What Is Protein?

You may be wondering what protein is? Well at its most basic it is one of the macronutrients and is required by your body for it to function properly. You may have heard of protein if you go to the gym often or if you are a sportsperson and have seen sites such as www.wheyproteinshakes.co.uk. Many athletes take protein supplements as it is essential for building muscle and therefore is required to increase strength, which is so important for many sports.

Proteins are chains of polymers, which are in turn made of amino acids that are held together by peptide bonds. One gram of protein contains 4 kcal, as does one gram of carbohydrates as opposed to one gram of fat which contains 9 kcal per gram.

These proteins are broken down in the stomach by enzymes. These enzymes are called proteases and break the proteins down into polypeptides which supply the body with amino acids. There are two types of these amino acids; essential amino acids and non-essential amino acids. Essential amino acids cannot be biosynthesised by the body, whereas non-essential amino acids can. Therefore essential amino acids need to be obtained from food.

The essential acids that we need to obtain from our diet are histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine. The non-essential amino acids are alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, proline, serine and tyrosine.

Protein performs a number of different functions within the human body and is essential for growth and repair. Protein is found within all cells of the body and is the main structural component and is even needed to form blood cells, organs, hair and skin.

Protein is one of the most important nutrients for athletes as it plays such an important role in the body’s reaction to exercise. The building of new tissue and its repair requires amino acids, which are the component parts of proteins.

The main sources of protein that are widely known are meat and fish, however milk, eggs and milk can also be great sources of protein. Many athletes get extra protein into their diet by using protein supplements such as protein powder, readymade protein drinks and protein bars. Many bodybuilders tend to take very high amounts of protein in the hope that the increased protein consumption will result in increased gains in muscle.

One of the main sources of protein used in supplements is whey protein. This is made from a by product during the production of cheese. Whey protein is very common, although there are other sources of protein, such as soy protein and egg white protein. It is important that athletes choose the right protein to supplement their diet so that they can maximise their gains.

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