First of all I have to thank everyone who have read my blogpost and all the people who have advised me on how to make the blogpost better.
As I tried a bit to break the myths about proteins and show the bigger picture in my last blog, today in this blog I will be talking about what does proteins do and how does it take effect after we exercise. I don’t want my readers to get confused so I will have a simple but an interesting way of putting out to you what protein is and how can it benefit you. I do not want to rush in telling you all the details about protein and confuse you, I’ll just put some information which has been approved and scientifically proven.
Yesterday when I sent this blog to one of my sir who is doing Masters in Strength and conditioning from NZ told me that You do not want to keep providing wikipedia references as it shows lack of effort on author's behalf. Everyone can find wiki links, so how is your blog any different. Well the moment I read it I knew that he was right but then what is the motive of my blog , it is to introduce everyone not belonging from the fitness industry to a basic knowledge of fitness and nutrition. I will surely make it a point that now I give you guys a better reference from sports scientists and experts of the field who have done a lot of research on the subject.
Protein :
So what is Protein ?
- The Greek word protos means "first" and the Greek word proteios means "the first quality".
- It is the ONLY nutrient that can 'repair' the muscles/Lean Body Mass (LBM)
- Protein is a chain of Amino Acid molecules.
- AA1-AA2-AA3-AA4-AA5-AA6-. . . . & so on.
- 20-odd different amino acids are used to make proteins.
- Just like all words (long or short) are made up of 26 letters of English alphabets , all proteins are made up of 22 amino acids.
There are 3 macronutrients which our body need everyday, they are :
- Proteins
- Carbohydrates
- Fats
Proteins are large molecules consisting of amino acids which our bodies and the cells in our bodies need to function properly. Our body structures, functions, the regulation of the body's cells, tissues and organs cannot exist without proteins.
The human body's muscles, skin, bones and many other parts contain significant amounts of protein. In fact, protein accounts for 20% of total body weight.Enzymes, hormones and antibodies are proteins. Proteins also work as neurotransmitters and carriers of oxygen in the blood (hemoglobin).
According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, the 20 different amino acids are: alanine, arginine, asparagines, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine - histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine, and valine.
These 20 amino acids can be arranged in millions of different ways to create millions
of different proteins, each one with a specific function in the body. Amino acids are organic molecules - they are made out of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and sometimes sulphur.
There are three types of nutrients that are essential as energy sources for the human body:
One gram of protein or carbohydrate contains 4 calories, while one gram of fat has 9 calories.
Jons Jacob Berzelius (1779-1848), a Swedish doctor and chemist, introduced the word protein into science. Dutch chemist Gerhardus Johannes Mulder had already described proteins beforehand, but had not introduced the word as we know it today.
The Greek word protos means "first" and the Greek word proteios means "the first quality". As European scientists believed it was essential to life (a primary/first quality for life, a raw/primary material), they created a new word from the original Greek one.
Functions of Proteins :
- Structure and Strength - Muscles , Bones , Teeth and Hair.
- Muscle Contraction - Actin and Myosin
- Control Body Functions - Hormones are proteins e.g. insulin , thyroid (except sex hormones)
- Immune Functions - Antibodies (immunoglobulins) to fight infections.
- Enzymes - 'Catalyst' for all metabolic reactions to take place at fast speed e.g. digestion, anabolism, catabolism, inter-conversion of nutrients.
- Transport nutrients in blood e.g. iron , fatty acids.
Benefits of protein
Proteins are indispensable for growth and maintenance of every kind of cell in our body. Body development, replenishment of lost blood, healing of wounds and scars, replacement of dead cells, and hair and nail growth need proteins. Proteins in the form of enzymes, hormones and antibodies promote healthy metabolic and physiological processes, and boost our nervous and immunity systems. In situations when fat and carbohydrate food sources are not providing adequate calories, proteins are degraded to generate the calories our body needs.
Protein is the building block of muscles and essential for repair and growth of muscle after exercise. Whenever you exercise, and particularly during resistance exercise, you cause microscopic damage to the myofibrils of muscle fiber (myofibrils are small protein filaments in the muscle fiber that help the muscle contract). This isn't the type of damage that you go to the doctor for, but normal biological damage called catabolism. The effect creates a stimulus and environment for muscle repair and growth. The body responds to the damage by sending nutrients, including protein and other growth factors like testosterone, to the muscle to help it grow. And just for the record, and contrary to what many people think, protein is not used by the muscles for fuel unless the circumstances are extreme (for example, starvation). Instead, fat and
carbohydrate are the main fuels.Research shows that protein consumed before exercise and within 30 minutes of finishing your workout will help with growth and recovery.
Deficiency of protein
In developed countries, protein deficiency is not a serious problem. In developing countries, however, protein deficiency, called kwashiorkor, is prevalent and particularly in children. Children deficient in protein show an array of symptoms that include: retarded growth, loss of hair and skin color, slow healing of wounds, poor digestibility, diminishing of blood protein, draining of fluid from blood (edema), liver damage, and poor immunity.
I hope with the help of this blog now you guys know what protein is and how does it help us.
In my next blogpost I will be enlightening you guys on BCAA's,What are BCAA's and how does it benefit us. We will also learn how to choose the best protein and its intake. And always remember out MOTTO - WAKE . RUN . LIFT . EAT . SLEEP. REPEAT. INSPIRE!!
If you have any doubts and questions regarding the blog style and the information please do comment or you can contact me through email.
