Female Athletes And Protein

The Dietary Reference Intake for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of bodyweightFor the average woman, this number translates to around 50 grams per dayHowever, this is for the sedentary women that get little physical activity, probably because their jobs involve them sitting or standing in one place for eight hours per dayThe protein requirement of physically active women will be higherYou can get that protein from food, but if you are not a big eater, you may struggle with thisLuckily, you can hit your higher protein requirement if you supplement with protein powder for women.

Muscle DamageRepair

The higher protein intake is necessary for women who regularly engage in physical activityThese activities can include weight training such as bodybuilding, powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting,even CrossfitThey also include athletic activities such as basketball, volleyball, badminton, martial arts, trackfield events, etcWhen you engage in such activities, your skeletal muscles experience damages or tearsDo not let the term “tear” scare youThese tears are microscopicwill not put you in a cast.

There are slightly badincredibly good parts to this storyThe slightly bad part is that scientistsprofessionals in exercise science believe that these microtears are why you get muscle soreness that you can get 24 to 48 hours after the activityThe incredibly good part? Your muscles can heal themselves efficientlyWhen they repair, they do so by making the muscles biggerstronger so they can prevent the same microtears from the same activity from happening againThis recovery allows weightlifters to grow their muscleslift more weightsIt also allows athletes to perform betterAthletes take advantage of this microtear-recovery cycle so they can keep getting betterAfter the muscles recover, they reintroduce a stronger stimulus such as more weight or more intense trainingThe muscles get more microtearsdo more repairs to make themselves biggerstronger.

Why You Need More Protein Than the Average Woman

The muscles can only do these repairs perfectly if they have the right raw materials,these materials come from proteinFor an athlete or a physically active woman, the 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight will not cut itIf you are among the women who go beast mode in your training sessionscompetitions, your protein requirement shoots up to between 1.2 to 2.0 grams per kilogram of body weight per day.

All healthnutrition experts believe that you should get the majority of your protein from whole foods like fresh meateggsIf you wish to follow a plant-based diet, you can get your protein from legumes like beanslentilsNot only do you need the higher protein, but you also need higher caloriesYou have to eat moreA foodie would relish in this idea, but someone with a small appetite or stomach capacity may find this dauntingThis situation is where a protein powder for women can helpHow do you consume it? You can throw in your protein powder in your smoothies, oats,even in bakingThe protein powder will barely affect the volume of what you eat, so you do not worry about stuffing your face to get your proteincalorie needs.

Whatever your sport may be, a performing woman will have different nutritional needs than the average JaneIf you struggle to get these needs from whole foods, supplementation is a viable option.

Pearl MKasirye is a writer at Plant Sumo, editor,researcher who spends most of her time readingWhen she isn’t reading or working, she can be found sitting on her balcony writing her own novels or traveling.