Nutrition Series (Pt. 1) — Stop Discounting Protein

One of the most no-brainer things to do to be healthier is consume enough protein.

“What we have learned is that if you give an enriched source of essential amino acids, more protein, you can actually make the adult look just like the 16-year-old… What we now know is that if you have a requirement that is about twice the minimum RDA — so if instead of 0.8, it’s 1.6 grams per kg — we can get the 65-year-old to respond the same as the 16-year-old as far as muscle protein synthesis.”

Don Layman, Ph.D. in this week’s Worth Listening To episode.

Worth Listening To

Between his podcast and his newsletter, Peter Attia, M.D. publishes some of the best nutrition and health-related content out there. One of the first things he says in this episode is he despises the “religion” of nutrition, and focuses solely on its biochemistry.

• Fatty acids (eating fat) used to be considered the enemy (think food pyramid). Wrong. As we’ve learned, glucose (sugar) is the real enemy.

  • Excess carbs must be disposed of or it becomes toxic to the body. If left in the body, it will damage every part of the body (diabetes) — hence the need for insulin.

• **Keep questioning nutritional dogma** — we used to think trans fats were better than natural fats (i.e. margarine vs. butter)

• Protein turnover and requirements per day — each person’s body has to make ~300 grams of new protein per day, while the average American only consumes ~80 grams per day (1:07:00)

• Plant-based protein requirements vs. Meat-based protein (Quality of protein matters much more as we age)

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Why We Need More Protein Than We Think

Throughout the brief history of this endeavor, we’ve largely discussed behavioral approaches to being healthier, from Arthur Brook’s approach to happiness to Adam Grant’s embracing of imperfection to David Goggins's approach to having an inner dialogue — and very deliberately. In my experience, most people fail to reach their goals because of their own mentality. That includes me.

What if you are doing all the right things, but still not getting the results you should be? You’re working your butt off, showing up, but results are spotty. You’re doing the hard part! Showing up. But your routine likely needs some fine-tuning.

At the beginning of 2024, I wrote about several key elements of nutrition. Over the course of the next few weeks, I will be writing several deep dives into each one. Today, we’re beginning with the nutrient most people don’t come close to getting enough of while also being among the single most important nutrients for health: protein.

The “Bro” Mentality of Protein

Often, when I ask, “Are you getting enough protein?” I feel as though I sound like this. Fair enough. Protein often gets dismissed as trivial because who wants to look like a bodybuilder? As Kyla discussed in her exquisite article about language, words get hijacked to shift meanings and fit narratives. Protein became the “bro” nutrient, the nutrient you need if you want to get “swol”.

It makes sense. Every market has early adopters. The early adopters of protein supplementation were bodybuilders. However, as more and more research has come out, the world is catching up to the realization that protein is vital — especially as we age. In 2010, the entire sports supplementation market was valued at $2.7 billion, and protein wasn’t even among the top 5 most popular supplements. In 2022, it was $25.7 billion, the #1 most popular supplement. That number is expected to more than double by 2030 to $52 billion.

Hidden Workers

Why is protein such a big deal? Protein is simply a block of amino acids. We should focus our attention on amino acids, but unless you took an organic chemistry class, this is where it gets unbelievably confusing.

There are 20 amino acids. Our body produces 11 of them (nonessential amino acids), but we must consume the other 9 (essential amino acids), or we’d quite simply… die (hence why protein is an “essential nutrient” for which we could not live without). So, if you’re reading this, you’re obviously still alive and at least consuming the minimum amount required! Thank goodness for that.

This is so important because when we eat different proteins we’re getting different amino acids. It’s not just about our skeletal muscles, though. Although it is a big part of it. Here’s an example:

Collagen is a protein that strengthens our bones, tendons, ligaments, and skin. What amino acids make collagen protein? Collagen contains 19 of the 20 amino acids, but three make up the bulk of the protein: Arginine, Glycine, and Proline. What do they do?

• Glycine is the most prevalent. It is the do-all amino acid that plays a significant role in producing antioxidants and creatine, improving our sleep, and converting fat to energy.

