What is the Big Deal with protein?
Here is our very quick biology lesson:
Amino Acids make up protein.
Protein makes up basically everything in your body.
In fact the only thing our body has more of than protein is water.
It really is as simple as that. Protein is the building block of our whole body - muscles,
tissues, hair, nails, etc - all made up of protein. If you do not have enough
protein in your body you can NOT build muscle mass. The body needs to break protein down
to amino acids to build muscles. So, no matter how much you work out - if you don't have
protein - you will not gain muscle mass.
Another important point to remember is that every time you work out you are
tearing down muscles and then rebuilding them. Protein is necessary to
repair and rebuild your muscles.
What types of foods have protein?
Protein is found in common foods such as beef, fish, chicken, milk, eggs and cheese. Eating a diet rich in these foods is a good way to get protein. Unfortunately it can also be a good way to increase a lot of other things you don't want in your body like fats and sugars.
Here are some common foods and their levels of protein:
| Food | Amount of Protein |
| 3 oz. broiled ground beef | 21 grams |
| 3 oz. roasted ham | 18 grams |
| 3 oz. veal -broiled | 23 grams |
| 3.5 oz. roasted chicken | 27 grams |
| 3.5 oz. baked/roasted salmon | 27 grams |
| 3.5 oz. tuna canned in water | 28 grams |
| 1 beef frankfurter | 6 grams |
| 1 oz. sliced ham | 5 grams |
| 1 large boiled egg | 6 grams |
| 1 cup of Milk | 8 grams |
Don't I get enough protein from my diet?
If you work out - probably not. New studies from the International Journal of Sports Nutrition show
that someone who works out should ingest significantly more protein than couch potatoes.
How much protein should I take?
Unfortunately, there is no exact answer to this question. There are a two different formulas
that are commonly used:
- To ensure that the body is in a positive muscle building state, in
other words, that it is burning fat--not muscle, you should
ingest at least .9 grams of protein per lean pound of body weight.
For example, a 200 lb. man with 12% bodyfat requires 158 grams of protein daily.
200 X .12 = 24 lbs
200 - 24 = 176 lbs
176 X .9 = 158 gms
- The latest study from the International Journal of Sports Nutrition says that
people involved in strength training should get 1.6 - 1.7 grams protein per
kilogram (2.2 pounds) of bodyweight per day. That is .7 grams per pound. Therefore,
a 200 lb man (200 * .7) would need 140 grams of protein. Slightly less than the first formula.
As an estimate we figure that you should consume between .7 - .9 grams of
protein per pound of body weight. These number vary based on the amount of body
fat you have. Women have higher body fat than men, so they should be on the lower end of
the scale. Here are some examples:
150 pounds = 105 - 135 grams of protein a day
160 pounds = 112 - 144 grams of protein a day
170 pounds = 119 - 153 grams of protein a day
180 pounds = 126 - 162 grams of protein a day
190 pounds = 133 - 171 grams of protein a day
200 pounds = 140 - 180 grams of protein a day
220 pounds = 154 - 198 grams of protein a day
240 pounds = 168 - 216 grams of protein a day
260 pounds = 182 - 234 grams of protein a day
Are all protein supplements the same?
No. Protein supplements can be made from a few different source of protein. These include milk protein, egg protein, soy protein. In addition, not all protein is absorbed in the same way in the body. The better a protein is absorbed by the body the higher the Biological Value (BV) the protein is said to have.
What is the BV rating I see associated with protein?
This measures the amount of protein ( or more precisely - the nitrogen) retained in the human
body per gram of protein absorbed. This measure started out as a percentage - with a whole
egg being at the top of the chart - 100% nitrogen absorbed. However, things got a
little more confusing when Whey Protein was discovered. The problem is whey is a better source
of protein than an egg - so it actually scores higher than 100. This means the percentage
must be dropped - because greater than 100% does not make much sense. So, today BV is a
number which lets you compare different types of protein.
Here is the BV of some common foods:
| Protein | BV |
| Whey isolate | 110-159 |
| Whey concentrate | 104 |
| Whole egg | 100 |
| Cow's milk | 91 |
| Egg white | 88 |
| Fish | 83 |
| Beef | 80 |
| Chicken | 79 |
| Casein | 77 |
| Soy | 74 |
| Rice | 59 |
| Wheat | 54 |
| Beans | 49 |
What is Whey Protein and why is it good?
Whey Protein is derived from milk protein. However, unlike milk proteins - whey protein does not contain fat or lactose sugar. Whey protein is the best form of protein to take when using a supplement. Basically with Whey Protein you get all the advantages of protein without the excess baggage other proteins come with - no fat and no lactose. Not only that, studies have shown that Whey Protein can increase our blood levels of glutathione. Glutathione is an antioxidant which is essential to a healthy immune system. As we get older glutathione levels decrease and our immune system weakens. Studies are still being done - but at the University of Nebraska Medical center they were able to extend the life span of hamsters by 60% by supplementing their diet with Whey Protein. So, whey protein is not only good for building and repairing muscles, it also may extend your life.
