If you recently visited a grocery store, watched TV, or scrolled on social media long enough, you likely noticed something: protein is everywhere. Items you may never have considered as sources of protein are now suddenly boasting that they are packed with protein. From cereal to candy and even water, it has become the latest nutrition and wellness obsession.
It’s easy to be swept into the trends, but it’s important to make informed health-protective decisions when you change your diet. For individuals living with mobility limitations, understanding the role of protein in muscle health and its contribution to overall health can be incredibly beneficial. However, protein is only one piece of the wellness puzzle, and too much of any nutrient can increase health risks.
We turned to NCHPAD Exercise Physiologist John Reams for more information about protein. John is a Lifestyle Management and Disease Prevention expert with two master’s degrees in exercise science and nutrition science. He provided the information below.
Why Protein Matters
Protein is one of three macronutrients (protein, fat, and carbohydrate) necessary for our survival. Protein is unique as an “essential macronutrient” in that we can only get it through consuming it from external sources, meaning food. Our bodies neither make protein from other macronutrients nor store protein in reserve. Protein helps repair, sustain, and build tissues (including organs, muscles, skin, and nails) throughout our body. It plays important roles in immune function, hormone regulation, blood health, and muscle health. These sustaining and replenishing processes occur through “Protein Turnover,” which includes breaking down dysfunctional proteins, synthesizing functional proteins, and many other bodily processes.
As we age, muscle health (body composition, muscle performance, and functional performance) becomes increasingly important in an effort to maintain mobility and physical independence. Adults naturally experience declines in muscle function as we age (a progression known as Sarcopenia). This is often accelerated by inactivity, illness, injury, chronic health conditions, and certain disabilities. For individuals living with mobility limitations, preserving muscle health can significantly improve quality of life.
The Risks
Protein-focused eating doesn’t automatically mean better health. Too much or not enough protein can have its drawbacks, and not all proteins are equivalent in their benefits for humans.
Animal protein is a nutrient-rich source of protein intake, but its health-protective benefits can vary significantly depending on the type of animal, preparation methods, and portion(s) you consume. Plant protein is also nutrient-rich and can provide an added benefit of being a source of naturally occurring dietary fiber, but the form and amount(s) of protein contained per serving may be drastically different than equivalent size portions of animal protein. Neither animal nor plant protein is necessarily better, but they do have different structural constituents.
Amino acids are the building blocks of all proteins, and are categorized as either essential (we must eat them, we cannot make them ourselves) or non-essential (we can form them by combining different amino acids in our body). Both essential and non-essential amino acids are necessary. The combinations of amino acids and shapes they form determine the function and digestibility of the proteins they build. Animal and plant proteins contain variations of this, which you can explore through the Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) reference available online [1].
Every gram of protein we consume naturally provides us with 4 calories of potential energy. Some protein sources are higher in saturated fat (depending on their origin, method of preparation, additives, etc), which, if consistently consumed in excess of 10% of your total daily calories, can increase risk of weight gain (increasing risk for overweight/obesity), type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease.
Consuming greater levels of protein in our nutrition practices may lead us toward lower consumption of other food groups because protein-rich foods often provide a level of satiety (feeling adequately fed, or no longer hungry) beyond what we experience from foods that are less protein-rich. This isn’t necessarily a good or bad scenario; it simply depends on your individual goals.
Eating excessive amounts of animal-based protein can leave out fiber-rich fruits and vegetables that additionally include water, vitamins, and minerals not always found in animal-based protein sources. Under-consuming fiber-rich foods can cause digestive dysfunction because fermentable fiber (usually soluble fiber) provides the prebiotics and probiotics that establish and maintain a health-protective digestive environment, also known as our gut microbiome, while the non-fermentable (usually insoluble) fiber provides weight and bulk to the waste contents of our large intestine and improves efficiency of travel to our colon for excretion.
Individuals with medical conditions that involve metabolic concerns, particularly kidney dysfunction, should consult a healthcare provider or registered dietitian before making significant changes to any aspect of their dietary intake.