• Arginine helps with healing wounds, boosting our immune system, and producing nitric oxide, which is vital for our cardiovascular health.

• Proline is vital for our cardiovascular health as well. It helps our arteries maintain elasticity, thus regulating our blood pressure.

Another example is Whey protein, one of the two dairy proteins (the other being Casein). Whey protein is the most commonly used protein for protein powders. Why? It’s comprised mostly of Leucine. Leucine is an essential amino acid and vital for the structure and repair of muscle proteins. It is also important for regulating blood sugar levels and oxidizing omega-3 fatty acids for energy.

If your objective is to build muscle, which protein source would you rather ingest more?

Why Protein Matters

Our muscles are literally proteins built together. If amino acids are individual Lego pieces and proteins are small sets of Legos built together, then our muscles are giant combinations of Lego sets (can you tell I love building Legos?). In our first 25 years of life, building muscle is much easier for both men and women because insulin and testosterone do much of the work for us. However, sarcopenia, the process by which our body naturally loses muscle, begins in our early 30s. By the time we turn 40, building muscle becomes increasingly difficult. Even more when we reach 60 and sarcopenia accelerates. We want to hold on to every bit of muscle we can for our metabolic health and to prevent frailty that can lead to injuries. How do we retain as much muscle as possible?

We know the benefits of exercise. But exercise itself is inherently catabolic, meaning exercise causes your muscles to break down. What is often overlooked is the role of protein. If you aren’t getting a sufficient amount of protein in your diet, instead of repairing and building muscle, you will actually lose muscle. You may get stronger in the short term because you’re increasing your neuromuscular strength — the signal from your brain to contract and relax a muscle — but the physical muscle will not grow.

This is why almost every professional athlete is weaker at the end of their competitive season than at the beginning. They are exercising so rigorously and for so long that no amount of protein can keep up with their physical demands.

Every single protein in our body has a half-life. As proteins age, they degrade and break down while new proteins take their place — a process called protein synthesis. As discussed in this week’s Worth Listening To episode, our liver protein’s half-life is the shortest, turning over almost daily.

Our muscle proteins are a bit different. On average, every three months, our muscles will be comprised of entirely new proteins. This is called muscle protein synthesis (MPS). However, as we age, this turnover process happens much slower, hence why sarcopenia exists.

How do we maximize our muscle protein synthesis? Strength training is a big factor, as the force required to lift weights accelerates the need for MPS. But protein is an equally essential factor.

Layman says it best in his interview on The Drive:

One of my pet peeves in nutrition is people refer to protein as a percentage of calories. Protein is not a percentage of calories, it’s an absolute number. You need to decide what you’re going to build your diet around. The issue with protein being an absolute number, if your calories go down — say you’re a 75-year-old woman and your calories per day is now 1,200 calories — you still have a 100 grams of protein requirement. So now your protein needs are 35-40% of your calories… You have to think about protein first.

In other words, we should be building our diets around protein, then calories second. As opposed to how I was taught over a decade ago that it was all about the calories.

Something I learned from this episode that I had never heard before is that, in addition to muscles being important for preventing injuries and our metabolic health, it is also vital for the health of our organs. Our organs turn proteins over much faster than our muscles. If we take care of our muscles, they will have an ample supply of amino acids our body can then use to replenish our liver, our heart, our kidneys, and every vital organ in our body. Absolutely fascinating!

How Much Protein Do You Need?

The daily recommended daily allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. If you’re 150lbs, that’s 68kg, so your RDA would be 54.5 grams of protein per day.

But that number is absolute nonsense.

Every individual I respect in the nutritional realm says we should be consuming at least 1.5 grams of protein per 1kg of body weight. Layman says 1.6 grams per kg. This study, measuring MPS and protein turnover responses to ingesting essential amino acids, came to the conclusion that 1.6 grams per kg is also the proper amount. I even recommend pushing to 1.7 grams per kg if you need to build muscle. So, for that same 150-pound individual, it’s actually between 102-115 grams per day of protein that they should be building their diet around.

