Fitness Supplements - Supplements, Creatine, Protein, Pre-Workout, Post-Workout
| The Science Behind Protein |
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| Fitness Articles - Supplements | |||
| Monday, 08 September 2008 00:32 | |||
 What exactly is protein?Proteins are made up of amino acids that form chains. There are 22 different types of amino acids, and your body needs each and every one of them. Amino acids contain oxygen, nitrogen, carbon and hydrogen which combine to form various types of proteins. In turn, there are dozens of types of proteins; for instance, collagen is a protein that defines the elasticity of our skin and the strength of our hair. In fact, protein is one of the most essential compounds in the human body. Organs, muscles and your endocrine (hormonal) system are all reliant upon proteins to function properly. In the human body, the primary function of protein is to build and sustain tissue. Muscles, vital organs and hormones all are comprised largely of protein. Your hair, nails and skin are all dependant on protein, so let’s take a look at where we get it from, how much we need and how much is too much. What foods contain protein? Hundreds of different foods contain protein but the primary sources are dairy products – such as milk, eggs and cheese – meat, fish, some nuts, some seeds, pulses and fruits such as apricots, bananas, dates and figs. How much protein do we need each day? Nutritionists suggest that on a daily basis we consume 2/3 portions of dairy, 2 /3 of meat, poultry, fish, shellfish or pulses a day. They also advise that up to 15% of our daily calorific intake should be of foods high in protein but we need to be aware that many protein loaded foods are also high in fat and calories, so always exercise sensible moderation. Grilling, roasting or baking will lower the fat and calorie count of protein rich foods and are therefore a lot healthier than frying. Is it unhealthy to eat too much protein? The short answer is yes, it could well be. A high level of protein in your system could overload your kidneys and liver – due to the high level of nitrogen that’s present in protein rich foods – and both organs may become dysfunctional while attempting to filter out the nitrogen. Again, foods rich in protein are likely to contain a lot of the unhealthy fats that can cause cholesterol to build up in the arteries of your heart, thereby reducing its effectiveness and starving areas of the heart of oxygen. Similarly, the nucleic acids present in protein rich foods are converted in uric acid once digested. An excess of uric acid can lead to the very painful joint condition called gout, as well as the bone thinning disease, osteoporosis. This is because protein depletes the bones of calcium so they can become thin and brittle. A calcium supplement is a good idea to combat this.
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