Posted on: Wednesday, March 2, 2011
In the engineering world, integrity of building materials along with sophisticated design & structural precision allows towering skyscrapers such as the world’s new tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai to rise from the desert or a Stealth aircraft to cruise at 684 miles per hour.
Likewise, to build an imposing human body constructed for power & strength, or streamlined for speed & endurance requires first-class nutritional building materials in conjunction with a well-designed and highly-tuned training regime.
Amino acids are quite literally the building blocks of the human body enabling the biological construction & growth of protein present in: muscle fibres, connective tissue, tendons, bone, blood cells, enzymes, hormones and antibodies along with many other tissues & cells providing anatomical structure, or supporting vital physiological processes. Hence, due to its wide array of roles in the body adequate dietary protein is vital for everyone! It is of particular importance for those who engage in high levels of physical training or exercise: whether resistance or endurance-based, competing at either professional or amateur level. Dietary protein is also equally important for its role in supporting general wellbeing, helps maintain radiant skin, hair & nails and plays a key nutritive role in healthy weight maintenance programs.
The average person requires 0.8g of protein per kilogram per day (e.g. 60g for a 75kg individual). People who engage in regular physical activity have higher dietary protein requirements for muscle building & repair and to support greater levels of metabolic activity. The recommendations vary depending on individual needs but general guidelines suggest endurance athletes require up to 1.6g/kg and resistance (strength & power training/sport) athletes 1.7g/kg per day. These levels are around double the requirements of the average person and would be over 100g per day for a 75kg individual.
PROTEIN RECOMMENDATIONS |
Average Adults |
Active Adults* |
Endurance Athletes |
Resistance Athletes |
Protein (per day) |
0.8g/kg |
1.2g/kg |
1.2 - 1.6g/kg |
1.2 - 1.7g/kg |
What this represents for a 75kg person? |
60g |
90g |
90 – 120g |
90 – 128g |
*Moderate-intensity endurance exercise 4-5 times per week for 45-60minutes
In addition to consuming the right amount of dietary protein each day it is also very important to ensure that it is of good quality - obtained from a ‘high biological value’ (high quality) food source. The human body utilises 20 different amino acids to build all the different protein molecules it requires daily and is only able to make 11 of these via internal biochemical processes. Hence, it must obtain the remaining 9 amino acids, known as the ‘essential amino acids’ (EAAs) from the diet each & every day to keep up the bodies protein manufacturing needs. Not all foods provide adequate EAAs and those with greater levels are considered of higher protein quality or high biological value (BV). All Musashi protein blends contain high BV, EAA rich proteins including: Whey Protein Isolate (WPI), Whey Protein Concentrate (WPC) and Calcium Caseinate providing an amino acid profile to help maximise human protein synthesis. A daily dietary pool of EAAs supports metabolic processes within the active body before, during and after exercise. The appropriate intake & timing of ingestion of EAA-rich protein has been shown to help reduce muscle breakdown (catabolism) during training whilst aid the growth & repair (anabolism) of muscle tissue after the session to support post-exercise recovery. The co-ingestion of EAA-rich protein & carbohydrate further supports this process by triggering normal insulin production, which in-turn allows greater amino acid uptake into working & fatigued muscles.
Appropriate protein-type & adequate intake post-exercise is equally valid for an athlete who has completed an intense, 1 hour pre-season hypertrophy (mass building) weight-training session versus someone who has jumped off the bike after 5 hours in the saddle during a leg of a multi-day cycling race. In turn, protein-based nutrition recovery strategies are important for amateur athletes: whether a mature ‘weekend warrior’ who has just crossed the finishing line after a gruelling marathon or, a yet to fill-out 17 year old ‘bean-pole’ who has spent 4-quarters on the field running, kicking, jumping & engaging in physical contact. Not to mention the role of dietary protein for other individuals, such as some women who do not exercise for ‘sporting glory’ but for general fitness & wellbeing or to fit into their skinny jeans! A calorie-appropriate, high quality protein snack is the perfect post-exercise choice for such females supporting a lean & toned physique by helping boost metabolism and maintain a feeling of fullness until the next nutritious meal.