Protein: The Basics

Recently the most common questions I have been asked have pertained to protein supplementation. Since this time of year brings a lot of newcomers to the local gyms I figure now would be a good time to review the basics.

A protein is made up of a collection of polypeptides, which are in turn made up of a series of amino acids. The best analogy would be a length of chain wound up into a ball. The entire ball would be a protein, a length of the chain would be a polypeptide, and each link would represent a single amino acid. Some proteins are lightly bonded which makes them quickly digested, while others are heavily bonded which in turn makes them much slower digesting. Knowing the speed of digestion can aid an individual in planning which protein to take at what time.

The supplement industry is full of many different varieties of proteins. Whey, Casein, egg, rice, soy, hemp; the list can go on and on. To simplify things this article will concentrate on some of the most commonly seen.

Whey protein is probably the most popular of all the protein supplements on the market. It is touted as the best muscle building protein supplement. Whey has a great amino acid profile for muscle building, one of the fastest digesting proteins, and usually mixes very easily. Two of the most popular forms of whey are concentrate and isolate, with isolate being the most pure, but also the most expensive. Whey is an excellent post workout protein due to its speedy digestion, allowing an individual to supply the body with amino acids during the “anabolic window” within 45 minutes of training. When considering a whey supplement, be sure to look at the amount of cholesterol, some can be fairly high.

Casein is a protein that has recently become popular among supplement companies. Casein, like whey, is derived from milk, but its properties are very different. Casein supplies a great amino acid profile, but is one of the slowest digesting proteins. Due to its heavy bonding it can be slightly difficult to mix. Due to casein’s slow digestion it is a great nighttime protein, allowing the body to receive amino acids throughout the sleeping hours. Casein is usually found in two forms: caseinate(the fastest of the slow digesting) and Micellular(Slowest of the slow digesting). When considering a total casein supplement be sure take mixablity and taste into account. Many of my clients have complained of clumping and some unsatisfactory flavors. This may be remedied with a blend of casein and other proteins.

Egg protein, before the advent of whey protein supplements, was considered the perfect protein. A scale was created to rate different proteins, named the Biological Value (BV) scale. Egg was ranked the highest with a score of 100. Whey was ranked up to 139 on the scale, which is why whey has become so popular in the industry. Egg is found as egg albumen, and can be found on its own or usually in protein blends with whey and casein. Egg’s digestion speed sits slightly slower than whey, making it a great anytime protein.  

The question will arise: What protein and when? The most popular answer you will read is as follows:

·         Whey: Immediately post workout, or a great fast digesting protein for a preworkout meal

·         Egg: Great anytime protein, easily tolerated.

·         Casein: Throughout the day, but primarily as a nighttime protein.

Personally, I use a protein supplement contain a mix of the three listed above. I believe the mix provides a steady flow of amino acids, allowing receptor sites in the intestine time to reset to repeat the process of absorption. Like stated earlier there are numerous protein supplements, I failed to mention the vegetarian proteins such as rice, soy, and hemp proteins. These will have an article strictly dedicated to them at a later date.