Protein Intake for Muscle and Fitness

Close behind water as an important nutrient is protein. The only thing your body needs more than protein is water. Ever person needs quality protein, the person building needs it twice as much. You can notice the importance of protein by looking at the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA).

Protein makes up part of the structure of every cell and tissue in your body, including muscle tissue, tendons, skin, hair and nails. On average it comprises about 20% of your total body weight. Protein is needed for the growth and formation of new tissue, for tissue repair and can also be used as a fuel for energy production.

The 20 amino acids are the building blocks of protein. They can be combined in various ways to form hundreds of different proteins in your body. 12 of the amino acids can be made in your body from other amino acids, carbohydrates and nitrogen. These are called dispensable or non-essential amino acids. The other 8 are termed as indispensable or essential amino acids, meaning they must be supplied in the diet.

There are 4 types of protein commonly used as food supplements.

Whey proteins are extracted from curdled milk using either a process called micro-filtration or by iom-exchange. Isolated whey protein as a higher BV than any wholefood source; manufactures claim BV's up to 159, which is considerably higher than egg (100) - the gold standard protein. That means it has an amino acid profile that is better matched to muscle proteins than any other foods. It is also extremely easy to digest. Another advantage is that it has an especially high concentration of IAA's around 50%, about half of which are BCAA's 23-25% compared with other protein sources. This empowers a muscle-sparing effect on whey, which means it minimizes muscle protein breakdown during high-intensity exercises.

Casein protein has a high BV (77) relative to food sources of proteins, which means a relatively high percentage of the amino acids are utilized for tissue growth. Casein has a particularly high content of the amino acid glutamine around 20% compared to other protein sources. A high glutamine intake can help spare muscle mass during exercise induced suppression of the immune system. Casein also travels through the gut more slowly than whey protein. This slow transit means the amino acids and peptides could be absorbed more thoroughly.

Soy protein powder used in soy supplements has a higher protein content and nutritional quality than the soy protein found in soymilk. It undergoes a more detailed extraction process that eliminates more of the fat and carbohydrates and improves the protein fractions. Soy protein isolate has the highest concentration of the key amino acids that are important for muscle growth.

Egg protein has a BV of 100, higher than any wholefood source and has long been considered the highest quality protein available out of all wholefood proteins. It is still used as the gold standard protein against which the BV of all other proteins is compared. However, technology has brought us new proteins the whey isolates that have even higher BV's.

The RDA for protein is 1 gram of protein for every 1kg of bodyweight, however this is for the average person without exercise.The bodybuilder needs more approx. 1 gram of protein for every pound of bodyweight, someone in a supergain program will require even more protein at least 1.5 grams for every pound of bodyweight. Arnold Schwarzenegger pointed out that "protein is the most important element to the bodybuilding. Protein is for growth, maintenance and repair of muscle tissue".

It is not always easy to make a meal whenever you need one and eating, buying, preparing and storing all of those various food items can be time consuming. One of the best ways to meet your protein needs is the protein shake. The protein shakes is what most bodybuilders drink to attain some powerful protein calories. The protein shake is a supplement to the diet which adds protein without fat but be warned there are allot of cheap shakes out there always check the label as cheap in cost doesn't always mean a good protein.