Better aging through Science:

 

So you are over 40 and you lift weights, but do you get enough protein to maximize your gains?  The FDA currently recommends 56 grams of protein for men and 46 grams for women, but a review of 49 high quality studies published recently in the British Journal of Medicine found those numbers to be way too low….

 

Men and women who ate more protein while weight training did develop larger, stronger muscles than those who did not. How much more? Up to 10% increase in strength and 25% increase in muscle mass compared to those who lifted but did not increase their protein levels.

 

But how do you calculate how much protein you need?  We got you covered, just takes a bit of math. The ideal protein consumption is  1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. For us that use pounds and not kilograms, remember 2.2 lbs per 1 kilogram.  In practical terms, that would amount to about 130 grams of protein a day for a 180 pound man.

 

Foods with high protein content include tuna at 40 grams, chicken breast at 25 grams, whey protein shakes 24 grams per scoop, and eggs that have about 8 grams of protein each. So do a quick protein count and see if you measure up.  

 

I know I wasn’t getting enough protein in my diet to meet these guidelines, maybe that’s why I’m so skinny  :)

Purchase your protein powder today from Amazon.com:

Ed Deboo, PT

Bellingham Physical Therapy