That may seem like a daunting task. But think of starting a new training plan and applying the same things we talked about in our Checkpoints and Constraints series. It’s going to take time to get where you need to be; you don’t have to go from 50 to 110 grams all in one day. Here’s an example:

You’re currently at 50 grams per day of protein. Let’s say you’re daily recommendation is 110 grams of protein. You can apply the same checkpoints and constraints as you may to your training plan:

• Constraint: Start by aiming for at least 20 grams of protein in every meal you eat. If you eat at least three meals a day, that will get you to 60 grams — already a 20% increase!

  • Over time, you can try to get to 30 grams per meal or even as much as 40.

  • The important thing is the constraint you set for yourself, pushing yourself to get to that overall number.

• Checkpoint: One small checkpoint is starting with 60 grams of protein per day. Breaking it up into three, 20-gram meals. Each meal is one checkpoint per day, and every day you make it to 60 grams is another. If you can do that every day for a week, two weeks, four weeks, then go to 70 grams. And keep working your way up towards that 110 grams.

My own daily target is 165 grams per day. It’s difficult, but not if you chunk it into smaller pieces. Here’s how I break my day down so I get enough protein:

• My mornings always start by blending a scoop of Legion Whey protein powder and two scoops of Supergut’s fiber shake powder. Combined, that gives me 37 grams.

• Later in the morning, I have my daily serving of almonds, another 6 grams.

• At midday, I almost always have three eggs with cheese and two slices of Dave’s Seed Bread, which gives me another 35 grams (18 from the eggs, 7 from the cheese, and 10 from the bread).

  • So far, we’re up to 92 grams.

• After my workout, I have another scoop of protein powder, which gives me another 22 grams.

• Then, throughout my afternoon training schedule, I typically have a homemade protein smoothie, which is another 40 grams — most of which comes from Greek Yogurt.

  • Now we’re up to 154 grams, and I have plenty of flexibility with dinner, which often ranges between 15 and 40 grams.

It’s very possible to get enough protein if you’re deliberately aiming for a certain number. The best part is that if your protein comes from different sources, you’re getting all of the amino acids you need, plus other important nutrients that we’ll cover in the upcoming weeks, such as fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins and minerals.

You can find lists of proteins everywhere, but my essentials are:

• Meat: Chicken, turkey, and beef (Jasmine and I avoid eating pork at home)

• Dairy: Eggs, Greek yogurt, and milk

• Legumes: We make hummus (chickpeas) every week. Lentils are also terrific, though not a staple for me.

• Nuts: Remember that fat is the primary nutrient in nuts, not protein. Watch how much you consume overall, or the calories add up quickly.

• Green, Leafy Vegetables: Spinach and arugula are our staples. Plants do not provide as many essential amino acids as animals, but they do provide some.

• Powders and ready-made drinks: My personal favorite is a protein shake, primarily because there is a 0% chance I would hit my daily target without it. We always keep protein powder (22 grams), Chobani Completes (20 grams), and Core Power chocolate milk (26 grams) in our house.

If you’re struggling to see results in your training, consider how much protein you are consistently getting every day and where those sources are coming from. Are you getting enough?

If you need help building your nutrition regimen around protein, you can schedule a complimentary virtual consultation with me to get started!

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Other Learning This Week:

• Podcasts:

  • Plain English w/ Derek Thompson — How to Have the Hardest Conversations

  • Plain English w/ Derek Thompson — Should the U.S. Ban TikTok?

  • Plain English w/ Derek Thompson — The Dark Side of the Internet’s Obsession With Anxiety

  • Invest Like the Best w/ Patrick O’Shaughnessy — Danny Meyer, The Power of Hospitality

  • Invest Like the Best w/ Patrick O’Shaughnessy — Cyan Banister, Investing for a Higher Purpose

• Articles:

  • David Frum (The Atlantic) — Miranda’s Last Gift (tissues required)

  • Noah Smith — At least five interesting things for the middle of your week (#31)

    • India’s extraordinary reduction in poverty and more.

  • Noah Smith — Are “Luxury Beliefts” a Real Thing?

• On Twitter:

  • Packy McCormick — What a week for the optimists

  • Trung Phan — Neuralink patient “uses the force” to play chess