So I need protein bars/ shakes/ gels?

[WishUponAStar88]

New to the ‘exercise’ threads so hi!

I’ve always done bits of exercise but have increased exercise levels in the last couple of years. My weight has always been stable, if anything slightly underweight for height. Exercise wise I play a sport once a week, do YouTube weight ‘classes’ or exercise classes a couple of times and run 2 x 10km weekly as well as daily dog walks/ fairly active job.

My diet is ok (too many chocolatey snacks but 🤷‍♀️) but should I be making a conscious effort to increase protein intake? I would like to increase muscle and will be increasing run lengths over the summer as I’ve got a couple of half marathons booked in.

Thanks in advance!

I would. I tend to eat a few more eggs and also put protein powder in my porridge
The clear whey from my protein is like squash so I have the odd one of those too
I don't think you need masses and you can get a lot from your diet - eggs, Greek yoghurt, chicken etc but powder is often more convenient

Thank you Mrollivander for stupid questions do you use the protein powder/ drinks every day, even a day that’s not overly energetic or just on hight exercise days? Or some every day but increased amounts when very active? It’s all new to me!

I just get my protein from my diet. I usually have eggs/ beans for breakfast. I run up to HM distance so exercise more than average. It is a useful nutrient, but it's also got inflated commercial hype for average exercisers.

No, you don't "need" a protein supplement.

How much protein do you already eat? Probably you should be aiming for about 0.75g to 1g per 1kg of bodyweight - so if you weigh 70kg, then 55g to 70g per day, broken into separate meals (because your body can only take in 20-25g at a time). Protein from food will always be better than from a supplement; you'd be better increasing protein in your diet than jumping straight to a supplement. A supplement is good when you can't get enough from your diet - for example if you're vegetarian or don't eat much meat.

www.runnersworld.com/uk/nutrition/diet/a26528605/where-runners-should-get-protein-from/
www.verywellfit.com/how-to-calculate-how-much-protein-you-need-3955709#:~:text=Based%20on%20Weight%20and%20Activity&text=The%20average%20adult%20needs%20a,if%20you%20are%20very%20active.

Thank you both - apologies, so many typos looking through my previous posts! I tend to just have weetabix for breakfast and definitely could include more eggs/ beans in my diet. I eat a relatively high amount of chicken but could definitely increase fish intake.