Water and Protein

Two of the main components that make up the human body are protein and water. You may have a fundamental understanding of what these nutrients do and why the body needs them, but I think that you would pay more attention to their intake if you had a better understanding. Most readers know that they need at least one gram of protein per pound of body weight, but for someone who is training hard and actively trying to build lean body mass, they need much more. Water is similar, because you should have more than just an adequate amount to prevent dehydration. Maximize your training by solidifying your protein and water intake.

Protein
Protein is derived from a Greek word, “proteios”, meaning “of the most important”. On average, a human body is about 18% protein and is an essential part of pretty much all body tissues and components including muscles, hormones, antibodies, enzymes, cell membranes, and skin. In other words, protein isn’t just used for repairing and building muscle, but creating and maintaining all structures in the body. An average, non-training person would do well to consume close to their body weight (in lbs) in grams of protein; it would significantly improve their metabolism, energy levels, immune system, and subsequently overall health. However, I typically recommend that guys who train get at least 50g more than their body weight with the hardest training guys upping that to at least 100g over their body weight. The first goal for women is to get their intake closer to their body weight, and they can titrate it up to 30 to 50g over their body weight after observing their recovery and body composition changes (women are more sensitive to total calories than men, hence my typical recommendation isn’t “get x more than body weight”).

Relevant: Arnold in water


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