Each cell of the body contains a protein. From hormones, immune cells, enzymes, to tissues, including skeletal muscles over which we work in the gym. That's why high protein intake is crucial. It is determined that the daily intake should be 0.8 g for every kilogram of body weight. If you train in the gym and lift weights, you can reject this value right away!
It is obvious that your body needs more protein not only to build new muscles, but also to keep the fibers that were formed earlier. The problem is that "more" is not precisely specified. For a long time, conflicting reports on how much protein women should consume to maintain a slim, firm and athletic body were measured. Fortunately, today we will be able to solve the problem.
At the University of South Florida, research was carried out on women exercising gyms. The relationship between diet, amount of protein and physical activity that each woman should apply in practice has been clarified.
Research details
Two groups of women were subjected to the study. Each of them trained four times a week - 2 times upper body and 2 times lower. The whole experiment lasted for 8 weeks, during which one group was on a high protein diet and the second menu contained reduced amounts of protein.
The group with an increased amount of protein in the diet was ordered to eat 2.44 g of protein for every kilogram of body weight, including 25 g of protein supplement based on whey protein isolate before and after each training session.
The group with a reduced amount of protein in the diet, in turn, consumed 1.22 g of protein per kilogram of body weight, including 5 g of the isolate before and after each training.
In each of the participants, the intake of protein was controlled every day, while allowing the manipulation of other elements in the diet (fat and carbohydrate intake in an individual amount).
After the experiment, it was noted that the group of women consuming more protein obtained a higher score in lean muscle mass (2.09 kg) and lost a greater amount of adipose tissue compared to the group that consumed less protein. These ladies obtained an increase in lean body mass at the level of 0.68 kg.
The power of protein
Research confirmed previous assumptions. Ladies, especially those who train a lot, with the consumption of more protein, can count on achieving much better results than others. Some may be surprised by the fact that despite the fact that women on a diet with an increased amount of protein consumed more calories from protein (about 423 kcal every day!), They lost more fat. The logic would suggest that they should gain weight due to the length of the period in which the caloric balance was probably positive. Meanwhile, fat loss was 1.09 kg in women eating more protein and 0.77 kg in those who consumed less.
The study was the first in which only women participated. It confirmed the reports of other experiments in which men or women participated, along with men. In them, however, the thesis that the consumption of larger amounts of protein has a positive effect on fat loss has not been confirmed. Thus, one can talk about the increased sensitivity of women to protein intake, which results in simultaneous increase in muscle mass and loss of adipose tissue.
Do not look at the weight
You've probably heard up to a hundred times - "Do not worry about what the weight shows." Now you have another confirmation of how valuable this advice is. If in the above experiment we would only measure the weight, women who consumed more protein took more weight. Fortunately, we also take into account the composition of the body, not just its weight. It turns out that the group consuming more protein gained more muscle and lost more body fat. Do not judge the switch off on the basis of the weight. Measure your changes rather on the basis of losing fat and gaining muscle mass. If you notice that your weight increases, but at the same time % body fat decreases, then know that you are going in the right direction!
We also advise you to take a photo once a week to compare the results after a while. You will not see it every day, and you will be pleasantly surprised. We assure you that you will look more sexi weighing 68 kg with a small amount of body fat than weighing 64 kg with a higher percentage of fat.
How much protein should women consume - a summary
If your goal is to gain clean muscle mass and reduce body fat, it is good to eat more protein and choose the right resistance training. We recommend consuming a minimum of 1 g per kg body weight of protein to improve the composition of your body. Therefore, throw away the salads you eat and reach for the protein shake, or at least add the appropriate portion of chicken to this salad.
