What are proteins?

Proteins are molecules made up of amino acids ‑ the building blocks of the body. As part of digestion, consumed proteins are broken down into amino acids that can be used as the building materials in the body.

Amino acids are classified into two categories, essential and non-essential.  Essential amino acids are those that the body cannot manufacture, and must be consumed in diet. The essential amino acids are leucine, iso­leucine, valine, lysine threonine, tryptophan, methionine, phenylalanine, and histidine. The first three account for half of muscle tissue (“Protein in Diet” 2011).

The second class is non-essential amino acids, those the body can make itself. The non-essen­tial amino acids are alanine, asparagine, aspar­tic acid, glutamic acid, proline, and serine.

Why is protein important?

Proteins are essential for many bodily functions, such as production of hormones, neurotransmitters, en­zymes, and antibodies. They also play a vital role in resistance and cardiovascular training, weight management.  It is protein that repairs cells and aids in growth of muscle tissue.

Con­suming protein also increases metabolism that can increase levels of the hormone glucagon which helps to control body fat (Flatt 1978). The fact is, we need a small amount of protein to survive, but we need a lot more to thrive.

How much protein do you need?

How much protein a person needs is individualized. Two factors your lifestyle coach will consider when calculating your diet will be what your personal goals are and what your activity level is.

The most important consideration though is the amount of lean mass on your body. Your lifestyle coach will calculate the amount of lean muscle on your body and determine a suggested amount of protein to reach your personal fitness goal.

What if I don’t consume enough protein?

Consuming more protein helps to maintain an optimal body composition. In short, protein helps you stay leaner and more muscular, which will increase your metabolism.

Inadequate protein consumption can lead to negative nitrogen balance which causes catabolism (breakdown of muscle tissue), especially to individuals who exercise. Generally, when protein intake is insufficient to repair blood proteins and tissues, the body tissue is broken down (cannibalized) and degraded to use their by-products as the building blocks instead.  As a result of the degradation, the body’s immune system can be compromised.

Performing a strenuous exercise program under low protein dietary conditions will cause increased cannibalism of body tissue including muscle and organ tissues. To summarize, the body needs a constant source of protein for survival and will tap into muscle for stored protein if necessary.

When is the best time to include protein?

When you eat protein is just as important as how much protein you consume. The body is only able to store so much protein at one time.

Simply put, you can’t have a single large protein meal in one sitting and be finished for the day. It is necessary to consume protein in five to six (5-6) meals per day, at two to four (2-4) hour intervals, to provide a steady flow of protein and amino acids.

Equally important is timing meals around your training schedule. Following resistance exercise, the body synthesizes proteins for up to 48 hours afterwards (Dreyer, 2006). It is necessary to provide the body the essential amino acids needed to rebuild muscle. Consuming a meal within one hour post workout offsets the catabolic state of muscle wasting, and helps to rebuild muscle tissue.

The graph below shows how a post workout meal that contains both protein (amino acids) and carbohydrates helps to rebuild muscle.

AA= amino acids CHO=carbohydrates

Again we stress, that the body falls into a period of muscle breakdown following resistance exercise. The best way to shorten the period of catabolism post exercise is to eat a meal containing protein and carbohydrates within one hour post exercise.

Lastly, a pre-workout meal containing protein and carbohydrates consumed 30-90 minutes before your workout helps to ensure there are ample amino acids in your bloodstream to provide fuel to the muscles. The pre-workout meal can help you to train harder and longer.

What are the best sources for protein?

The healthiest proteins are the leanest. This means that they have the least fat and calories.

The best protein choices are fish, skinless chicken or turkey, fat-free dairy, egg whites or egg substitute, and whey protein. The best red meats are the leanest cuts (loin and tenderloin). Other healthy options are beans, legumes (lentils and peanut butter), and soy foods, such as tofu or soymilk.

Protein can also be supplemented with protein shakes that are low in sugar and fat.

What’s the inside scoop on protein powders?

Often it maybe necessary to supplement your diet with protein powder if you are not able to eat enough whole food. Protein powders are supplements, which contain a high percentage of protein derived from different sources depending on the type of powder.

Protein powder is processed from whole food sources through a variety of different methods. Here are some of the methods commonly used:

Processing Methods for Protein Powder

Protein concentrates Concentration is a high heat drying process and acid extraction to lessen the whole food source into a concentrated protein powder. During the processing other impurities can be concentrated with the protein (e.g., lactose, fat, cholesterol).

Concentrates end up being about 60 to 70 percent protein by weight. It is usually inexpensive.

Protein isolates With isolated protein, a majority of the protein is separated from the original food. This is accomplished through an alcohol wash, water wash, or ionization technique.

Each method has a different cost. Water is the least expensive and ionization is the most expensive.

After the isolate is created it goes through a filtration process. At this point, virtually everything but the protein has been eliminated. Minimal carbohydrate, fat, fiber and phytochemicals are left. Isolated protein is about 90 – 95 percent protein by weight and the filtration processing is more expensive.

Protein hydrolysates Hydrolyzed protein is created by adding water to protein polymers, and breaking them into miniature groups of protein called peptides. This is done to enhance absorption. Hydrolysis is essentially pre-digestion. Hydrolyzed protein is expensive to produce.

Microfiltration   These are powerful filtration processes that remove contaminants from the concentrated protein component by passage through a membrane. They are similar to the reverse osmosis processes used in water purification.

Protein powder is derived from two sources, either plant or animal.  Animal sources require less processing than plant protein sources. Below are some common types of protein powders:

Types of Protein Powders

Whey Protein   Whey protein is by far the most popular type of protein today. Whey is the soluble (watery) portion of milk protein. It digests quickly and has a high level of branched-chained amino acids (BCAAs).  Whey can be digested by the body in 20 minutes. Whey may cause digestive upset or other symptoms in people sensitive to whey, casein, and/or lactose.

Casein Protein Casein protein is the insoluble (solid) curd portion of milk whey. Casein clots in the stomach therefore taking longer to digest than whey. Casein can take up to seven hours to be fully absorbed by the body. Casein sheds its amino acids at a steady rate for a lengthy time.

Beef Protein   Essentially beef protein powder is steak with the fat and cholesterol removed. Beef protein is an ideal alternative for people who are lactose intolerant or have allergies to milk protein.

rICE Protein Rice protein is 100% plant-based, hypo-allergenic, gluten free, has a neutral taste and is economical.

Pea protein   Pea protein has no saturated fat or cholesterol, is highly digestible, hypo-allergenic, and economical. Pea protein is 100% plant-based and rich in lysine, arginine, and glutamine

egg protein   Fat-free, concentrated amounts of essential amino acids, egg whites are easily digested, which makes them a high quality protein

HEMP proTein   Hemp protein is 100% plant-based, provides omega-3 fats, are high in fiber, arginine, and histidine.

Soy Protein   Soy protein is 100% plant-based, and may have benefits for cardiovascular disease. Phytochemicals provide powerful antioxidants.

To summarize, there are many proteins powders available to suit many different needs. Most protein powders have similar amino acid content and exercise recovery properties. Often you get what you pay for. Cheaper powders will have more fats, fillers, and lactose not removed by using the more expensive isolation method.