Today, let’s get into a topic that’s at the heart of every body transformation: how we fuel our bodies. In particular, let’s talk about protein. When we get an adequate amount of the right proteins into our daily diet, we increase our ability to build lean muscle mass. As we grow older or experience sarcopenia – aka the loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength – this is especially important.
Eating more protein may feel weird at first. Many people are used to eating 30 grams per day not up to 30 grams per meal. We understand it may seem strange. This is why we help out with meal plans included in our memberships and protein supplements like Mikuna and HumaPro (both of which contain the helpful leucine) available at every location.
While people are getting stronger using our Smart Strength sessions, adding more protein to their diets is helping them add lean muscle mass too.
When you get stronger and add muscle, you reduce your risk of falling and increase your independence. This means you can go on grander adventures, and you can do more daily tasks like going up and down the stairs comfortably too.
How do we know where your lean muscle mass is at? Well, we use a full body scanner to understand your body composition in a non-judgmental, private zone of our studios. These scans are done routinely and the results are discussed with you directly on site – plus, you get to view your results (and progress!) privately in our Client App.
This is one of the ways that we know (through experience) that an adequate protein intake works for our clients. This, and our prior and ongoing endless hours of research in developing our Method.
If you’re looking to increase your strength and grow your lean muscle mass, come in and try out one of our Smart Strength sessions. They are always challenging, but they are perfectly tailored to you, so they are safe.
We wish you happy gains at every age.
Sources / Learn More
Check out our Youtube video on the same topic: The Smart Fit Method 101: The Importance of Protein for Lean Muscle Growth
Carbone JW, Pasiakos SM. Dietary Protein and Muscle Mass: Translating Science to Application and Health Benefit. Nutrients. 2019 May 22;11(5):1136. doi: 10.3390/nu11051136. PMID: 31121843; PMCID: PMC6566799.
Jang YJ. The Effects of Protein and Supplements on Sarcopenia in Human Clinical Studies: How Older Adults Should Consume Protein and Supplements. J Microbiol Biotechnol. 2023 Feb 28;33(2):143-150. doi: 10.4014/jmb.2210.10014. Epub 2022 Oct 31. PMID: 36474318; PMCID: PMC9998208.
Paddon-Jones D, Rasmussen BB. Dietary protein recommendations and the prevention of sarcopenia. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2009 Jan;12(1):86-90. doi: 10.1097/MCO.0b013e32831cef8b. PMID: 19057193; PMCID: PMC2760315.
Thomas MH, Burns SP. Increasing Lean Mass and Strength: A Comparison of High Frequency Strength Training to Lower Frequency Strength Training. Int J Exerc Sci. 2016 Apr 1;9(2):159-167. PMID: 27182422; PMCID: PMC4836564.
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