How much protein should you intake daily?
Our body depends upon nutrients to reproduce, survive, and perform all activities. The nutrients provide energy and building blocks for proper functioning and making essential molecules and tissues. These nutrients include proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals, which are vital for us.
All of the mentioned nutrients have their importance in sustaining life processes. Carbohydrates, the primary energy source, provide energy to drive all physical and metabolic activities. The primary function of fats is to protect the body and be an alternative energy source. Vitamins are needed for wound healing and boosting immunity, while minerals also play significant bodily functions.
However, in the list of most abundant organic compounds in our body, proteins come first. Protein is essential both structurally and functionally. On the one hand, proteins build our muscles. On the other hand, these are important for performing various functions like the transportation of multiple molecules and communication between different cells.
There is no specific parameter of daily protein intake. The amount of protein we take daily depends upon multiple factors, among which our body type is crucial. It is vital to optimizing your protein intake following your specific body type. Else, you have to encounter many health-related problems, including weight gain.
But before discussing different body types, let’s look at protein and its importance.
What is protein?
An essential and complex organic substance, protein is built from smaller molecules known as amino acids. A total of 20 amino acids combine in various patterns to form thousands of different proteins found in all living organisms, with no exceptions.
These proteins carry out multiple functions and make various structures of our body. Hence, we can say that proteins have both structural and functional importance in our bodies.
1. Structural importance
Proteins that are used in making various structures of our bodies are known as structural proteins. Examples of structural proteins are keratin, actin, collagen, and myosin. The importance of structural proteins is:
– They are essential for building our muscles.
– Structural proteins make our hair, and these proteins also keep cell shape.
– Our skin and nail are also made up of structural proteins.
– The elastic nature of structural proteins allows muscle tissues to recover their original form after contraction.
Along with the functions mentioned above, structural proteins also play a vital role in genetics, bones, and connective tissue formation. Furthermore, the hardness and rigidity of cells are also due to these proteins.
2. Functional importance of proteins
The type of proteins that play essential functions in our bodies is called functional protein. The most prominent functional proteins are hormones, enzymes, and hemoglobin. The principal functions of these proteins are as follows:
– In the form of enzymes, functional proteins work to accelerate biochemical reactions.
– Some functional proteins communicate between different body parts and regulate essential processes.
– Hemoglobin, a structural protein found in blood, carries oxygen from the lungs to all body parts.
– Immunoglobulins are specific functional proteins that provide immunity.
– Some functional proteins also work for the storage and transportation of nutrients.
Furthermore, functional proteins also play a role in the expression of genes, provide movements to the body and carry nerve impulses.
Sources of proteins
From animals to plants, we obtain proteins from various sources. Some people use any authority available while others, vegetarians, stick only to plant proteins. Some primary protein sources are mentioned below:
– Dairy products like yogurt, butter, cheese, and milk.
– Poultry products like meat and eggs.
– Sea foods such as crab, prawns, and sardines.
– Vegetables, for example, spinach, asparagus, and mushrooms.
– Legumes, for instance, beans and lentils.
– Fruits, in particular apricots, bananas, and guavas.
– Dry fruits such as walnuts, almonds, and nuts.
– Meats, namely pork, beef, and rabbits.
It does not matter which sources you use to fulfill your daily protein requirement. Your unique body type plays a vital role in determining the customary amount and efficacy of proteins for you.
Therefore, let’s discuss various body types and their daily protein requirement.
Different body types and daily protein requirements
All human bodies are not alike. Men and women have multiple body types because we all are born with unique frameworks and compositions. That is why some of us are shorter while others are taller, some are lean, and others are blubbery. For some, weight loss or gain is not a problem, while it becomes a significant challenge to manage their weight for others.
Proteins and other nutrients are more beneficial for us if our daily intake is per our distinctive body types. This way, we can optimize our metabolism and get the most out of nutrients.
Experts divide the human body into the following types:
- Ectomorph
- Endomorph
- Mesomorph
These body types are influenced by many factors, including genetic predisposition and environment. Now talk about these body types and their daily protein requirement in detail.
1. Daily protein intake for ectomorphs
There is a friend in every group who eats a lot but gains no muscles. Such people are known to have an ectomorph body type. With pencil-thin, tall, and angular frames, people with these body types are more like models.
Significant characteristics of ectomorphs are:
– They have meager and delicate bodies, and they are usually flat-chested.
– Due to high metabolic rates, they tend to be underweight.
– Reduced muscles and body fat.
– Temperature regulation is difficult due to their low body fat percentage.
Ectomorphs find it challenging to build their muscles and increase their fat ratio. Due to hyperactive metabolism, proteins are metabolized at a higher rate. Hence, people with this body type should take more protein, among other macronutrients.
Eating more protein food is the only way to grow muscles without putting on weight. According to nutritionists, the ideal protein intake for an ectomorph is about 0.8 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of total body weight.
Ideal sources of protein for people with ectomorph body type are:
– Lean beef and pork
– Fish, particularly cod, salmon, and tuna.
– Poultry, especially chicken, turkey, and egg white.
– Seafood, including lobsters and squids.
– Plants such as tofu, beans, and lentils.
