The power of protein

You are what you eat

By nutritionist Sarah West

Build it up:

Proteins are the basic building blocks of the human body. When you eat foods that contain protein, your digestive system breaks them down into basic units called amino acids. These amino acids are then re-used to make the proteins needed to maintain your hair, skin, nails, muscles, bones, blood and internal organs. So you really are what you eat!

Rapid recovery:

High-intensity workouts are a form of stress, which triggers muscle breakdown and makes you feel tired and sore. They also deplete critical amino acids such as glutamine, valine, isoleucine and leucine. It’s only after you've completed exercise that your muscle tissues begin the rebuilding process, so it’s important to replenish lost nutrients to help the body recover.

Studies suggest that consuming high-quality protein following a tough workout helps provide your body with the necessary amino acids to help repair muscle fibres damaged during exercise. Protein also promotes growth of new muscle as an adaptation response to your training, helping to boost your metabolism and increase fat burning.

Time to refuel:

The ideal post-workout meal or snack should contain a combination of protein for growth and repair, plus carbohydrates to restore depleted glycogen stores. Try the following suggestions-

• Nut butters (almond, cashew or hazelnut) lightly spread on rice cakes or Ryvita
• Scrambled eggs with grilled mushrooms & bacon
• A smoothie blended with yogurt or milk and fresh fruit
• Porridge topped with chopped nuts or seeds
• Lentil or bean soup served with oatcakes
• Reduced salt baked beans on wholemeal toast
• Hummous and mixed salad in a wholemeal pitta
• Chicken or tuna salad with sliced avocado and hard boiled eggs
• Vegetable and cheese frittata
• Salmon steak with creamed lentils and spinach
• Chilli with kidney or pinto beans & brown rice
• Stir-fried tofu with mixed vegetables and cashew nuts.