Benefits of a High Protein Diet
There has been an increasing trend within not just the fitness industry, but across the food production industry, to sell high protein products.
There are a number of reasons why a high protein diet could help you in your fitness journey.
Here we will discuss the benefits of a high protein diet and the effects that a high protein diet can have on the body.
The first and most key point to make about a high protein diet is the improved impact on muscle recovery.
Whether you’re a long distance runner or a weight training fanatic, we all need protein to help recover the muscle.
When we exercise intensively, muscles become damaged. The soreness that is often felt after an intensive exercise session is the result of micro-tears in the muscle. While this may sound like a bad thing, it is actually not a bad thing at all.
These micro-tears are necessary to grow new muscle tissue and more muscle density for a bigger and stronger muscle.
A high protein diet can aid the body in accelerating the recovery process, as protein is the primary nutrient involved in repairing muscle.
Traditionally, protein powders for example, have typically been used by bodybuilders for this reason. However as we learn more about the benefits of a high protein diet, it has become ubiquitous across the fitness industry and beyond.
A high protein diet can also aid and support you in your weight-loss journey.
Typically speaking, protein will make you feel fuller for longer than the other macro-nutrients (carbohydrates and fats) at the same number of calories. This is because protein sources are typically less calorie dense per gram of total weight, but also protein helps to reduce the hunger hormone, ghrelin.
This means that higher volumes of lean sources of protein can actually help to reduce the physical feeling of hunger. In addition, protein benefits from having the highest thermogenic effect.
What this means is that it takes the body more calories (remember, a calorie is just a unit of energy) to break down protein into a usable source of energy for the body than either of the other macronutrients.
This is often referred to as boosting your metabolism, although in actual fact it is more correct to say that protein has a higher thermogenic effect. So having a high protein diet can support you weight-loss journey by reducing cravings and providing the body with a less calorie dense, more metabolically friendly source of energy.
We can see from these primary reasons that a high protein diet can be very beneficial to your fitness journey.
Whether you’re looking to develop stronger or bigger muscles, or whether you’re looking to lose a big of body fat, a high protein diet is your friend.
That is why at Stack House Gym we offer high protein products, from freshly made, in house food, to protein powders and high protein snacks. For more advice on how to get your diet correct, why not speak to one of our personal trainers.