Determining the right amount of protein for your health and lifestyle

Dawn (00:00):

Hello and welcome to the Gastric Health Show. My name is Dawn Boxell, Registered Dietitian, and this week’s topic is determining the right amount of protein for your health and lifestyle. And I really want to spend some time on protein because I feel like it’s easy to get confused and especially if you’ve had bariatric surgery and really understanding how to fuel your body so that you get the results that you’re expecting and that you’re truly hoping for. So this week we’re going to talk about get, figuring out the right amount of protein for your body. And then next week we’ll dig in a little bit deeper in another aspect of protein. So the next couple weeks are going to be on protein, and hopefully you’ll be able to determine, maybe you need to investigate a little bit more on certain areas of protein because you may discover that you fall in these categories and that you may need to look at your protein intake through a different lens.

Why protein is important ?

(01:15):

So that’s kind of where we’re going to go the next couple of weeks. Protein, if you’ve had bariatric surgery, the importance of protein, but sometimes that gets skewed and you get lost and just hitting a number and you truly don’t understand why you need a certain number or how you’re going to accomplish this without doing a whole bunch of protein shakes and bars. So we know that protein plays a crucial role in maintaining and really sustaining your overall health, and it is really the building block of your whole body. And we are all in necessary need of getting adequate protein on a regular basis, and sometimes it requires us to get a little bit more and sometimes we need a little bit less. So that’s where we’re going to give you that foundation and that understanding so that you can start having those conversation, start having those conversations with your healthcare practitioners and your registered dieticians and your bariatric team or just healthcare team in general so that you are making, or you are really, you’re advocating, you are, you’re not outsourcing your health to someone else.

what are the benefits of protein?

(02:54):

You are paying an active participation in how this plays out. And I think that’s kind of the shift that healthcare is going. I think we can all appreciate that our grandparents and maybe even our parents we’re under the belief that whatever your doctor said is fact and that’s what you do. And I think with, oh, I guess really the internet and access to more information, people are learning that hey, sometimes doctors mess up and sometimes they don’t really have a good understanding or even a good training in certain areas of health. And I will say it’s, it’s probably been more recent that people are associating health with their nutrition and that they go hand in hand. So again, I think as we evol evolve as a society, we’re going to understand a little bit better, especially with the genetic and epigenetics that is really exploding.

Why Protein is differ for each person ?

(04:08):

And that whole area is really just making a difference and really how each person is so different that you can’t just give blanket recommendations and expect these optimal results. To me, you do. You start with the basics and the foundation, but then it’s probably going not probably, I truly believe it’s going to take you getting a personalized approach or recommendations based on you, on your genetics, on your lifestyle, your behaviors, your current health conditions. I feel like that is where we’re going. And I think that once we get there, healthcare is going to look a whole lot different because you are going to be more involved in how things play out. So again, I think we’re just at the beginning of this upward climb in this mountain, but I will say the more you are actively involved in your health, the better the results you’re going to get.

Not every person can handle a high protein diet.

(05:25):

Because the facts, some people are going to require medications the rest of their life and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. But if you are expecting that medication to do all the work and solve all the problems with you not putting any effort and input in, that’s when you’re going to get subpar results because that medication can only take you so far. It’s when you combine them, when you combine this medication, this supplement, this whatever procedure, surgery, whatever your body needed because of whatever. When you combine, combine that with your diet and your lifestyle, you catapult your results so much faster. And protein is part of that. So it’s easy to think, oh, I’m just going to eat high protein and that’s all I need. And not always true. Not every person can handle a high protein diet. And some people are under the belief that you know, really don’t need much.

Health conditions and that might be dependent on the body size and the gender

(06:41):

I mean, I’ve seen recommendations as low as 40 some grams of protein as all some people need it, and that’s truly way too low in most instances. But then you flip it to other health conditions and that might be dependent on the body size and the gender and all the health conditions combined that might be spot on. So again, if you’re taking information from the internet, from social media, from any outside source that is basing it off of their personal experience or just what their doctor has told them, that requires pause and that requires a deeper dig on your part. You should ask more questions and then take this to your healthcare team and say, okay, what do you think? Is this something that makes sense for me? And that’s where I guess I’m going with partner, partnering with your healthcare team and just saying, Hey, okay, here are the things I experience.