The Good News
Optimal protein intake can vary depending on a multitude of lifestyle and health-related circumstances. The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) values from the US Food and Nutrition Board provide general recommendations. Recommendations are not individually prescriptive; they are simply the amount that has been found to produce similar outcomes in most people. The current RDA dietary recommendations (outside of any clinical diagnosis that includes specific dietary restrictions) for protein intake begin at 0.36 grams per pound of body weight. This is the minimum recommendation for daily intake of protein. The minimum recommendation is strictly focused on preventing deficiency, not necessarily guiding you toward the optimal amount for you as an individual who has personal preferences regarding their dietary practices. People who are moderately to vigorously active can benefit from increasing protein intake from 0.54 to 0.68 grams per pound of body weight (this is largely because the more active you are, the more “protein turnover” your body engages in). Most Individuals can safely consume up to 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight daily, but above 0.7 grams per pound of body weight is generally more than the body “needs” to function optimally. Unintentional weight gain is one of the most immediate signs that we might be consuming more protein (specifically, calories from protein, carbohydrates, or fat) than is optimal because weight gain indicates an excess of energy is being consumed.
There are many health-protective options for those looking to add more protein to their diet. Fish, skinless chicken breast, and cuts of red meat that have very little fat marbling are good sources of mostly lean, protein-rich meat. Low-fat dairy, Greek yogurt, beans, tree nuts (such as almonds and cashews), and eggs are also great sources of protein. Each of these options will also provide variations in calories due to the fact that all foods contain some amounts of all 3 macronutrients (protein, carbohydrate, and fat).
Protein and carbohydrates each provide us with between 4 and 5 calories per gram, while fat provides us with 9 calories per gram. This is significant information if you are considering consuming higher amounts of protein in an effort to influence your body weight, because “where” you choose to source that protein from will have an impact on your total calorie intake. For example, you would consume far more calories getting 30 grams of protein from almonds (150 grams or 100-115 almonds will provide 825 calories of which 70 grams/630 calories will be from fat) than you would getting those 30 grams of protein from grilled skinless chicken breast (about 100 grams or a 3.5 ounces of chicken will provide 165 calories of which 3.5 grams/32 calories will be from fat) because that same amount of protein will come with much greater amounts of fat if you consume it through eating almonds. But the chicken breast would provide you with much less vitamin E, little to no fiber, some saturated fat, and much less Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), which is incredibly important in helping our bodies to break down and utilize protein, fat, and carbohydrates.
The big picture is to try spreading your protein intake across plant and animal sources each day, and don’t forget to prioritize fruits and vegetables as fiber-rich sources of carbohydrates. Equally important is staying properly hydrated through consuming at least 0.5-1.0 ounces of water per pound of body weight.
Adding Physical Activity
Protein helps provide the foundation for muscle, but physical activity gives the body a reason to build a more grand structure on top of that foundation. People living with disabilities experience declines in muscle health more rapidly than individuals living without disabilities.
Combining your protein intake with a lifestyle that includes consistent amounts of physical activity and a well-rounded weekly exercise plan will help maintain muscle health and function much more effectively than depending on nutrition alone. When muscles are appropriately challenged through movement, they respond by becoming more capable. Protein supports the repair and rebuilding processes that drive improved productivity.
For people living with disabilities, there are many great forms of exercise to stay active. Some activities to try could include:
- Resistance band exercises
- Modified versions of exercises focused on strength training
- Water-based activities
- Para-cycling
- Seated exercise routines
- Stretching and flexibility exercises
- Recreational sports and adaptive fitness programs
Even small amounts of movement can make a difference. The key is finding activities that are sustainable for you, appropriately challenging for your abilities, and offer opportunities for progression you feel confident in pursuing as your goals and skill levels change. Additionally, consider finding an exercise partner to help you stay motivated.
The Bottom Line
Protein is important in a healthy diet, especially for individuals who want to maintain physical independence, support immune function, and promote overall wellness. However, like many other lifestyle changes, protein alone is not a magic solution. Rather than focusing on the latest trends, think of protein and movement as partners. Together, they can support muscle function and independence, empowering you to live with a health-protective, more active, and higher quality of life.
References
- Schaafsma G
The Protein Digestibility–Corrected Amino Acid Score
The Journal of Nutrition, 130, 1865S-1867S