By Julie Murphree, Arizona Farm Bureau Outreach Director
On the occasion that I hire a personal trainer for a handful of weeks, I’m always reminded to take the right amount of protein as an adult. It’s easy to fall behind on what’s recommended. And the blessing of living in the country we live in we have access to a variety of plant and meat proteins. The full mix of them is important to our diets.
And thus, studies are proof of the training regimen that insists on solid coverage of your proteins, and they can be moderate. Recent findings, published in the American Journal of Physiology: Endocrinology and Metabolism, suggests that adults who underwent strength training and had a moderate intake of protein for 10 weeks achieved the same gains in muscle mass and strength as those who underwent strength training and had a high intake of protein for the same period — with no differences in overall body composition. The findings were based on data from 50 adults aged 40 to 64 who were overweight but healthy.
Conclusion: If you start up a solid exercise regimen, you don’t need a high intake of protein, only a moderate. But make sure protein is part of your dietary mix. We really can’t live well and healthy without protein! And, oh, my preferred choice, pork or beef.
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