Importance of protein 

(07:51):

Here are the things I feel and here’s the things I’ve read. Here are the input that I’ve received from other people who have experienced some of my same symptoms. What do I do? So we know the importance of protein and they’re really involved in every biological process in our body. And dialing in that perfect amount for each person really is personalized. It really is different because your age, your gender, your health conditions, your exercise routine and your personal health goals all play a role in that number. We’re going to explore protein and kind of dig into highlighting how protein needs vary depending on bariatric surgery, renal disease, diabetes, insulin resistance, kidney stones, gout, muscle loss and workout routines, your appetite and hunger, gender and ages. So all of this is going to be discussed on this protein topic. So why is protein important and really what are the benefits?

Good quality proteins brings best health benefits

(09:13):

And I feel like if we’re being honest, bariatric patients have a leg up. They have been required to take classes, nutrition classes to really give them a good understanding of this foundation principle. So if you have had bariatric surgery, then guess what? You probably know more than most normal anatomy, we’ll call it people. So maybe someone who’s never had any type of surgeries. You probably do understand the importance of protein and the benefits a little bit more than the average person. So we know that proteins are your body’s main building blocks and proteins are just a bunch of amino acids all combined together. And there are 20 amino acids and there are nine that are essential, meaning that your body cannot produce them and they have to be obtained from your diet. So this is why we as dieticians, we preach complete proteins so much we want you to have good quality proteins.

Why we do say quality matters when it comes to protein

(10:32):

And why we do say quality matters when it comes to protein, you can get complete proteins from animal sources and from plant sources. I would say the main difference though, if you are relying on a plant-based diet where it’s vegetarian or vegan where you do maybe no animal products, you just have to be diligent every single day. You really don’t have room for air when it comes to protein intake because it’s going to take twice the volume in most cases to obtain the same amount of protein that you would get from an animal source. So again, I would say that’s the difficulty. If you’ve had bariatric surgery, that is the difficulty in hitting your protein goals with a plant-based or non-animal sourced protein diet and you just don’t have room for junk. So if you are truly following a vegan or vegetarian diet where you truly are just getting all your protein from plants, you will likely well, and if you’re doing it right, then you are truly getting a very, very good foundational diet.

More ultra processed foods

(12:02):

But if you’re weaving in a bunch of chips and weaving in a bunch of mac. And cheese and just non or more ultra processed, let’s just call it that, more ultra processed foods, we know study after study is showing that the more processing, so ultra processing, because I think you can easily get confused. I see even registered dieticians bashing other dieticians for commenting on a processed food diet and they throw in confusion with saying that most foods are processed. And yeah, a lot of foods are processed, but we’re talking about the ultra processed, we’re talking about the foods that really don’t have any whole real food ingredients that is ultra processed. That’s not like saying you’ve roasted some almonds with an oil and salt, although that is processing that is not ultra processed, that is like an ultra processed is like those little a hundred calorie snack packs that’s ultra processed.

The difference between an ultra processed food and a processed food diet.

(13:19):

There’s literally hardly any whole food ingredients in the majority of those. And I know I’ve done this, this was years ago, but I did this for a patient that I was trying to explain the difference between an ultra processed food diet and a processed food diet. And there were literally in this, it wasn’t even a whole ounce package. So the one of those little a hundred calories snack packs, and I don’t even remember what the snack was, but it was less than an ounce. It wasn’t even one ounce of food and it had 30 ingredients, 30 not three. So that to me is a good evidence that if it has so many ingredients and most of them even as a registered dietician, I didn’t even know what it was. Again, I think as you are making choices with your protein, the more you stay in the whole real food category. The better off you’re going to be and that you’re not relying solely on protein shakes. And protein bars to provide you that majority of your protein.

Example

(14:33):

So let’s say an example for where am I getting the majority of my protein? , say you are trying to hit 75 grams of protein a day. This is just a arbitrary, arbitrary number so that I can give an example, but say you’re trying to hit 75 grams of protein per day and you’re like, great, I’m just going to do 60 grams of protein in a protein shake. I’ll do a 30 gram shake in the morning, 30 gram shake in the afternoon, or a bar in the afternoon, and I’ve at least got 60 in, I’m good. Then it doesn’t matter what I do the rest of the day and I’m set. But there is a huge difference between protein shakes, protein bars and whole real food. So when you’re making those choices, you want to gravitate to where the majority of your protein is coming from whole real food sources. And that’s truly going to provide your body with more of the raw material that you can’t get from a protein bar or protein shake.

Where am I getting the majority of my protein?

