Motivation is a tricky thing. One day, you’ll feel powered up to run or go to the gym and the next, no amount of self-talk will get you out of bed in time to work out. We’ve spoken a lot on Strong Women about how to boost exercise motivation, the reasons why you might not feel motivated and why, sometimes, you just can’t rely on motivation to move. And now, we’re here to bring you the surprising news that one macronutrient may help to increase our desire to exercise: protein.

Yep, protein – everyone’s favourite muscle-building nutrient – isn’t just good for strength and hormonal balance but it also may play a role in motivation. And it’s all to do with metabolism.

A study looking into the role oxidative stress has on motivation has found that an area deep in the brain called the ‘nucleus accumbens’ is responsible for regulating functions like reward, aversion and motivation. This area, research has found, is subjected to constant oxidative stress as a result of metabolism.

Struggling with exercise motivation? Eating more protein might help, scientists suggests