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Protein timing and quantity for building muscle
Protein intake is essential for muscle synthesis and repair. The digestion process breaks down protein into amino acids, which are the building blocks of muscle and many other components of our body. We have explored protein quality in a previous article. Today we will focus on protein timing and quantity for building muscle. How much protein in total? The total protein requirement depends on many, many things. I won’t go into any detail in this article and just say the range is typically anywhere between 0.8 and 2 grams (g) of protein per kilogram (kg) of body weight. How much protein per meal? The optimal dose of protein for muscle…
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Product review: True Protein bars
My favourite protein brand has launched a new product. True Protein bars are a high protein snack designed with the athlete in mind. True Protein bars These bars are made with minimally processed ingredients. The main source of protein is whey protein concentrate, good. They also contain hydrolysed collagen peptides, which may help support soft tissue, bone health and gut health. True Protein bars are gluten-free and sweetened with dates. They contain a decent amount of dietary fibre, which comes from organic tapioca isomaltooligosaccharide (IMO), almonds, dates and chia seeds. These bars come in 2 flavours: salted caramel and rich chocolate. Each bar weighs 65g (the little ones in the…
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What are macronutrients?
Macronutrients or “macros” are the components of food that contribute to energy. Energy, in the nutritional sense, is measured in kilocalories (a.k.a. Calories) or kilojoules. The main macronutrients are protein, fat and carbohydrates (a.k.a. “carbs” or “CHO” for the chemistry-minded people out there). Most foods you can think of are made of a combination or these 3 components. Protein Proteins are structures composed of amino acids. There are 7 essential amino acids for humans, meaning our bodies cannot make them. Foods high in protein include: all animal foods (meat, fish, poultry, eggs, milk, etc.), some legumes (beans, chickpeas, lentils, soy), and some nuts and seeds. Protein bioavailability (i.e. how much…
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Recipe: Peanut butter protein banana bread
This peanut butter protein banana bread is great for breakfast, morning tea or afternoon tea. Because it’s high in protein, it also qualifies as a great post-workout snack. This treat is gluten-free and can be dairy-free. In addition, it does not contain added sugar. Notes on ingredients: I think this is common knowledge by now, but in case you didn’t know: super ripe bananas make the best banana bread You can use either smooth or crunchy peanut butter, as it will be ground further in the food processor anyway I used natural whey protein isolate from True Protein but you can use any type of whey or plant-based protein powder…
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To snack or not to snack?
To snack or not to snack? That is the question! Snacks, or mid meals, are not good or evil. When used correctly, they can help you meet your health and performance goals. What is a snack? As a noun, a snack is “a light meal: food eaten between regular meals”. To snack (surprise, surprise) means “to eat a snack” (1). In the nutrition world, we use the term “mid meals” to differentiate snacks from main meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner). More specifically, in the Commonwealth world we talk about morning tea (the mid meal between breakfast and lunch), afternoon tea (between lunch and dinner) and supper (between dinner and bedtime). The…
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Protein quality and quantity
Protein is an essential components of our bodies. Besides being used in many tissues, it also forms signal molecules, hormones, etc. This is why protein quality and quantity are important. What is protein A protein is a collection of peptides, which are collections of amino acids. These can be non-essential (i.e. we can make them in our bodies) or essential (i.e. we need to obtain them from food). Protein is also one of the 3 macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, fat), i.e. the components in food that contribute to energy intake. Each gram of protein contributes ~17kJ (4kcal). Foods that are high in protein include meat, fish, eggs and dairy products. Legumes,…
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Recipe: Quinoa & mixed beans vegan bowls
These quinoa & mixed beans vegan bowls are inspired by Latin American food. Like the quinoa & lentil bowls, these are packed with plant-based protein, iron and fibre. The capsicum and lime provide vitamin C, which your body needs to absorb the non-haem iron. You will also get some healthy monounsaturated fats from the olive oil. These bowls taste great warm but can also be eating straight out of the fridge if you have leftovers. If you’re a vegetarian or omnivore, feel free to add or substitute part of the protein with other foods such as boiled eggs, cheese, tuna, smoked salmon or poached chicken. One final note: I have…
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Eating for training and competition
Nobody would think about running 10km as preparation for an Olympic weightlifting meet. You should be polishing off your lifts and throwing in some max days to simulate competition day. This should translate seamlessly to nutrition. However, many athletes overlook their nutrition strategy and show up to competition with no plan. Eating for training and competition require the same amount of thought. If you are planning to participate in any kind of sporting event, from amateur to elite-level competitions, you should have a nutrition strategy in place. This includes non-competitive events such as martial arts gradings. As you will see below, your nutrition strategy is unique to you because it…
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Product review: YoPRO high protein yoghurt
YoPRO is one of the latest additions to the ever-growing yoghurt section of most supermarkets. As I mentioned in my Mayver’s Protein+ Peanut Butter review, at the moment many consumers are looking for high protein products to suit their lifestyles. While all yoghurts are a source of complete protein, YoPRO’s selling point is the high content of protein per serve (15g-17g) achieved by the straining step during production. What’s in YoPRO? Apart from milk and live yoghurt cultures, YoPRO also contains lactase (the enzyme that breaks down lactose), making it suitable for people with lactose intolerance. All the fruit flavours (mango, passionfruit, strawberry, blueberry) contain actual fruit purée and all…
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Recipe: Anzac biscuits with protein
It’s that time of the year again, that time in between hot cross buns and Christmas pudding. That time when supermarkets display piles of tins of Anzac biscuits. This is a variation of the recipe I shared last year: better (gluten-free) Anzac biscuits. As the previous recipe, it uses uncontaminated oats, which should be safe for people with gluten allergy/intolerance. You may also use other brands, such as Bob’s Red Mill, but keep in mind international standards for gluten-free products are less strict than Australian. This recipe also uses a whey protein based product called 180 Nutrition Grass-fed Protein Superfood, which contains whey protein isolate, seeds, nut flour, coconut flour,…