(15:38):

And you can lump protein shakes and bars into more of the ultra processed foods in a lot of cases. So I would say there are exceptions, but I would say the majority of what people choose on the market are going to fall more towards that ultra processed food as their protein shake. So that’s where you have to really ask yourself, where am I getting the majority of my protein? How am I getting it? And track it for a few days and just really be accountable to what you are getting in on a daily basis. So what are the health benefits of protein number one, it is building and repairing tissues. Your muscles, your organs and every tissue in your body are really made up of protein, and these proteins are crucial for constructing new tissue. So anytime you exercise, you are tearing down the muscle and you need protein to rebuild that.

The Health Benefits of Protein

(16:48):

So, and it also kind of ensures that your organs function properly and you’re having healthy cell division and that we grow and develop. So proteins f facilitate the repair of damaged tissues like in working out and also aid in recovery after injuries and illnesses. And then this is why insufficient protein intake can result in delayed healing and compromised health. Also, your muscle tissue is made up of protein and it does play an important role in your metabolism, especially in your glucose and fat metabolism. And this is why I already talked about this and I did a post on why should you care more about muscle than body fat? And I’d encourage you to check that out because it does. It goes into some very interesting facts, why your muscle is so important and adopting weight loss practices that are truly just about weight loss and not about health.

Building and Repairing Tissues

(18:04):

You will lose muscle and that will in the end is going to lead to a higher body fat and give you the opposite of what you’re striving for. So I encourage you to check that post out because maintaining muscle mass is really, it really should be priority number one. And you can see this, and I have seen this in patients with some of the new GLP one medications. I’ve seen it for sure with bariatric surgery and I feel like it’s just mimicking that. So bariatric surgery causes muscle loss and then GLP one medications cause muscle loss. And I know that even on social media media, some of those weight loss docs are not that they’re saying that they’re not seeing that. And here’s my thing, are they even checking? Are they doing a dexa? They doing a B i A? Are they doing something to monitor this?

Enzyme Function and Metabolic Reactions

(19:08):

And in one instance, I will say this one physician was not, they were not tracking any of that. So again, I think be careful. You want to make sure you’re setting yourself up for long-term success. Not just another rebound regain where you’re going to lose the weight temporarily and you’re going to go right back to it. So the first one is building and repairing muscle tissue. That one is probably very obvious for most of us. We all realize we need that for our muscles. So number two is enzyme function and metabolic reactions. So our body is really just a whole chemistry experience that is occurring every second of the day. And there is biologically, there’s a lot of things that occur and enzymes facilitate these chemical reactions within your body. Making them kind of an essential to your metabolism and various physiological processes.

Immune System Support

(20:16):

Enzymes are crucial to metabolism, which converts food into energy. So we know that enzymes are necessary to break food down into the right cell size so that it can actually be absorbed and utilized as fuel. So if you’re not breaking the food down, then your body’s not going to extract the energy from that your body can fuel off of. When those digestive processes are broken or impaired or disrupted. That’s when you downstream it becomes a problem with your metabolic health. And a whole lot of areas, I mean, you got to think about vitamin and mineral absorption, glucose, insulin, the health of your gut. There’s so many areas that impact it. If just if one thing, if these enzymes aren’t adequate to break the food down, it creates this whole cascade of problems. Number three is immune system support. So having a healthy immune system is all about your body being able to defend itself against harmful pathogen and foreign substances.

Transport of Substances

(21:43):

And your immune system is strengthened by proteins which produce antibodies and which are specialized proteins. So antibody antibodies are specialized proteins that neutralize specific antigens or foreign substances. And these antibodies help identify and neutralize the bad bacteria, viruses and other pathogens from various diseases and infections. So again, it helps maintain a healthy immune system. So number four, it transports substances. Proteins protein is really involved in every aspect of how our body functions. And anytime you have a protein deficiency, you have to realize that all of these things I’m covering your muscle and tissue repair is not going to happen. Your enzymes are not going to be adequate, which will impact your metabolism, your immune system, and then transporting substance substances. So think of this hemoglobin. This is what transports oxygen from the lungs to various tissues in organs through red blood cells. And if you don’t have adequate proteins, it is not going to occur correctly.

