Do I need a protein shake when I exercise?
Patricia Schutte, nutritionist
If you exercise recreationally, you don’t need protein shakes. You already get enough protein by eating a healthy and varied diet. Fanatic strength athletes also get enough protein with a combination of some extra dairy (eg cottage cheese), chicken breast, fish or tofu, and an extra portion of nuts or beans.
On average you need about 0.8 grams of protein per kilo of body weight every day. That equates to about 56 grams of protein for someone weighing 70 kilos. Your body needs more protein if you exercise often. Fanatic strength athletes who want to increase their muscle mass are advised to take a little more protein. In endurance sports it has not been shown that extra protein leads to better performance, but sufficient protein can, for example, ensure less muscle pain and better recovery.
How much extra protein you need as a strength athlete depends on your goals. This varies from 1.2 to a maximum of 2 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. For a male strength athlete who weighs 70 kilos, this amounts to 84 to a maximum of 140 grams of protein per day.
Extra protein from food
On average, adult men already consume 95 grams of protein per day. Strength athletes can therefore easily obtain the additional amount of protein from food. This can be done, for example, with a combination of some extra cottage cheese or yogurt, a cup of milk, some chicken breast, fish or tofu and an extra portion of nuts or beans. For example, a bowl of low-fat cottage cheese (150 grams) already provides 12.8 grams of protein. Check here which products are in the protein section of the Wheel of Five.
More protein is more muscle growth?
Getting more protein than you need does not lead to more muscle growth as is sometimes thought. A surplus of proteins is used as fuel, or stored in the form of fat. This way you may arrive without wanting to. Eating or drinking more protein than you need is pointless.
read here tips from the Nutrition Center about food and drink before and after exercise.
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