What are the reasons I should supplement with whey protein?
* To build muscle mass
* To speed recovery time
* Reduce injuries related to working out
* Maintain a healthy and fit body
* Feel better during your workouts
Will taking protein make me fat?
No - in fact it may help you if you are on a diet. You see the amino acids in protein may help keep your blood sugar levels stabile. This is important because it keeps you feeling good all day and stops your craving for food that occurs when your blood sugar level drops. If your diet is too high in carbohydrates your blood sugar levels go though peaks and valleys. You go from a burst of energy and feeling full to a lull and being hungry. In addition, if you are dieting, getting 17 grams of protein from a protein shake that has only 90 calories is better than getting your protein from a big meal which may have hundreds of calories.
How Do You Compare Protein Products?
Very carefully! I will be honest with you, it is very hard to get the facts from a quick look at the labels. If you want to compare
two competing products here are some tips to make sure you are comparing apples to apples:
* Make sure both products are Ion-Exchanged Whey Protein. This is one thing everyone agrees on - Whey Protein
is much better than egg protein.
* Whey Protein can be made of concentrate, isolate or a a combination of the two.
Isolate is more expensive than concentrate - but has a higher Biological Value. On paper a pure Whey Protein Isolate
mix is going to be the highest quality. However, in practice we feel a blend of concentrate and isolate provides
the best bang for the buck. It is not clear that the benefits of only taking Isolate are significant enough
to merit the steep increase in price over a good blend.
* Watch out for the Serving Size trick. What you really want to look at is
amount of protein per gram. Scoops come in all sizes - so a company could advertise "50 grams per serving". But
if a serving is 75 grams of powder - this is not a high quality protein. On the other hand a product like
CytoSport Complete Whey Protein has 16 grams of protein in a 22 gram serving size. As you can see this is a much
better ratio.
* Compare all other ingredients. You may not want aspartame in your protein. You also
need to compare calories, carbs, taste, etc. As
you can see - it can be very difficult.
Why do we recommend CytoSport Complete Whey Protein?
We encourage our customers to comparison shop - that is what we did when trying to find a protein
powder to carry for our customers. It was a very hard decision - but after careful
evaluation of quality first, then price value - we found our top pick -
Complete Whey Protein by CytoSport.
Protein Powder
The first thing you NEED to have in a protein powder is GREAT TASTE. After all, it does not
matter how impressive the ingredient list is if you can't bear to swallow the protein!
CytoSports Complete Whey Protein is one of the best tasting proteins on the market. In addition,
the protein mixes easily with a spoon or shaker cup - no blender needed.
Don't let the great taste and affordable price fool you - the CytoSport Complete Whey Protein packs a
nutritional punch. The secret to enhanced muscle growth and improved protein synthesis is
Complete Whey Protein's incorporation of very low, low, medium and high molecular weight whey
peptides. Short and long chains of amino acids bonded together by a selective hydrolysate process
present in the essential nutrient (nitrogen) in the most ideal condition to be absorbed and
incorporated into the human metabolic process.
The Complete Whey Protein also has a 50.3% Branched-Chain Aminos to EAA ratio. This
is one of the more impressive ratios in the industry and helps explain why the
Complete Whey Protein by CytoSport is
a favorite of serious athletes.
If I don't want to drink a shake, are there any other products with protein?
Sure. If you want a delicious muffin packed with 10 grams of protein, try Fred's Incredible
Muffins. These 100% Natural muffins come individually wrapped and make a great grab and go snack.
You can also find some excellent protein in the Tri-O-Plex Bars. These are great tasting bars
and have an amazing 30 grams of protein per bar.
When is the best time to take a protein supplement?
This depends on your diet and when you are eating foods rich in protein. Here are a
few points when it is best to take a protein supplement:
- Right after a workout - this is when your body goes into a stage of recovery and growth. Having the amino acids that make up the protein is key at this point.
- First thing in the morning - because your body has just gone though 8 hours (or however long you sleep for) of not having food - so the protein levels are way down.
- Before you go to sleep - this helps prevent the protein breakdown that naturally occurs when we sleep. If you are not trying to build muscle mass then this protein breakdown is fine. But if you are working out - you want to try to minimize any losses you suffer when you sleep and your protein metabolism slows down.
Are there any dangers of taking too much protein?
Yes. As with basically anything - too much of a good thing can be bad. If you take too much protein, say
you weigh 150 pounds and take 300 grams of protein a day - your body will not be able to process all the protein into amino acids. What your body
can not use will have to be excreted as a waste product. This means your kidney and liver will be doing
a lot of work just to get the excess protein out of your body. While this will not cause any major problems
over a short period of time - you would not want to be overworking your kidney and liver over the course
of several years.
That being said - protein supplementation is very safe if you stay within the dosage guidelines.