Hormonal Regulation

(23:15):

So this is kind of a different way to think about protein, but it truly does matter and it’s when you don’t prioritize the right amount of protein for you, then all of these areas get influenced negatively. Number five is hormone regulation and hormone. Any hormones are just really chemical messengers that regulate a physiological process. And these processes are communicating between organs and your different body systems. And hormones are often proteins or molecules that look like proteins. So for example, insulin controls blood sugar levels and a protein hormone produced in the pancreas is insulin and the synthesis and function of hormones such as growth, thyroid stimulating, and insulin-like growth factors rely on proteins. So you’ve got to think about T S H, thyroid stimulating hormone, your growth hormone and insulin, insulin-like growth factors. All of those require protein and proper hormone regulation is vital for how your body function functions correctly.

Maintaining Fluid balance

(24:45):

Number six is maintaining fluid balance. So if you are in healthcare, you will understand that if someone is low in protein, they will start retaining a lot of fluid and especially in your extremities. You know, might get some edema, edema like some pitting edema in your legs. So that’s why your doctors might ask you, Hey, are you retaining any fluids? They might touch your leg with their thumb and push it in and see if it bounces back really quickly or if it’s a delayed because we’re assessing your protein status in a way just observationally. And this is one way that you can do it because proteins play a role in your fluid balance. And albumin, which is a protein found in the blood, prevents tissues from accumulating excess fluid and this promotes proper circulation and prevents edema or fluid retention within the blood vessels.

Source of Energy

(26:00):

And protein deficiency can result in fluid imbalances resulting in swelling, decreased blood volume and cardiovascular problems. So this is one area that as a dietician we ask these type of things, are you retaining fluids? Do you have edema? And your doctors and stuff are going to ask that. If we don’t have lab data, but we see that hey, you are really, your legs are really swollen, you have some ED edema, if we touch your leg, then we would know that, hey, I definitely need to check your protein because we might not be getting adequate protein because of that symptom. Again, all symptoms have crossover into various conditions. So that’s one way to assess it, but then you back that up by testing some blood work. Number seven, a source of energy. So I’ve talked about this many times before, that your body prefers sugar and fat to fuel off of not protein, but it can use protein as a fuel source.

It’s just not a preferred fuel

(27:10):

It’s just not a preferred fuel. So source and truly for you, it really shouldn’t be a preferred fuel source. And I think that’s where it kind of dicey for bariatric patients because you get so full on the protein. Your belly capacity can only handle so much that you get stuck and you don’t really consume enough of the other food groups because you spend so much time on the protein. That’s where sometimes you think you’re doing a good job because you’re hitting protein, but yet you’re missing out on all these others and now you’re not getting enough of the proper fuel from sugars and fats. So relying on protein for energy can lead to muscle wasting and other health complications. So this is why it’s important to get adequate carbohydrate and fat intake to spare those proteins for their vital functions. This is where when we’re looking at the big picture of the right types of foods to consume regularly getting a more personalized approach because some people might need more carbohydrates than others and people need to get adequate fat.

How do you know how much protein you should be consuming?

(28:33):

So again, I think it’s dialing it in for you personally so that you meet your needs protein requirements. So let’s dig into, so we went through those seven ways that protein benefits your health. Now, let’s kind of talk about protein requirements. How do you know how much you should be consuming? And I’m going to start with saying that you truly need part of your healthcare team to be involved in this because just taking information. Information generally off of the internet is risky and is not ideal. Because there are many things that can play a factor in that final number. So typically the R D A or the recommended dietary allowance for sedentary adults is 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram of body. And then on the flip side, for physically active people. And athletes may require more protein to support muscle growth and repair.

Protein Requirements

(29:51):

And based on the recommendations from the International Society of Sports Nutrition, athletes should consume 1.4 to two grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. And then additionally, older adults may need more protein to prevent muscle loss, especially those menopausal females. You require more protein than maybe what you did menopause. And that of course is dependent on your activity level and the types of exercise that you’re doing. So again, these are general recommendations and this is where it is worth getting your team, your healthcare team involved and truly dialing in all of the pieces because it matters, it truly can matter. It can tip someone in the wrong direction in certain health conditions that you don’t want any part of. So let’s get into those. So one is bariatric surgery and other surgical procedures. A 2020 study investigated the impact of protein intake on weight loss and muscle mass after bariatric surgeries.

