"It is important to understand if you are thinking that protein powder from a nutrition store will help in getting stronger and bigger it is completely unnecessary if the player is eating a nutritious mixed diet of healthy food."

Many hockey players are doing strength and conditioning to “bulk up” and become stronger. Some players think if they consume a lot of protein, they will automatically increase muscle mass. The fact is the body can only use a certain amount of protein for muscle growth. If more protein is consumed than the body can use, the extra protein is stored as fat, with the rest being excreted when the athlete goes to the bathroom.

What does protein do in the body?

Protein plays important roles in the body. It is required for structure and function of the body’s tissues and organs. It helps with chemical reactions in the body. Protein regulates and maintains fluid balance. Protein helps form antibodies to fight infections. As it relates to strength and conditioning for hockey players, protein maintains and builds muscle mass, which makes muscles bigger and stronger.

Protein is made of small units called amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein. There are 20 amino acids, 11 of which are produced by the body, the other nine come from the food we eat. Some athletes take amino acid supplements in the hope they will enhance muscle growth. However, if players are eating a good mixed diet, they will get all the amino acids they need.

How much protein does a hockey player need?

The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for protein, based on Canada’s Food Guide, is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. For instance, a 140-pound (63.6 kg) hockey player needs approximately 51 grams of protein per day to meet his or her protein requirements for maintenance and growth of muscle mass. This recommendation is not specific for athletes, however. The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) recommends 1.2 to 1.7 grams per kilogram for athletes. The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) recommends 1.4 to 2 grams of protein per kilogram for athletes who are training hard.

If we take the protein requirements for the RDA from Canada’s Food Guide, NSCA, and the ISSN, the protein intake for an athlete is between 0.8 – 2 grams per day. The average protein intake would be 1.3 grams. Therefore, a 140-pound (63.6 kg) player who is training 5 – 6 days/week would need approximately 83 grams of protein per day. To get an idea of how much food needs to be eaten to get 83 grams of protein, see the guide below from Johns Hopkins University.

Protein can come from a lot of different foods:

• Lean meats – beef, lamb, veal, pork
• Poultry – chicken, turkey, duck
• Dairy – low fat milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, cottage cheese
• Fish and seafood – canned tuna fish, other kinds of fish, prawns, crab, lobster, mussels, oysters, scallops, clams
• Beans – edamame, lentils, split peas, pinto beans, kidney beans, black beans, navy beans, lima beans
• Nuts – almonds, walnuts, pistachios, cashews, pine nuts, brazil nuts, peanuts, hazelnuts, hummus
• Tofu, soy milk

In general, a portion of poultry, beef, pork or fish the size of 1/3 of a deck of cards would equal 1 ounce and provide about 7 grams of protein. A whole deck of cards would equal 3 ounces and provide about 21 grams of protein.

What happens when hockey players get too much protein?

Many players think the more protein, the better for bulking up and getting stronger. This is not true because the body can only use a certain amount of protein to build muscle mass and strength. The physiology of gaining muscle mass is that when a player works out, specifically training with weights, jump training and interval training, tiny tears in the muscle fibers occur. The process of getting bigger and stronger is after the training, protein is eaten and it goes to the muscles and repairs the “damage” done by training. When the muscles get repaired, generally in males, the muscles get bigger and stronger. For females, the muscles generally get stronger and a little bigger. Male players around the age of 16 – 17 years can get bigger and stronger muscles because of testosterone and human growth hormone; female players who are 16 – 17 years or older can get stronger, but most cannot dramatically increase muscle mass because females have much less testosterone and human growth hormone.

Many players think if they eat or drink a lot protein (more than is needed) the muscles will grow bigger and stronger at a more rapid rate. This is not true. As mentioned above, the body needs approximately 1.3 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. A 165 pound (75 kg) male player, he needs 97.5 grams of protein per day. That amount of protein can be eaten with a daily meal plan as follows:

Breakfast – 1 egg = 6 grams, one 8 oz glass of milk = 8 grams, 1 carton of yogurt 11 grams, toast etc = 15 grams.

Snack – cheese and crackers – low fat cheese, 1 slices = 10 grams.

Lunch – turkey sandwich = 18 grams, one 8 oz glass of milk = 8 grams = 26 grams

Snack – peanut butter (2 tablespoons) and crackers = 7 grams.

Dinner – chicken breast 6 oz and veggies = 42 grams

Total for the day (approximate) = 100 grams of protein

If the player eats or drinks more than 100 grams of protein, the rest of the protein cannot be used by the body because the protein that has been eaten has already taken care of the muscle damage and the other things protein is used for. Therefore, the body says “What are we going to do with this extra protein?  We don’t need anymore.  Ok, convert it to fat or just get rid of it through urine.” As such, the extra protein is wasted. For players and parents, it is important to understand if you are thinking that protein powder from a nutrition store will help in getting stronger and bigger it is completely unnecessary if the player is eating a nutritious mixed diet of healthy food.  This is the key to sports nutrition, eat food that is good for you.

In conclusion, hockey players who train a lot need protein to maintain and increase muscle size and strength.  Most players need approximately 1.3 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.  The best way to get protein is by eating a healthy diet.  If more protein is eaten than the body can use, the excess is converted to fat or excreted through urine.