PROTEIN QUALITY: WHY IT MATTERS

Are all proteins created equal? No!

The quality of the food sources you consume plays an important role in muscle protein synthesis (MPS) and metabolic pathways that are critical for proper functioning and survival. MPS is the process of building new muscle proteins. No matter what your fitness goals are: it is key that you are maximizing your efforts and optimizing your approach to get into the best shape possible!

COMPLETE VS. INCOMPLETE PROTEINS

Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Protein is made up of 20 amino acids: 11 are considered nonessential and 9 are essential.

• Nonessential: the body can make them on its own

• Essential: we must consume them in our diet

  
  

When Creating Meals: it is important to choose high-quality complete protein sources that contain all 9 essential amino acids as they fuel MPS.

Complete Proteins: contain all 9 essential amino acids (EAAs). The 9 EAAs include histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. Leucine is the main amino acid for triggering MPS!

• Food Sources

  • Whey Protein

  • Whole Eggs

  • Egg Whites

  • Chicken

  • Beef

  • Steak

  • Pork

  • Turkey

  • Quinoa

  • Fish

  • Dairy

Incomplete Proteins: may contain a few of the 9 essential amino acids but not all of them.

ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS (EAAs) vs. BRANCHED-CHAIN AMINO ACIDS (BCAAs)

EAAs

• Best for keeping the muscle building process going

• Helps prevent muscle breakdown

• Helps reduce muscle soreness and damage

• Supplementation as an intra-workout drink may be beneficial during hard training sessions lasting 60 to 90 minutes

BCAAs

• Leucine, isoleucine, and valine

• Best for rapidly turning on muscle protein synthesis

• BCAAs alone are not muscle growth promoting

• Supplementation is not recommended as it likely will not help a high protein diet

Think of BCAAs as the key to the car: required to turn on the vehicle in the same way as they are required to turn on MPS. Think of EAAs as the fuel source: required to keep the car running in the same way as they are required to keep MPS going. EAAs create the most anabolic state for building muscle and preventing muscle breakdown. Overall, it is important to consume foods that are high in EAAs and BCAAs to maximize MPS.

CONSIDERATIONS

Vegan: it can be difficult to consume high-quality protein meals as the amino acid profile of plant-based products is generally low. Nonetheless: supplementing with a vegan protein powder that uses rice and pea protein as their primary sources can be beneficial. Also, combining foods including rice and beans can create a complete protein meal!

SUMMARY

If you want to maximize your progress and create the most anabolic environment: it is essential to pay close attention to protein quality and consume complete protein sources!