Top 3 Myths About High Protein Diets

If you’re an athlete like me, one of the primary pieces of advice you are given is to eat a high protein diet. This is a great piece of advice for any athlete to follow. The science on the benefits of eating a higher protein dieting is quite unequivocal. Despite the substantial variability across individuals regarding nutritional requirements, a higher protein intake is important in any diet that can claim the title of being “healthy.” Protein and its constituent molecules, amino acids, are characteristically known as the body's building blocks. This is because it is responsible for building tissues, including muscle, skin, organs, and tendons. Likewise, it is integral to the processes of creating several hormones, enzymes, and brain chemicals. Some of the other important roles that protein plays in the body also include the transportation of important molecules, acting as antibodies, being a source of energy (as it yields calories), and helping maintain the acid-base balance of the body by acting as a buffer.

Thus, having protein in your diet is an integral part of the recovery process, as was alluded to in my interview with Dr. Layne Norton. This has been vindicated through a few studies. One such study from 2017 in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (1) studied post-op patients receiving ERAS care. It showed that patients who consumed a higher protein diet versus…