Bariatric Surgery and Other Surgical Procedures

(31:07):

And researchers found that consuming more protein help preserve muscle and promote weight loss. This is why protein becomes crucial for facilitating healing and preserving muscle mass. And so anyone who’s undergone bariatric surgery or really any other surgical procedure do require kind of a modified protein intake. And the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery recommends 60 to 80 grams of protein daily following bariatric surgery. But I will say as a dietician who has been in bariatrics for over 25 years. Sometimes that is way too much and sometimes that is not even close to enough. So again, this is where you have to work with your healthcare team in dialing in the right amount for you in that moment. Because I don’t know about you, but I ebb and flow through seasons of being good at things and seasons of not. So I need to adjust my diet accordingly and it’s going to be different for each of us.

Renal Disease and Protein Intake

(32:25):

So this is why you want to make sure that you’re working with your registered dietician to truly determine what you need when it comes to protein in this current season of life. The second one is renal disease and protein intake. So renal meaning kidney function. And this truly can make a difference in how much protein your body can metabolize. And individuals with renal disease or compromised kidney function should carefully manage your protein intake. So you have to think about, there’s many aspects of this and the pre-phase. So maybe you aren’t experiencing any kidney failure, like you’re not categorized as renal disease, but maybe pre, and this is you’re in the beginning phases and consuming excessive protein can increase your blood urea nitrogen or your BUN, which may put additional strain on your kidneys and make it worse. This is why you want your healthcare team involved in helping you determine the right amount of protein.

The BUN, the creatinine and GFR

(33:52):

They should be looking at your BUN, your creatinine, your GFR. All of those truly are important to pay attention to. And the good thing is, even if you do have some poor kidney function, there are things you can do that can help slow that progression and without putting a strain on your kidneys, exacerbating this condition and tip you into kidney failure, if that makes sense. So again, working with your dietician can truly help you catch that. So if I see, so when I’m looking at blood work and I’m looking at kidney function, the BUN, the creatinine and GFR, when I’m looking at all of those, which I do, I pay attention to those numbers, are they rising? If you’re b n and you’re creatinine, if those are rising, if your GFR is declining and your GFR just stands for your glomerular filtration rate, and that’s just your functioning, filtration, functioning of your kidneys, and if those are going in the wrong direction, okay, let’s just say that and we’re watching trends,m we’re watching trends of they’re going in the wrong direction and. I’m pushing you to eat more protein because you had bariatric surgery, that would be the wrong answer.

(35:24):

I would want to be cautious in pushing protein. I would keep you at a lower protein intake, not zero, not 40, but I would

Diabetes and Insulin Resistance

(35:36):

Definitely keep you at a tighter reference range that isn’t high and I would just really assess that and. Follow the trends so that we don’t tip again, tip you into too much that your kidneys can’t handle it. A study published in the nutritional management of renal disease in 2022 examined protein intake in patients with chronic kidney disease and researchers found that a controlled protein intake tailored to a patient’s needs improved renal function and overall health. So again, it’s not that you don’t eat protein, I will just be more cautious about the types of protein and really guide you with a tighter reference range for that. Another thing to think about is diabetes and insulin resistance and people with diabetes and insulin resistance must be mindful of your protein intake to avoid other complications. And this can be related to kidney stones, gout and other kidney diseases because it can progress to that.

High protein diet has been shown to be beneficial for weight loss

(36:49):

And especially if you consume too much protein. And this is where when I’m looking at someone’s blood work, traditionally you’re, you’re not going to get insulin numbers on an annual panel. You will have to ask for that traditionally, you’re not going to get a uric acid number. You’re going to have to ask for that, and that’s where you’re going to get a better picture of how your body is responding to the protein because just because a high protein diet has been shown to be beneficial for weight loss and after bariatric surgery. This does not mean that you can go crazy and eat a hundred, 150 grams of protein all the time. And again, that is dependent on each person. Some studies have found that consuming more protein may help to improve blood sugar control while others have found that they may have the opposite effect.

Muscle Loss and Sarcopenia

(37:50):

So again, it’s, it’s that fine line and that fine balance and truly understanding you. And your body and what it needs and looking at insulin, looking at uric acid levels and truly understanding where your body is in that process. The next is muscle loss and sarcopenia. So sarcopenia is just age related muscle loss and it can occur due to various factors such as rapid weight loss, which you can see that after bariatric surgery or these GLP one medications. I have seen it with that and aging. So the older we get, this is a natural phenomenon. This always occurs if we’re not doing something about it, and especially your fifties, but more aggressively in your sixties. So this is why protein intake and finding that sweet spot of protein for yourself is so important. A study published in the American Journal of Medicine in 2022 found that older adults who consume 1.2 to 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight had a lower risk of sarcopenia.

