Protein - the stuff your muscles are made of!
Do you want to build muscle? Eat enough protein!
Protein is an important building block in every cell in your body. A sufficiently high intake of protein is particularly important in bodybuilding and muscle building.
Egg white, or protein, is one of three macronutrients that make up food. The other two macronutrients are carbohydrates and fat.
Nutritional value / calories
| Macronutrient | Kilocalories | Kilojoule |
| Protein | 4,1 | that. 17 |
| carbohydrates | 4,1 | that. 17 |
| fat | 9,3 | that. 39 |
As you can see from the table, protein and carbohydrates have 4.1 kilocalories per gram of weight. This corresponds to approximately 17 kilojoules. In comparison, fat has more calories, namely 9.3 or about 39 kilojoules.
Protein in food
Every food consists of the three macronutrients in different amounts. But animal foods in particular are rich in protein.
Animal foods:
Above all, it has a high proportion flesh. I recommend poultry because you eat a lot of protein and at the same time low in fat, carbohydrates and calories.
The No (Egg yolks and the whites of the egg) are also great foods with a biological value of 100.Milk and cheese are also high in protein. However, pay attention to the number of calories and fat content.
Plant foods:
Plant foods have less protein compared to animal foods.
Especially recommended are Oatmeal and nuts. They are high in protein. Avocados also have healthy, unsaturated fats. However, pay attention to the number of calories and the fat content.
Foods high in protein
| Animal products | Protein content on 100 grams |
| harzer cheese | 30g |
| poultry | 20g |
| fish | 16-23g |
| Cheese (Gouda) | 25g |
| No (Vollei) | 13g |
| lowfat quark | 12g |
| Skyr | 11g |
| milk | 3,4 |
| Plant-based foods | Protein content on 100 grams |
| oatmeal | 13g |
| nuts | ca. 8-20g |
| peanut | 26g |
| Red lenses | 25g |
| Soybeans | 24g |
| Broccoli | 3g |
| Avocado | 2g |
Various foods in these categories are summarized under generic terms such as fish or nuts.
My favorite protein sources:
- Skyr
- poultry
- No
Skyr has been increasingly widespread on the German market for a few years. It has a consistency that I would put between low-fat quark and yogurt. So very good to eat. With 11 grams of protein per 100 grams, Skyr has a very high protein content with a low number of calories
Poultry has a protein content of around 20 grams. Compared to other types of meat like pork, you also have a low number of calories here.
An egg contains everything you need to raise a little bird until it hatches. It contains protein, carbohydrates, good fats, vitamins, minerals and trace elements. In my opinion, eggs should be part of every meal plan. Hard-boiled eggs are ideal to eat as a snack on the go.
How Much Protein Should You Consume?
If you do sedentary activities most of the day, you won't need a lot of protein. 0.8 - 1 gram per kilogram of body weight is sufficient. However, if you want to do bodybuilding and build muscle, you should consume more protein. About 2 grams per kilogram of body weight are a good goal in the long term. With this amount, you ensure that your body has sufficient building materials available for building muscle. In addition, you do not have to change your diet excessively, but often only change something or supplement it sensibly.
Remember: As with anything in life, don't overdo it! If drinking more water is healthy, 10 liters of water is too much. Eat enough protein, but don't spill it on yourself either! After all, you want to transform your body in a healthy way and not create new health problems.
Pittforce inventor and coach Karsten Pfützenreuter on protein requirements and protein-containing foods.
amino acids
Proteins consist of 21 different amino acids. We make a difference essential and non-essential amino acids: Your body cannot produce essential amino acids (8) itself. You have to get them from your diet. Your body can produce the non-essential amino acids (13) itself.
Biological value of protein sources
Your body cannot utilize every source of protein equally well. The whole egg, for example, has a biological value of 100. This means that the composition of the amino acids in the egg are very similar to those in your body. So your body can utilize this protein very well. Meat and animal products are another very good source.
Vegetable foods also contain protein, but significantly less than animal foods. Their biological value and thus availability for your body is also lower.
The solution: It is best to combine different foods and protein sources to increase their biological value!
Find out more about food and its biological value.
Supplements and food supplements
First of all: Nobody absolutely needs Supplementsto meet his protein needs. With a balanced diet and a little sense of proportion, you should be able to consume around 2 grams of protein per pound of body weight. However, good money can be made with fear and hope. Not only do many manufacturers of supplements offer protein shakes, protein bars and other supplements.
A large number of food manufacturers are also jumping on the trend and advertising with a high protein content. Pay particular attention to the number of calories in pre-filled protein shakes in retail. Often behind a pithy advertising promise of a high amount of protein there is also one very high amount of sugar! Don't be dazzled, check the list of ingredients.
Protein shakes as a delicious alternative
So you don't necessarily have to consume protein shakes. But they can be a supplement to your diet and are quickly and easily available, even on the go. They are available from many manufacturers in a wide variety of flavors. I like to drink a protein shake right after a workout. In this way I quickly replenish the carbohydrates that I have used up and provide my body with all the building blocks it needs to repair the damage and further build muscle.
With a protein content of 80 grams to 100 grams they have a lot of protein. However, when you consider that an average serving size is only 25-30 grams, the total amount of protein is not excessive.
My tip: Use protein shakes as a delicious addition to your diet. However, they cannot replace a balanced diet. If you enjoy drinking or eating chocolate or vanilla milk or pudding, a protein shake can be a tasty alternative.
Protein: Myths and Fallacies
Last but not least, a little excursion into the myths and misconceptions about protein:
- Perhaps you've heard a line from a worried person that sounded like this: "Don't eat so much protein, otherwise you will get another protein shock!"
This claim is total nonsense. There is no research that shows a physical reaction in the form of shock to excessive consumption of protein. I have no knowledge of where this peasant wisdom comes from. The normal consumption of protein in the form of a balanced diet with natural foods is not a problem for any normal healthy person. If you have impaired kidney function, consult your doctor
- If you eat too many eggs, your cholesterol will rise!
Just like claim 1, this statement is not tenable. The level of cholesterol, i.e. blood fat, is mainly determined genetically. Of course, diet and lifestyle can affect the altitude. Whole egg has a high cholesterol level, but contains a lot of healthy HDL cholesterol (high density lipoprotein). The research situation is constantly changing, but the direct influence of eating eggs on the cholesterol level in healthy people is small.
Find out more about cholesterol here.
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A comment
Theresia
Thank you for all this information!