Protein mistake that could be quietly sabotaging you
When it comes to getting enough protein, some people like to go the extra mile - particularly if they're trying to make gains at the gym.
Of course, there are any number of tips and tricks out there, not to mention a number of supplements as well.
But while one trick might purport to help you get more protein into your diet - seemingly without much extra effort - in reality, this could actually be stopping you from getting the optimum amount.
It's all to do with how you actually consume your food.
Advert
This might seem a secondary concern, but if you consume a certain protein source properly then your body will absorb more protein from that than it otherwise might.
In this case, we are talking about one specific trick that many people might use, which became popular due to a famous movie.
This is the habit of breaking a raw egg into your protein shake to add in just a little extra protein seemingly with no extra effort, the style of Rocky Balboa.
But the reality is that your body does not absorb protein as efficiently from raw eggs as it does when the eggs are cooked properly - so by doing it this way you are cheating yourself out of protein that you might otherwise get from that same egg.
Scott Carswell, Founder of The Ice Maker Hub said: “People think they're being efficient by adding raw eggs to their shakes, but they're actually wasting nearly half their protein intake."
He added: "It's like doing half a workout, you're putting in the effort and spending the money, but you're only getting 50% of the results.”
Eggs are not the only foodstuff that this applies to either, as how you cook your meat also impacts on your body's ability to extract protein from it.
For example, if you have a serving of 200g of beef mince and you cook it properly then you can get around 48g of protein from it.
But if you overcook the same beef then you will only end up with 27g of protein, and with the price of food only going up you, don't want to be throwing away money like that.
“This brings clarity to why many people who train hard don’t see the gains they deserve despite eating enough protein," said Carswell.
"They're either following outdated Rocky-style advice or overcooking their meal prep chicken until it's dry and grey. As is life, nothing is ever simple, and both ends of the spectrum are as bad as each other.”
For optimal results, they recommend cooking eggs to 71C internal temperature, beef to 71C, and chicken to 74C, which is the minimum safe temperature to cook chicken.
Kit Roberts