Workout Routine and Protein Requirements

(38:57):

And this means that a 70 kilogram or 150 pound person that was an older adult would need to consume 84 to 105 grams of protein per day. So that’s just kind of a good example so you can kind of understand that. But again, if you have diabetes, insulin resistance, maybe some kidney function problems, that number may be different. The types of protein I would want you to eat may be different. The fifth one is workout routine and your protein requirements, if you are tearing down your muscles with a workout, you have to rebuild it. So you need protein. So the intensity, the frequency, and the types of workouts all influence your protein needs. And those who engage in regular intense exercise, especially resistance change training or working with weights need more protein to recover and build muscle. And in a study, athletes who consume two to 2.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight gained more muscle mass after resistance training.

How protein supplementation affects muscle strength

(40:09):

So a 70 kilogram or 154 pound athlete needs 140 to 168 grams of protein. But again, you have to look at insulin uric acid, your BUN, creatinine, GFR. You need all of that data to implement that to know can I truly handle that amount of protein? A 2018 sports medicine meta-analysis examined how protein supplementation affects muscle strength and size and resistance trained individuals. And the research researchers found that protein supplementation significantly enhanced muscle hypertrophy and strength gains compared to a placebo. So again, this is where you just have to personalize it because I don’t think we can blanket statement. And I know that ASMBS comes out with everybody who’s had bariatric surgery should be consuming 60 to 80 grams of protein. And that is, sure, I want everyone right after surgery. In those first few weeks hitting 60 to 80 grams of protein a day.

Current Health Goals and Protein Intake

(41:25):

But most cases you’re going to need way more than that to get you through that process after surgery. So again, it’s working with your dietician and your healthcare team to really dial that in for you. Number six, current current health goals and protein intake. Your protein intake may need to be adjusted according to your health goals such as weight loss or muscle growth. So if you have a goal to do a certain routine or exercise or challenge or five K Marathon Ironman. Those types of things, we might have to look at your needs differently because you might need more than someone else. High protein diets can aid in appetite control and contribute to muscle development, but the amount should be tailored to you. A 2020 study in nutrition and metabolism examined how high protein diets affect body composition. And appetite in overweight and obese individuals.

Appetite and Hunger Needs

(42:33):

According to this study, a high protein diet promoted greater FA fat loss, improved body composition and reduced hunger. So sounds perfect, right? So why wouldn’t everyone just follow a high protein diet? And again, these are the things I want you thinking about. What do I have diabetes? Did I have diabetes? Once you have diabetes, you always have diabetes. It’s just maybe in remission or it’s just managed. So what is your BUN? Your creatinine and your insulin, your GFR, your uric acid, all of that stuff matters and your healthcare team should be evaluating that. Number seven, appetite and hunger needs. So we know that protein makes you fuller longer, so it is great to have adequate protein at each meal. And if you feel like, Hey, I have a lot of hungry assess, assess and do a food log, track it for at least three days and truly say, am I hitting the amount of protein grams that I’m supposed to hit?

you’re not needing to snack

(43:47):

Because that would matter. That would impact your ability to stay satiated and full long enough to get you to the next meal so that you’re not needing to snack. And usually it’s easy to grab, maybe not the healthiest things, but if you’re having a hard time getting to the next meal without needing a snack, you probably need to go up on your protein a little bit. But again, check with your registered dietician to make sure that that makes sense. A study published in the Journal of American Medical Association found that individuals with a higher hunger scores were more likely to consume more protein. The study also found that people who consumed more protein were likely to have a lower body mass index. And lower chances of developing chronic diseases. Another study found that people who consumed more protein were more likely to feel full after meals.

Gender and Age

(44:45):

The study also found that the people who felt fuller after meals were less likely to snack between meals. So it’s not that I’m against snacks, but you should be able to get enough fuel to make it to the next meal without requiring a snack. So that would be my goal that we would get you to each meal that you are consuming adequate fuel and so that you don’t need to snack. Next is gender and age. Gender. Gender and age is really one factor that can influence your protein needs. And women in particular may have unique protein requirements, especially after strenuous workouts, and they have found that consuming 30 to 40 grams of protein within 30 to 45 minutes of vigor, vigorous exercise can help prevent cortisol spikes which could otherwise, which will otherwise hinder muscle recovery. So especially perimenopause and menopausal females, this is priority one.

