12/02/2021
Proteins.. Not Just For Muscle Building
Proteins are large molecules that are needed by the body for a multitude of different tasks. They make up many of the tissues in the human body and comprise enzymes that govern reactions and are required for most of the bodily functions. Proteins themselves are made up of hundreds and thousands of smaller molecules called amino acids. Human proteins are made up of 20 amino acids and our bodies can produce 11 endogenously known as non-essential amino acids. The other 9 amino acids, essential amino acids, can’t be made by the body, so they have to come from food sources.
There is a balance between protein breakdown (degradation) and protein synthesis (the creation of new proteins), in the body known as “protein turnover”. Some of the amino acids that are liberated when protein is broken down are lost in urine, sweat, and other body fluids. Cells full of protein are constantly lost in skin, hair, and intestinal lining. Other amino acids are burnt for energy, especially when carbohydrates and fats are low in quantity to meet energy demands. To manage this potential net loss, it’s important to make sure you are getting enough high quality proteins in your diet throughout the day.
Proteins are critical to our survival and health, but they also play an important role in performance and body composition. Muscle mass is predominantly constructed from protein.
Protein from the diet supports replenishment of skeletal muscle as it is broken down to support important bodily functions, this helps to keep your muscles from shrinking over time. If you are working on growing muscle, you must make sure there is a net positive balance of amino acids.
In terms of performance, enzymes (that are made of proteins), manage all energy usage needed for producing movement in the human body. Connective tissues such as tendons, ligaments, and bones are made up by a huge percentage of proteins. If you are under eating protein not only you will get muscle atrophy (shrinkage), it can also reduce the amount of hemoglobin (the unit that helps blood carry oxygen to the muscles) that supports endurance, this reduced amount of hemoglobin also weakens joints and bones, and degrades functions supporting health.
Amino acids are literally the building blocks of most of our body’s functional and structure and because new amino acids are mostly sourced from diet, protein is the most important macronutrient for body composition and health. Research on performance and body composition shows that although variations in fat and carb intake significantly impact the outcome, variation in protein availability does so to a much greater extent.
Proteins are used by your body in so many important functions, more than just building muscle. Making sure you are getting enough quality proteins in your diet is the key to keeping the body healthy and functioning properly. There is a lot of research into what is the ideal amount of protein to consume, but as a guide you should look to consume 1-2 grams of protein per kg of body weight. The more active you are and the more muscle you are looking to build, the more protein you should look to be consuming.
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Jimmy
