The power of protein: why protein powders and supplements are good for men and women keeping fit
And it’s not just here in Manchester and the North West, but across the country with recent research showing 67% of women are more likely to pick up weights in the gym than a few years ago and almost a third (31%) regularly weight training.
But whilst men have embraced protein supplements for building muscle strength, women have yet to catch on to the benefits.
We spoke to Matt Durkin, product developer at SCI-MX, the sports nutrition brand behind the research which gave us these figures, to find out more. He told us protein intake was important for all adults, regardless of gender, because its effects lessen the older we get.
“This means we need a relatively higher protein intake to maintain muscle. This is one of the reasons why we see a steady decline of lean mass every decade following our thirties,” he said.
“Current protein recommendation for the general population is to consume 0.8g per kg of body mass, but I would suggest increasing this to around 1.2g/kg to help preserve muscle mass. But protein is only one part of the equation, everyone should be performing muscle-strengthening exercises frequently to stimulate the body to build or maintain muscle.
Matt Durkin, product developer at SCI-MX“For those engaging in regular exercise and looking to build or maintain muscle then a significantly higher amount of 1.6-2.0g/kg is recommended. Getting this amount of protein requires a conscious effort and good planning and this is where protein supplementation and working with a nutritionist can help.”
About the survey
The survey was done in October last year when over 1,000 people were quizzed on their health and gym habits and society’s attitudes to physically strong women and to protein supplements. It was carried out by Censuswide Research Consultants.
It showed half (50%) of Brits have seen a positive shift in societal attitudes towards women who take part in strength training or weightlifting, with 55% saying there’s been a positive change in celebrating physically stronger women.
But when it comes to nutrition, more than two-fifths (42%) of Brits say there are misconceptions about protein powder and its impact on women’s bodies with more than a quarter (28%) of women admitting they have avoided or hesitated in using protein powder because they were concerned about gaining too much muscle mass.
Nutritionist Kate Withington, who has teamed up with British sports nutrition company SCI-MX said there were lots of benefits of a high-protein diet.
Nutritionist Kate Withington“It’s amazing to see that so many women now feel comfortable using weights within the gym – it’s been a long time coming! I think the societal shift in celebrating physically strong women has really helped with this change, although we clearly have more work to do when it comes to nutrition given the research from SCI-MX reveals a clear gap in knowledge when it comes to protein.
“In the past, protein powders and high protein snacks have very much been targeted at those looking to bulk, but even for people who want to lose weight and tone up, protein is so important.”
Include protein-rich foods in every meal and include protein as additional snacks. For example, a day of eating could look like this:
Breakfast: protein smoothie made with one scoop of strawberry protein powder, frozen berries and milk.
Lunch: tuna and sweetcorn baked potato with salad. I love to use Greek yoghurt instead of mayo to increase protein content further and reduce calories.
Afternoon snack: cottage cheese on rice cakes with some mixed seeds.
Dinner: salmon goodness bowl. Salmon fillet with quinoa, broccoli and edamame beans.
Evening snack: Greek yoghurt with berries.
Kate advocates using protein powders, saying whey was one of her top supplements because it’s a fast and easy way to up your protein intake.
“Try to stick to snacks which are high in protein – these could include hard-boiled eggs, tuna lettuce cups, cottage cheese, edamame beans and beef jerky,” she said.
Find out more
To find out more about SCI-MX and its range of high-protein products visit the website here