You need to reassure your body

(45:54):

Whenever you do a workout strenuous, not like you go for a walk or you do a yoga when you are doing weights, cardio, any type of intense type of a workout, you need to get 30 to 40 grams of protein within 30 to 45 minutes. And what, because exercise increases your cortisol and menopausal females, naturally our cortisol is higher. So this is going to rank it a little higher. It’s going to make that cortisol level go higher. And you need to tell your body that it doesn’t need to be stressed or go into fight or flight because of your workout. You need to reassure your body that it is going to have. What it needs and it doesn’t need to be in fight or flight. So that’s where getting that protein, prioritizing that protein will really turn off that muscle burning and turn on muscle repair.

Protein intake and muscle protein synthesis

(47:01):

And once you can turn on that muscle repair, you will blunt that cortisol so that it’s not going to be continued to spike. It won’t rise continue to rise. Study published in the Journal of International Society of Sports Nutrition in 2023 investigated gender differences in post-exercise, protein intake and muscle protein synthesis. And the researchers reported that women experienced higher muscle protein sense at this rates When consuming protein right after exercise, highlighting the importance of protein timing for optimal recovery. So again, I really do like Dr. Stacy Sims. She is a researcher for females and as she says it, females are not small men. So we can’t take those studies that are done just on males and correlate the same information from those studies. For females, we are different. And it’s important to understand that and respond accordingly because men. You can wait three hours to get that muscle recovery.

Protein Timing and Exercise

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You have a large window, so you could literally make it to your next meal in most cases for muscle recovery. It’s not going to impact your ability and it’s not going to increase your cortisol more, whereas females, it does. So this is why it’s so important that if you’re doing a strenuous workout and it’s not just yoga or stretching or a light walk, you don’t need to, your next meal will be adequate to replace protein. So make sure that you are putting that factor piece in when you are planning your workouts and what you’re going to do right after your workout. How are you going to get that 30 to 40 grams of protein in right. After your workout to prepare your body to not create bigger problems? Protein, timing and exercise. Exercise timing is important for optimal muscle recovery and. Growth and consuming protein shortly after workout can enhance muscle protein synthesis and repair.

Laboratory Indicators of Protein Status

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A study in the International Society of Sports Nutrition found that athletes who consume 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of resistance training significantly increased muscle mass more than those who did not consume protein after exercise. So again, important piece especially for females. So now what about labs? What labs do you need to evaluate? One is albumin. So this is in the blood serum. Albumin serves as a marker of protein status for a longer period of time. Albumin has a half-life of 30 to 40 days. So when I look at albumin, I’m saying, okay, over the last month, their protein stores have been adequate or inadequate wherever it falls on the reference range indicating that protein intake over the last month is what that number is showing pre albumin. And pre albumin is just a protein that has a shorter half-life than albumin. And this is a three to four day window.

The pre albumin and the albumin

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So this is telling me the week of getting this blood work, this is what your protein intake look like. So that’s why I like looking at both of those, the pre albumin and the albumin because it’s giving me that weak and 30 day picture, BUN, blood urea nitrogen. And this is determined by protein breakdown in the body. And high BUN levels can indicate excessive protein intake or kidney problems where your body is unable to metabolize appropriately the protein you’re consuming while low levels could signal insufficient protein consumption. So if I know, if I look at those basic panels are easily drawn by your family doctor. If I’m seeing that as low, then my first thought is they’re not getting enough protein in their diet. The next is serum total protein. And these are all the proteins in the blood are measured in serum total protein, including albumin and globulin.

How much nitrogen the blood excretes in the urine?

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And it provides a general overview of an individual’s protein status. Not one that I love using per se, but if it’s low, then I’m going to really dig into the pre albumin and the albumin and really make sure those are adequate and not just barely adequate. Serum creatinine, muscle metabolism generates creatinine as a waste product, and this can be used to determine muscle mass and subsequently protein status. Low creatinine levels may suggest muscle wasting due to inadequate protein intake. On the flip side, if this is elevated, my brain would think kidney problems and I would want to evaluate all of those indicators for your kidney function. And then urinary urea nitrogen or u n measures how much nitrogen the blood excretes in the urine. Which reflects how much protein is catabolize. And a high u u n level may indicate excessive protein breakdown and excessive protein consumption.

