The Importance of Protein

Protein

Proteins are one of the primary sources of nutrition for our bodies. They provide amino acids for our bodies which cannot be biosynthesized on their own. Outside of water, protein is the largest component in the body, usually representing roughly 15% of a healthy human's body weight, with the majority of that protein mass being found in skeletal muscles. This is why protein is of such importance to professional athletes and bodybuilders, because it is the building block of their mass. Beyond that, however, protein also plays an important role in the transportation and storage of other nutrients in our system, as well as catalyzing many different biomechanical reactions within our bodies, not to mention that they control growth and differentiation, enhance immune function and promote the structural integrity of our bodies.

In the history of man, a basic understanding of protein has existed for almost as long as recorded history, with nearly every ancient culture providing their armies – often their primary athletes - with the best food available, which suggests a basic understanding of the importance of protein and a healthy diet for the maintaining of strength, energy, mass, and endurance.

These days, the cardinal rule for any type of athletic recovery is the notion that it is not simply what you eat, but when you eat it. There have been a variety of studies which have shown that muscles are more receptive to refueling after exercise than before, which led to the modern understanding of a post-exercise window of opportunity during which the optimal effects of an intake of protein and carbohydrates can be achieved. As a general rule of thumb that window of opportunity has been understood to be roughly 30 minutes after any sort of physically grueling routine.

The Basics

There are four basic nutritional requirements during a recovery phase after exercising: water, electrolytes, carbohydrates, and proteins. Water is necessary to replace the sweat excreted during exercise, but it also helps with the process of glycogen fixation. Since our bodies are primarily composed of water, the more water we have in our system, the better the operation of the transport system assisting the nutrients to quickly and efficiently reach their destination. Electrolytes are important because they replace minerals lost during sweating, but the most important two are carbohydrates and protein. Carbohydrates replace muscle glycogen, which is the fuel that muscles burn for strenuous exercise, and they help to top off the liver’s glycogen stores, which allows the body to maintain proper blood sugar levels. This is important for maintaining weight, burning fat, and losing weight. Protein is necessary to repair and regenerate muscle fibers, and also replenishes the amino acids within the body and promotes muscle growth. This is why professional athletes and bodybuilders often consume protein shakes after working out.

Even a small degree of water loss from our bodies can impact the overall performance, and while the process of rehydration is fairly straightforward (drink a glass of water), the refueling of carbohydrates and proteins is far more complex, requiring a delicate balance for optimum performance.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are important after exercise as well as during certain prolonged endurance events, because in their absence, the body steadily depletes the stores of glycogen within the muscles, which increases muscle fatigue. In order to maximize glycogen repletion a high level of carbohydrates must be consumed after exercise. It is scientifically proven that large amounts of carbohydrates consumed immediately after exercise and every 15 to 60 minutes thereafter for up to five hours is considered ideal, while anything after five hours can actually slow down the synthesis of glycogen in the body.

There are two steps towards the replenishment of glycogen. In the first hour after exercise there is a special protein in the muscle that literally opens the doors to muscle cells, allowing glucose to flood in and help in the synthesis of muscle glycogen. This is supplemented by a slower, but longer lasting, process. While the second phase has been shown to last up to 72 hours after exercise, medical professionals have determined that the best course of action is for an athlete to start taking glycogen supplements (carbohydrates) for replenishment immediately after the training sessions.

Proteins

Proteins, on the other hand, are a different beast altogether. While there is a store of carbohydrates in the body in the form of glycogen, the body does not store protein, other than in muscle tissue. In addition, proteins within the body are in a constant state of fluctuation, and if protein demand suddenly rises, for example, the muscle fibers can actually break down to provide the body with extra amino acids, and then regenerate once the demand has subsided. This is why protein intake in muscle growth studies has to be conducted over a period of weeks, not simply days, because it is impossible to measure an increase in muscle fiber mass as a result of protein increase in a quick fashion. In contrast, if dietary amino acids are plentiful and the overall demand for protein is low, protein synthesis in the tissues can become a dominant process.

Given the fact that athletic training increases the demands on the amino acid pool, and protein breaks down into amino acids, most athletes incorporate high-protein levels into their diets to maintain a positive balance in order to avoid loss of muscle tissue. If you plan to add muscle to your body, whether in the form of bodybuilding or body sculpting, you should seek a high-quality protein supplement to include in your post-workout recovery phase.

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