Knowledge
 
 

Protein

DSC00098I am always getting asked questions about what type of protein supplements. Let me start with the basics and build from there. There are three common forms of protein powders and they are whey, soy and casein protein.

Whey is the most common form of protein powder. It’s water-soluble milk protein and it’s a complete protein. A complete protein contains all nine of the amino acids necessary for human dietary needs.

Soy protein is preferred by vegetarians and vegans. It’s a great source of protein, usually made from soy beans. However, I have found most soy proteins to have a funny taste and have noticed it doesn’t dissolve well in water.

Casein protein is a great protein powder. It is simply the dehydrated, supplemental form of casein. Casein is phosphorus-containing proteins and made up of 80 percent of the protein in cow’s milk. The remaining 20% are whey proteins. Casein protein is a very good protein that is easily digested by your body, but it is very expensive.

I generally find that athletes need protein supplements in the following 4 situations:

Teenagers – teenagers generally need more protein to fuel workouts because the body is still growing and uses more protein in general
Starting a workout program – If you’re starting a new workout program and you’re trying to build muscle, you will require more protein than normal
Increasing your workouts – If you’re working out, but are increasing the intensity of those workouts, your body will need more protein
A vegan – If you’re a vegan or a vegetarian, you naturally have eliminated good sources of protein such as meat, chicken, and possibly dairy and eggs.

In figuring out your daily requirements of protein, the American College of Sports Medicine and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends:
the average adult needs about 0.8grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day.
Those individuals taking part in recreational athletes need 1.1 to 1.4 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight
Competitive athletes need about 1.2 to 1.4 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight; and
Athletes building muscles mass need 1.5 to 2 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight

So, if you’re an adult who want to build muscle mass, and if you weight 165 pounds (75 kilograms), then you will need protein of about 150 grams per day. You could definitely use a protein supplement to make up the difference, if you consider that a 4-oz hamburger contains 30 grams of protein, a 6 oz tuna steak contains 40 grams, and a single oz of cheddar cheese has 7 grams of protein.