– Artificial proteins like bars, shakes, and powders.
Whatever protein source you prefer, eat every three to four hours. A protein snack just before bedtime is suitable to speed up the muscle-building process further.
2. Daily protein intake for endomorphs
Every group has a friend who is always afraid of accumulating stubborn belly fat and, consequently, gaining a pot belly. He, indeed, is an endomorph. People with endomorph body types are likely shorter in height, inclined to accumulate body fat, and round. Furthermore, their metabolic rate is not as high as that of endomorphs.
Some principal characteristics of endomorphs are:
– These people have an annular body and more petite stature and tend to be chesty.
– A slower metabolism makes it difficult for them to manage their weight.
– They accumulate more fat which becomes difficult to lose.
– They have moderate muscle mass.
– Temperature regulation is not a difficult task for them.
Weight maintenance is complex for endomorphs. Eating food low in protein and rich in other nutrients might be problematic due to a slower metabolic rate. There is always a risk of gaining weight even after eating less, and the problem worsens when their eating habit is not optimized according to their body type.
Hence, endomorphs should eat more protein-rich food because protein becomes muscles, unlike carbs and fats. Experts say being an endomorph, your daily food intake must contain at least 180-250 grams of protein daily. Primary sources of proteins for an endomorph are:
– Lean meats like fish, turkey, chicken, beef, and pork cuts.
– Plant-based proteins such as peas, beans, and lentils.
– Seeds and nuts, specifically hazelnuts, walnuts, and cashews.
– Vegetables, preferably spinach, asparagus, and kale.
– Fruits are mainly zucchini and apple.
If you are an endomorph, do not forget that at least 40% of your daily intake of calories must come from proteins only. Otherwise, you will not be able to manage your body weight.
3. Daily protein intake for mesomorphs
Every group has a friend whose body shape is almost everyone’s favorite. We are telling you, he has a mesomorph body type. Although mesomorphs look slim, they are stronger and more proportioned. In terms of metabolism, mesomorphs lie between endomorphs and ectomorphs. Their metabolic rate is faster than ectomorphs and slower than endomorphs, the reason behind their well-proportioned bodies.
Mesomorphs have the following characteristics:
– They are slender but stronger and taller than the other two counterparts.
– Mesomorphs have a broad chest with a narrow waist.
– They have comparatively ideal metabolic rates.
– People with this body type are less likely to get fat; hence waiting for management is not a problem.
– They have more muscle mass.
– Just like ectomorphs, they are good at temperature regulation.
Mesomorphs indeed have a god-gifted body type. However, it does not mean that they should care less. Like ectomorphs, they also risk losing extra weight, especially if their diet is not under their body type.
Although, as a mesomorph, you can eat anything you want to because of your higher metabolic rate. But it would be best if your food plan followed your body shape. Otherwise, you might also become overweight. Therefore, your everyday protein intake should be 1.2 to 2.2 grams per kg of total body weight. However, if you are an exerciser or gym-goer, you can increase the amount.
Best sources of protein for a mesomorph include:
– Dairy with high protein content, like Greek yogurt.
– Poultry, a whole egg, and chicken meat.
– Lean meat, including fish and pork cuts.
– Fruits like guava, blackberries, and kiwi.
– Vegetables, for instance, potato, broccoli, and artichokes.
Being a mesomorph, you can easily maintain your weight. But it is better to keep it under control using a diet plan that follows your body type. This way, you will not have to go through the trouble of losing stubborn body fats.
Conclusion
Protein is your body’s most crucial macronutrient for different structural and functional activities. More than 80,000 proteins in an adult body are made up of twenty other amino acids.
Proteins make our structure like muscles, hair, and nails and play various essential functions, for example, transportation, communication, and metabolism. Now the big question is how much protein should you take daily to optimize your metabolism?
Although consumption of protein is not uniform all over the world. Still, according to nutritionists, a moderate protein intake for an average male is about 56 to 91 grams, while for an average female, it is 46 to 75 grams daily. However, it is not a hard and fast rule because daily protein intake depends mainly upon your body type, which can be ectomorph, endomorph, or mesomorph.
All the body types mentioned above are not alike regarding nutritional needs. Therefore, to ensure that you take an optimum amount of protein daily, you must know your body type.
Another critical factor influencing your body type and the daily amount of protein you should take is your genetic makeup. It is the genome that decides:
- Your body type.
- Your body’s response to daily protein intake affects absorption, digestion, and metabolism.
Hence, you must take a DNA nutrition test before deciding your daily protein intake. HealthCodes DNA provides the best platform to know about your nutritional needs and macronutrient protein metabolism based on your genes. DNA test for a customized diet enables you to understand your daily protein requirement according to your body type and genetic makeup.
After ordering our genetics-based nutrition plan, you will receive a user-friendly, non-invasive DNA collection kit. Then, after sending your saliva samples, you will receive the results within three weeks. That will include a nutritional plan for your daily protein intake optimized according to your genes and body type.
Therefore, if you want to enjoy a healthy lifestyle by optimizing your daily protein intake with body type and genome, the DNA wellness program is the best choice. It will improve your living standard by genetically optimizing your daily intake of protein.