Download Protein - Nutrition For Performance

“Being an athlete my body goes through hours of
running, drilling, lifting and wrestling every single
day. My body comes to exhaustion and I need
protein so I can properly recover and be ready for the
next challenge this sport will put me against”
-
Andrew Cabibbo, Oneonta State Wrestling
Protein
-Nikita Fedorov, Nutrition for Performance
Many people
when they hear the word
“proteins” automatically
think of “muscle”. The
media promote the
message that the more
protein you take in the
more strength and
muscle you will gain.
Several famous athletes
and celebrities advertise
and promote certain
protein products and
high protein diets. With
the supplement industry
generating $20 billion in
revenue a year, that’s a
lot of motivation to earn
big profits!
Even though a celebrity may
promote the benefits of a certain
protein supplement, it doesn’t mean
that the claim is true. The truth is
the celebrity making the claim may
not even use or even like the
product. The article will discuss
what protein actually is, how it
differs from other macronutrients
and its effect on exercising/athletics.
Amino Acids?
What Is Protein?
You may have heard of the word
“amino acids” but can’t recall what they
are or their functions. Proteins break
down into amino acids, or in other
words amino acids are the building
blocks for protein. The word “amine”
means nitrogen containing which is
one of the ways proteins differ from
fats
and carbohydrates.
Proteins are large complex
molecules found in the cells of living
things. Proteins are required to
build muscle mass but proteins are
also an important component of
different tissues in the body (Bones,
blood, hormones). One of the main
differences between proteins and
other macronutrients such as fats
and carbohydrates is that proteins
contain nitrogen in addition to
carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.
There are total of 20
different amino
acids but it’s their
combinations which
makes them unique
and perform
functions that they are suitable for.
The body synthesizes an estimate of
10,000 to 50,000 unique proteins
because of the various
amino acid combinations.
11 amino acids can be made by the
human body (non-essential) and
there are 9 that the body cannot
produce (essential) Essential amino
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acids have to be
consumed from
several foods. Nonessential amino acids
can be made from
combinations of
different amino acids
within the body.
For protein to
synthesize correctly
within the body all
essential amino acids
must be present and
available for the cells
or else the process can
slow or even stop. There are many
proteins that do not contain all of
the essential amino acids and they
are called incomplete proteins (low
quality). Proteins that come from
plants are usually incomplete. A
unique mix and match of incomplete
proteins can turn into a high quality
protein. For example: rice and beans,
peanut butter and bread.
Foods that contain all of the
essential amino acids are called
complete proteins (high quality).
These proteins usually come from
animal foods.
Essential
AA:
NonEssential
AA:
Histidine
Alanine
Isoleucine
Arginine
BCAA
Leusine
Asparagine
Branched- chain amino acids
(leucine, isoleucine, valine)
Methionine
Aspartic
acid
Valine
Cystine
Phenylalanine
Glutamic
acid
Threonine
Glutamine
* eat complementary foods (mix n’
match of incomplete proteins)
throughout the same day because
amino acids cannot be saved and
stored for a long time.*
glucose and glycogen and fats are
stored as triglycerides, both are used
for energy. Proteins do not have
storage form for fuel. Protein can be
used for energy when other sources
are unavailable. The nitrogen is
removed from amino acids and
carbon, hydrogen and oxygen can be
metabolized for energy use as
glucose. Using protein for energy
could lead to muscle loss and
possibly inhibit athletic performance.
To avoid using protein, consume
protein rich foods with
carbohydrates and fats.
Protein is mainly responsible for
tissue growth and muscle repair
after exercise. When all the essential
amino acids are incorporated into
the skeletal muscle the process is
anabolic. When body is in an
anabolic state it builds muscle.
When the body is in a catabolic state
muscle loss occurs. This could occur
because of the lack of amino acids
therefore protein intake is very
important. When exercising you are
using muscles and energy therefore
the body is in a catabolic state. A
post workout meal containing
protein (as well as carbohydrates)
will promote the body to go into the
anabolic state. The meal should be
consumed within 15-60 minutes
after exercising because protein
synthesis is the highest at that point.
Protein as Energy?
Tryptophan
Glycine
Proline
Serine
Tyrosine
A major misconception exists that
protein is a major component of
energy production in the body.
This is not true; protein is an
insufficient source of energy and
is not recommended to be used for
energy. Fats and carbohydrates
are the primary fuel for one’s
body. Carbohydrates are stored as
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Protein Sources
Protein exists in both
plant and animal food
sources.
Animal protein: meat,
poultry, fish, milk,
milk products and
eggs.
Plant-based protein:
dried beans, legumes,
nuts, seeds, grains and
vegetables.
