Which protein is best for me?

Do you consume enough protein every day? This might be a question you've never asked yourself or one that occupies your thoughts daily. Since the rise of the fitness culture, partly driven by social media, much has been written about the importance of proteins. It is a misconception that only athletes need to pay extra attention to their protein intake. Read on to find out why!

A protein is composed of various amino acids and can be seen as a kind of chain of beads, sometimes consisting of hundreds of amino acids linked together. When you consume protein through food, it is broken down during the digestive process in the intestine into smaller proteins (peptides) and absorbed into the bloodstream. Your body uses these peptides to build body tissues that are primarily made of protein, such as bone and muscle connective tissue.

Can your body produce amino acids?

Some amino acids can be produced by the body itself, namely the non-essential amino acids. However, the essential amino acids cannot be produced by the body and must be obtained (in sufficient quantities) from food.

Why should you consume extra proteins?

In principle, you can produce and obtain sufficient amino acids through food. However, under certain circumstances, the body's need increases, making it advisable to consume extra proteins, such as for avid athletes. Additionally, certain dietary patterns can increase the risk of insufficient protein intake. Consider specific diets, veganism, vegetarianism, or a monotonous diet, which we often see in the elderly. Proteins are important for many different processes in your body. For instance, they play a crucial role in bone formation and promote muscle growth. It's no wonder that athletes are so focused on their protein intake!

the body uses amino acids from protein to repair and build muscle tissue

Exercise, proteins and muscles

Proteins are of great importance for athletes. Not only for the recovery of muscles after exertion or a workout but also for their development. When you train, tiny tears occur in the muscle tissue. The body uses amino acids from protein to repair and build this muscle tissue. Each time this happens, the muscle recovers stronger than before. Thus, after every training session or physical exertion, you build more strength and more muscle.

How much protein do you need?

The amount of protein your body needs varies from person to person. On average, healthy people need 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. So, a person weighing 70 kilograms needs about 56 grams of protein, and someone weighing 95 kilograms needs about 76 grams per day. However, as we mentioned earlier, many factors can cause the general recommended amount to be insufficient. For example, the protein requirement increases when you exercise intensively. Strength athletes and bodybuilders who want to build muscle mass need about 1.4 to 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. Endurance and team athletes also need proteins for muscle recovery after exertion. They require about 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight. Therefore, it's wise to occasionally critically assess your lifestyle and diet. There is a lot of information available online, and there are handy apps where you can track and calculate your protein intake. You may find that your protein intake is somewhat low. In that case, you can choose to regularly consume more protein-rich foods or, in addition to a healthy diet, opt for a protein supplement.

Different types of protein supplements

If you choose to consume extra proteins in supplement form (protein powder), it's important to know what types of proteins are available and what the differences are. You can distinguish between different types of proteins based on their source, absorption rate, and amino acid profile.

1. Source

There are proteins from animal sources such as whey and casein, but also proteins from plant sources like soy, peas, beans, rice, and nuts. These protein sources differ in biological availability, which means there is a difference in how well the proteins, specifically the amino acids, are absorbed into the cells.

2. Absorption rate

Each type of protein differs in the speed at which it can be absorbed by the body. For instance, casein is a slow protein because it is a large protein molecule that interacts with stomach acid. Casein binds to gastric juice, forming a gel-like substance that coats the food mass. The slow digestion of casein can be beneficial when doing strength training. After an intensive strength session, fat burning can continue for up to 24 hours, leading to a so-called catabolic process where muscle breakdown occurs. Consuming a slow protein like casein ensures that your body is supported in maintaining your muscle mass even at night. Whey, on the other hand, is a smaller protein than casein and belongs to the fast proteins. Whey is the liquid that forms during cheese production by curdling milk after adding rennet. This process creates clumped solid components called curds, which remain when the liquid, the whey, is easily drained. This whey liquid has a greenish-yellow colour and contains many vitamins, minerals, and whey protein. The advantage of whey is that it is absorbed by the body more quickly, which is beneficial immediately after a workout for muscle recovery and building.

3. Amino acid profile

Proteins can vary greatly in amino acid profile. Besides ensuring you get enough protein, it's equally important that the proteins are of good quality. It's crucial that the body receives enough essential amino acids in a ratio that matches the composition of our body protein. The more it resembles our own body protein, the higher the 'biological value'. The biological value indicates how valuable it is for the body. The biological value of the body is set at 100 for reference. However, all essential amino acids must be present; otherwise, the body cannot produce new proteins with them. In theory, you could consume plenty of proteins but still not experience the maximum benefits due to the type of amino acid profile. A complete amino acid profile contains all essential amino acids and is optimally absorbable. Animal proteins have a complete amino acid profile, while most plant protein sources have an incomplete amino acid profile.

Plant-based proteins

Plant-based proteins are less similar to our body protein than animal proteins. Therefore, in a plant-based diet, it's important to combine different plant proteins to obtain the complete amino acid profile. You can make it easier for yourself by choosing a plant-based protein shake that provides all the necessary amino acids.

Whey proteins

Returning to whey proteins, these are popular due to their high biological value. However, they can also be subdivided further. To isolate whey proteins from whey, various purification steps are possible. These different techniques each yield their own degree of purity.

Whey concentrate is the least processed form of whey protein, containing about 70-85% protein. The rest consists mainly of carbohydrates (mostly lactose) and fats. Whey isolate has undergone an additional filtration step, removing almost all carbohydrates and fats, so it contains almost no lactose. Whey Isolate contains more than 90% protein and is so pure that it is very popular among bodybuilders and avid athletes due to its quick absorption and easy digestibility, making it extremely suitable for muscle building, muscle recovery, and cutting. If you're not an avid athlete but want to increase your protein intake, whey isolate is also highly suitable.

Whey hydrolysate is the purest, consisting of 100% whey protein, but the filtration techniques required to obtain pure whey protein are so costly, and the difference in effect compared to isolate is so small that the preference usually goes to whey isolate.

BCAAs

Whey proteins are rich in the branched amino acids leucine, isoleucine, and valine, also known as BCAAs: Branched Chain Amino Acids. Due to their unique spatial structure, leucine, isoleucine, and valine play a distinct role in your metabolism. Unlike other amino acids, they do not need to be 'processed' in the liver first but enter the bloodstream directly. This allows them to be transported immediately to their destination: the muscle and connective tissues. Due to their branching, BCAAs can be particularly well incorporated into muscle tissue. Almost 30% of the total amount of amino acids used for muscle fibre synthesis are branched amino acids. BCAAs are also significant in connective tissue structures.

Which protein (shake) should I choose?

- Incomplete diet: regular whey protein

- Plant-based diet: vegan protein

- Sensitive digestive system or allergies? Use a hypoallergenic protein powder, often found in vegan protein powder

- Cutting: whey isolate because it contains little carbohydrates (sugars) and fat

- Muscle building: whey isolate immediately after training and casein before going to bed.

Written by: Adina van der Zwaag