Nitrogen balance

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So then the next one is nitrogen balance and nitrogen balance. Nitrogen intake from protein is compared with nitrogen excretion through the urine and the feces and sweat. And a positive nitrogen balance indicates a surplus of protein intake while a negative nitrogen balance indicates insufficient protein intake. C R m transferrin is a protein responsible for transporting iron throughout the body. And a protein status can affect its level and a low serum transferrin may indicate malnutrition or low protein level insulin like growth factor or IGF one is influenced by protein intake and is involved in muscle growth and repair. A low level of IGF one may indicate a protein deficiency and then also C R P or C-reactive protein. And it’s an inflammatory marker that is elevated in response to infection or inflammation and inflammatory conditions set can affect protein metabolism and status. So again, it’s another puzzle piece that can help you truly understand what’s going on.

Protein not a surprise of how important it truly is to your overall health

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So let’s wrap this up. So protein not a surprise of how important it truly is to your overall health. And it’s important to consider all your medical conditions, your age, your gender, your exercise routine. Even your personal objectives in determining how much protein you should consume. And when you consume the right amount of protein in your diet, you will feel physically better and you will be able to maintain your muscle health and contribute to your overall longevity. But I would encourage you to work with a registered dietician to personalize. This number so that we can evaluate all of the factors that can influence this final number for you and make sure that that you’re truly getting adequate amounts but not too much and not too little based on your health conditions and how your body is capable of metabolizing it. So check out our gastric health membership.

Be a gastric health member

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This is a great way to have access to a registered dietician who can truly help you sort through all of this. When I do my evaluation with my members, I ask them for any current lab data. It usually within the last three months, but if they haven’t been for a year, I want their most recent. So I can evaluate some of those trends that have been occurring and within the past and just really dialing that in. And then I can assess, hey, have we checked an insulin? Have we checked uric acid levels? Where are they in the pre albumin, the albumin. All of those numbers so that I can truly pick the right number that I don’t tip you in the wrong direction. But again, that’s part of the membership. You have access to that information by being a gastric health member and we personalize a plan for you. And truly get you on the right track so that you have one, you feel great because you’re getting appropriate protein. But we’re also not creating more problems because we’re where it’s just having a blanket diet of saying. Okay, everybody do a high protein diet, everybody add 140 grams of protein and you’re good.

Conclusion

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No, we’re making sure with a membership that we are personalizing it and. Giving you those numbers so that you truly are dialing this in based on your health. So I hope this has helped you guys and this week’s topic of protein really is an important piece. But I wanted to kind of dig deeper this time and really help you understand that more is not always better. And you can’t just take information from social media or online or Dr. Google and say, okay, this is what I need. I have all these symptoms and this is what it says I should do. So I think that’s what I’m going to do. I just want you to know that sometimes doing that can tip you into a gout flare. Into renal disease or kidney failure and impact your ability to control your health in the way that you are expecting. So I would love for any of you to reach out if you have questions. Check out our website gastric health.com and let’s connect and. See if we can’t help you determine the right amount of protein for your life. You guys have a great week. Bye-bye.

Listen, Learn, Enjoy…

1. https://gastrichealth.com/why-should-you-care-more-about-muscle-than-body-fat/?v=4096ee8eef7d

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5. Morton, R. W., Murphy, K. T., McKellar, S. R., Schoenfeld, B. J., Henselmans, M., Helms, E., … & Phillips, S. M. (2018). A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. British journal of sports medicine, 52(6), 376-384.

6. Popp, C. J., Hu, L., Kharmats, A. Y., Curran, M., Berube, L., Wang, C., Pompeii, M. L., Illiano, P., St-Jules, D. E., Mottern, M., Li, H., Williams, N., Schoenthaler, A., Segal, E., Godneva, A., Thomas, D., Bergman, M., Schmidt, A. M., & Sevick, M. A. (2022). Effect of a Personalized Diet to Reduce Postprandial Glycemic Response vs a Low-fat Diet on Weight Loss in Adults With Abnormal Glucose Metabolism and Obesity: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Network Open, 5(9). https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.33760

7. Sims, S. T., Kerksick, C. M., Smith-Ryan, A. E., Hirsch, K. R., Arent, S. M., Hewlings, S. J., Kleiner, S. M., Bustillo, E., Tartar, J. L., Starratt, V. G., Kreider, R. B., Greenwalt, C., Rentería, L. I., Ormsbee, M. J., VanDusseldorp, T. A., Campbell, B. I., Kalman, D. S., & Antonio, J. (2023). International society of sports nutrition position stand: Nutritional concerns of the female athlete. Journal