)  is the process by which the body builds new muscle proteins or muscle tissue. It is a critical component of muscle growth, repair, and adaptation to exercise or physical activity. When you engage in resistance training, endurance exercise, or any form of physical activity that stresses the muscles the body's response is to repair, adapt and rebuild. 

Now the reason why this is crucial to understand is that protein intake and exercise are the key drivers for MPS to initiate. If strenuous exercise is performed, without the intake of adequate protein, we can be in a whole world of bad recovery and very little muscle growth. Think about it as a car that has a great engine, but no fuel to actually start it! 

After exercise, the body initiates a process called protein signaling, which involves the activation of specific pathways that regulate muscle protein synthesis. Adequate protein intake provides the body with the essential amino acids required to support muscle repair and growth. The amino acid leucine, in particular, plays a significant role in stimulating muscle protein synthesis.

It's important to note that muscle protein synthesis is a dynamic process that is influenced not only by exercise but also by factors like nutrition, rest, and overall training regimen. To optimize muscle protein synthesis and support muscle recovery, it's essential to consume an adequate amount of protein in your diet - so how do we do that?

1. Consume High Protein Foods

It is very easy to say “consume high protein” to someone, but without guidance it doesn’t really mean much. Protein is very easily accessible and comes in the form of a variety of different foods to suit your taste buds. Wholefoods like chicken, red meat and steak are great high protein options for those looking for a high quality satiating protein. 

2. Convenient Protein Supplements

For many people, fitting in protein targets for the day can be difficult. Whether that be due to time restrictions or personal preference. Either way, protein supplements can be a great way to quickly and conveniently intake quality protein. Here at EQ, we have a myriad of products that have an abundance of protein within them. For example, we have our protein juice, protein cookies, protein crackers and much more. Our products allow you to have a wide variety of different options to suit you. While doing this, you also directly contribute to our mission of solving world hunger. 

3. Have at least 20-30 grams of protein per meal

There are two main reasons why we suggest this rule. 1. Spacing out your protein throughout the day is a great way of removing that inherent pressure to get it all in at once. 2. Spreading out your meals also allows us to keep Muscle Protein Synthesis at a level where we do not turn catabolic (the breaking down of muscle tissues). Taking into consideration the recommended daily intake of 0.8 - 1.5 grams of protein per kg of bodyweight, this would land us at around 3-5 meals per day allowing us to spread it evenly without any issues. We currently already have a couple of blogs including recipes and foods that you can include that will help you achieve this! 

Fitting in your protein intake for the day shouldn’t be a chore! With the opportunity to get protein from tasty sources such as our protein snacks make it nice and easy all while making a direct impact on our ultimate mission, solving world hunger.

Changing the world, one calorie at a time.