Exercise goals, exercise regimes and individual bodies differ, yet the general amount of protein recommended in a diet is around 0.8g per pound of body weight. Not eating enough protein can have some negative effects; fatigue and the burning of existing muscle can happen if you’re not eating enough protein. Luckily however, protein can be found in a variety of foods which are easily available and can be a popular option for supplements and powders which can be easily added to your diet. 

Eating an even intake of protein throughout the day is the best method to increase muscle growth, adding nutrients and continuing to repair muscles and tissues continually through the day. Eating protein before a workout increases the nutrients absorbed both before and after exercise, encouraging your body to repair itself more efficiently once your workout is finished. Around 30-60 minutes following exercise is the best time to consume protein as the body is able to begin recovery more quickly, repairing the muscles making them larger and stronger. 

Protein is a necessary part of everyone’s diets and protein supplements are considered a popular option to increase repair and growth after exercise. Although you don’t have to take supplements to see the benefits of exercise, supplements, most popularly protein powder, provide not only a source of protein, but aid fat loss and can even curb hunger. Physical results, although reached without the help of supplements, can be achieved more easily and quickly using protein supplements. Supplements are popular in many sports, but most commonly used by  bodybuilders who focus on quick muscle growth.

A lot of people think that protein is only used for muscle growth and repair, however it can provide a lot of other benefits, such as refueling your stores of nutrients and amino acids which have been lost during exercise. Other functions include helping the body’s functions within cells, transferring different elements around the body and providing an alternative fuel to carb and fat stores. Even if muscle gain and growth isn’t the key aim to your sport, protein is still an important feature and is needed within every diet. 

The general misconception is that high-protein diets are only needed for bodybuilders, yet all athletes need protein to keep the body repaired and functioning. Bodybuilders need protein for muscle growth, endurance athletes on the other hand need protein for muscle repair that is being damaged by exercise. Carbs are considered as the the best source of fuel for duration sports, yet protein is an important energy supply and keeps muscles healthy. During the second to third hour of exercise your body needs some form of protein as fuel, without it fatigue and energy supply fails. Around 15 per cent of calories burnt during sports are from proteins, and if unavailable, the body will begin to burn lean