Protein supplements
powders, beverages
and bars are typically
made from plant or
animal proteins.
Protein
Recommendation:
Most Americans have
no problems of
meeting the protein
needs and many
exceed the RDA
(Recommended Daily
Allowance) for
protein. Most
Americans eat 1.5-2
times the RDA. The
Recommended protein
intake for most adults
is .8g/kg. Protein
needs are higher in
very active individuals
or athletes. Because
their energy
expenditure is greater
therefore they need
more nutrients to
recover. For
endurance athletes
1.2-1.4g/kg is
recommended and 1.61.7g/kg in strength
athletes. Intake over 2 g/kg of
protein is an excessive amount and
can increase the risk for kidney
disease, contribute to bone loss
because of Ca imbalance and
dehydration. This puts a tremendous
stress on the liver and the kidneys
because these organs need to work
overtime to filter and excrete the
extra nitrogen consumed.
Consuming an excessive amount of
animal protein containing high
saturated fat may also lead to heart
disease because the sources are
associated with high blood
cholesterol levels.
Recommen
dations
Grams per
Kilogram
Most
Adults
.8g/kg
Endurance
Athletes
1.3-1.5g/kg
At this time there are several brands
and types of proteins available may
get confusing. They could all be
subdivided into three categories
whey, milk and egg, and soy
Whey
Protein
Whey protein is one of the most
used proteins by athletes. Whey is
a major protein found in cow’s
milk. This is known to be the
superior protein in comparison
with others because of its
digestibility, bioavailability and its
concentration. Whey protein is
easier to digest, it’s the easiest to
mix, and usually does not cause
bloating and gastrointestinal
discomfort whereas other protein
sources do.
Milk and Egg
Strength
Athletes
1.6-1.7g/kg
Excessive
>2g/kg
Supplements
Protein powders and shakes are one
of the most popular supplements
used. Back in 1940s they were
considered to be the “steroids of
their Day”. Protein powders and
shakes are a convenient way to
replace the calories post workout.
Milk and egg protein differ than
whey because they are slow
digesting. Both stay in the blood
stream for longer periods of timeas
compared to whey protein. Some
individuals may experience
gastrointestinal problems
consuming milk and egg protein.
One of the major differences in
powder mixes is that milk and egg
protein powder is very hard to mix
and often needs to be mixed in a
blender whereas whey protein
powder can easily be mixed
with a simple shake or stirred with a
spoon. Newer milk and egg
products are just as
effective as whey and
many athletes are
urning to them at
this time.
Soy
Soy is one of the only
plant proteins which is
complete. In other
words, it contains all
of the essential amino
acids as compared to
other plant sources,
which makes Soy so
unique. One of the
down sides to soy
protein is that it does
not mix very well and
has a slight bitter
taste. Besides that, Soy
protein is beneficial in
lowering cholesterol
and reducing heart
disease.
**There are many
terms which
supplement companies
use to make their
supplements stand out
and sound superior to
others. Terms like
“concentrate”,
“isolate”, and
“hydrolyzed”. These
are some of the ways
supplement companies
manipulate people into
buying their
products**
“Concentrate”
This is a one of the protein prep
methods that has been concentrated
through high-heat drying
(dehydration), filtration or acid
extraction for the protein source to
become more concentrated. This is
the least expensive method. A down
side to concentrate protein is that
through processing other substances
such are lactose, fat and some other
impurities may also get concentrated
with it. It usually is 60-70 % protein
by weight.
“Isolates”
This is another
prep process and
its goal is to
separate the
protein from fat
and
carbohydrates using “wash”, which
might be alcohol, water or
ionization. The water separation is
the most common method used by
the manufacturers and is also the
least expensive. The alcohol method
is not used often because the alcohol
removes or destroys beneficial
isoflavones. Ionization is the most
expensive process because it
involves separating protein
molecules from other substances.
Hydrolyzed Protein
Hydrolysis means break down using
water molecules. Proteins which are
hydrolyzed are absorbed faster than
the full protein molecules. Protein
molecules break down with this
method into smaller particles called
peptides. Currently this is a “hot”
marketing term which many
companies put on their product to
stand out and look superior to others.
Additionally, hydrolyzed protein
costs more money and unless you
have digestive problems or
hospitalized there are little benefits
of paying more for this product over
any other protein.
Thompson, Janice, Melinda Manore, and Linda Vaughan. The Science of
Nutrition. 1st . Mississauga: Benjamin-Cummings, 2007.
Kennedy, Robert. Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding. 21st century.
Mississauga: Robert Kennedy Publishing, 2008.227-233.
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