Years ago, when I first started running, I discovered that I feel better if I have a little protein with my breakfast. I re-learned that important fact back in the spring, when I was doing Nutrisystem. Their plan calls for a “protein serving” with breakfast every day: one egg, or a yogurt, or something along those lines. Most days I ate a piece of vegetarian sausage (I don’t care for pork sausage). When I wen off the Nutrisystem, and went back to eating my normal bowl of Fiber One, I found that I was actually hungrier mid-morning, even though I was eating more calories.
Interesting. I went back to the Morningstar patties.
My standard pre-race breakfast is one egg, scrambled with cheese, and a small whole-wheat bagel with Nutella. That egg has always felt like a crucial component (ignore the Nutella–that’s part of the complex internal negotiation required to get myself out of bed and onto a race course before, you know, noon). A couple of weeks ago, I read this article on Time Magazine’s health blog that says my morning egg is doing more than just making me run faster.
Anyone who spends any time in a gym knows that weight lifters are obsessed with protein. Our muscles are primarily protein, so it stands to reason that consuming more protein will help us grow bigger muscles.
It turns out that logic is pretty accurate. According to the article, which was summarizing material presented at a nutrition conference, inadequate/sub-optimal protein consumption is a significant factor in the loss of muscle-mass as we age. Loss of muscle-mass can lead to falls, fractures, and a general loss of self-sufficiency. See where I’m going with this?
Apparently, for the best preservation of strength, we need to get about 30 grams of protein, three times a day. That’s a lot–more than I get, even when I’m really trying. One cup of skim milk has about 13 grams; one egg has about 6 grams. Yogurt–pretty much the same as milk.
I’m not yet up to 30 grams on my breakfast plate (or in my bowl), but I’m working on it. The European custom of cold cuts and cheese slices suddenly seems perfectly sensible.