Protein Overview
What is a protein?
Complete and incomplete proteins
Why do you need protein?
Main job responsibilities
How does protein in food become a part of you?
Digestion & absorption
How much protein do you need?
RDA
Muscle gain
Risks of high protein diet
What is a protein?
Where is protein found?
Animal and plant foods
How are proteins made?
Amino acids linked together
Amino acids are basic building block of all proteins
20 types of amino acids
Essential (9) – must be supplied by food
Nonessential (11) – can be made in the body
Amino Acids
Proteins are sequences of amino acids
20 amino acids
Complete & Incomplete
Proteins
A complete protein contains all 9 essential
amino acids (animal & soy protein)
All plant proteins (except soy) are
incomplete proteins - low in 1 of the 9
essential amino acids
By complimenting plant foods, you will
provide all 9 essential amino acids
100 “LEFT TURN ONLY” Signs
Mr.Grain is limited with 20 L’s
Ms. Legume has 250 L’s but limited with
50 T’s
Can only make complete signs (complete
proteins) , not partial signs (no partial
proteins).
Combine any 2 groups for
complete protein
Grains
Legumes
Seeds &
Nuts
Rice
Beans
Sesame seeds
Wheat
Lentils
Cashews
Barley
Peanut butter
Other nuts
Why do you need protein?
1.
Growth, Repair & Replacement of Tissue
2.
Protect you from illness
3.
Enzymes & Hormones
4.
Fluid Balance
5.
Energy
Main job is to build muscle, bone, skin and hair
Antibodies are made from protein
Insulin - made from protein
Edema – swelling from a build up of fluid between cells
How does eating protein
become a part of YOU?
Stomach
Hydrochloric acid and pepsin begin breaking down
bonds of amino acids
Small intestine
Most digestion occurs in small intestine.
Amino acids are absorbed into the bloodstream
Allergic reactions occur when partial proteins
are absorbed
Proteins in peanuts, egg, milk, soy and wheat most
common allergens
How much protein do
YOU need?
RDA is .8 grams per kilogram of body weight
(kg = lbs divided by 2.2)
Many nutritionists suggest 1–1.2 gram per kg of
body wt.
What are the healthiest proteins?
Lean meats (chicken, turkey, fish)
Low-fat dairy
Soy
Complimentary plant foods
Jim Graham’s Protein Needs
He is 6’2” & 175 lbs
RDA for protein = .8 g per kg body weight
Weight (lbs) divided by 2.2 = kilograms
Kilograms X .8 grams = grams of protein/day
During the semi-starvation period, the 50
grams of protein was not used for muscle,
immune system, testosterone production,
fluid balance. What was it used for?
Your Protein Needs
Figure out how many grams of protein is
right for you each day.
Your weight (lbs) divided by 2.2 = weight in
kilograms
RDA =.8 grams per kg body weight
Gigi recommends 1 gram per kg body weight
Athletes need 1.2-1.6 grams per kg body wt.
Before Exercise
Muscle gain is optimized when protein is
consumed prior to training
Old Advice:
Consume protein 1-hour prior
New Advice:
Consume protein 1-4 hours prior to exercise.
After Exercise
Protein is key nutrient for post exercise
muscle gain
To build muscle consume 25-35 g. of
carbs with 6-20 g. of protein
No additional muscle gain with >20 grams
of protein
This post exercise muscle repair is why
athletes have higher protein needs
Protein and Muscle Gain
It takes at least 24
hours to rebuild muscle
proteins after intense
exercise
Are there risks to eating a
high proteiN diet?
All proteins have an amine (NH2) group
•
When protein is used for energy, it is stripped
of the NH2 group
NH2 forms urea, carried via the blood to the
kidneys where it is excreted as urine.
Risks of High Protein Diet
Places stress on kidney
Body has to excrete NH2 in form of urea
This increases the body’s water loss via urine
Likely to become dehydrated
Failure to increase fluids leads to dehydration &
compromised athletic performance
Recommendations:
Do not go on high protein diet (>35% calories from
protein) if you have kidney problems
Drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated
What happens to extra calories
from protein?
The excess calories are stored as fat in
our fat tissue (adipose), NOT our muscle.