Providing 4 calories per gram, protein is one of the three macronutrients that is responsible for muscle synthesis among many other health enhancements.

There are wide misconceptions that the consumption of protein causes a reduction in bone health, promotes renal failure, and also a big fear for women in particular is that the consumption of protein will make them bulky and muscular. However, these claims have no foundation. In fact, when calcium levels are accurate dietary protein supports bone health and The Institute of Medicine even claims that "protein content is not responsible with progressive decline in kidney function". Becoming 'bulky' or ‘too muscular’ is something that takes years of hard work and dedication - especially for women.

 The study by Phillips claims that when individuals consume 16-45% of their calories from high quality protein sources as opposed to 5-23%, the individual will see positive impacts on their health including lower body fat percentage, higher lean muscle mass, and an increase in muscle preservation, preventing sarcopenia, which Is very important when aging. (1) Consuming adequate protein leads to muscle protein synthesis which, when combined with physical activity, supports the accumulation of lean body mass and reduction in body fat. The fear of getting 'bulky' is a misconception that people have, yet as I stated earlier, this look takes years of dedication to resistance training and adherence to a tuned in diet.  While consuming protein will not automatically lead to this, it will support and promote healthy aging, a healthy weight and increased athletic performance. (1) Consuming protein will also increase satiety, which leads to a lower overall caloric intake. One study shows that even acute ingestion of protein suppressed appetite and decreased ghrelin. (2). Ghrelin is the hormone that controls hunger, so if you are looking to control your appetite or lose weight, increasing your protein intake may help.

The RDA for protein is set to 0.8g/kg/day. So, if you are an individual who weighs 150 pounds, which is equal to 68.2kg, 68.2x0.8=54.56 grams of protein per day to ensure long term health. These are the standards that have been set as a guideline. These standards will fluctuate with age, activity level, and current health status. Research suggests that there are even more health benefits when protein is consumed in amounts higher than the RDA, all the way up to 1.2-1.6g/kg/day, which would equal 109.12 grams of high quality protein per day for a 150 pound individual. (1)

The study also showed that the meal that the majority of people fail to incorporate adequate amounts of protein in is breakfast. Starting the day with a protein rich meal will set you up for a balanced day. Good sources of protein the consume in the morning include eggs, greek yogurt, milk (contains both casein and whey) and whey protein powder.

Consuming protein before sleep can also increase muscle protein synthesis. This, combined with resistance training can positively improve muscle mass as well as strength. (3)

So, eat your protein (especially at breakfast!!!!!)!!! Support your health

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Reference List

1. Phillips SM, Chevalier S, Leidy HJ. Protein “requirements” beyond the RDA: implications for optimizing health. Applied Physiology, Nutrition & Metabolism. 2016;41(5):565-572. Accessed April 2, 2021. http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.fiu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=s3h&AN=131757225&site=eds-live

2. Ali Kohanmoo, Shiva Faghih, Masoumeh Akhlaghi, Effect of short- and long-term protein consumption on appetite and appetite-regulating gastrointestinal hormones, a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, Physiology & Behavior, Volume 226, 2020, 113123, ISSN 0031-9384, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.113123.

3. Caio E.G. Reis, Laís M.R. Loureiro, Hamilton Roschel, Teresa H.M. da Costa, Effects of pre-sleep protein consumption on muscle-related outcomes — A systematic review,Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, Volume 24, Issue 2, 2021, Pages 177-182, ISSN 1440-2440, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2020.07.016.