Protein supplementation

(by Roberto Eusebio, absolute national champion of body fitness)

Protein supplementation is recommended for a certain category of people, for example:

the body builders

who prepares marathons

those who do not eat meat and fish by choice or because they are not palatable to these foods.

Based on the balanced and effective integration, proteins can be classified as follows:

- Whey protein (high biological value - VB = 100)

Obtained by ultrafiltration, obtaining about 6% fat and 80% protein; by microfiltration with values ​​obtained of over 80% protein and 1% fat; for ion exchange: they are the best in quality as they represent 90% of proteins and less than 1% of fats.

-Caseine:

VB

less than 80

Very satiating, as they absorb water they are heavy to digest.

-Milk's proteins

VB

100, average digestibility

- Egg proteins

VB

100, lower the glycemic index of carbohydrates.

- Soy protein

VB less than 75

- Wheat protein (gluten)

VB

55% average, poor.

- Legume protein

they are of poor VB, do not present all the essential amino acids or present them in small quantities. It would be better to combine them with those of wheat.

It is clear that those who take only protein foods without integration must bear in mind that the VBs mentioned above have been calculated from natural, uncooked proteins!

The cooking decreases the biological value, for this reason the cooked proteins are degraded, while maintaining all the peptide bonds (amino acids contained in it). The biological value of beef, for example, drops to 50 while that of chicken is 7.

Among the foods the proteins of animal origin are to be considered the best.

The protein requirement is determined by a series of factors including the losses of nitrogen required, the quality of proteins, the contemporary caloric intake, the physiological state and physical activity.

The protein requirement calculated based on the LARN recommendations is indicated in the following table:

PROTEIN NEEDS CATEGORY AGE (*)

For those who train, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to intuit the necessary protein requirements, since each of us has a different physical and metabolic structure.

Based on my experience, I advise, with constant training, not to exceed the dose of 2 or 3 g of protein per kilo bodyweight per day.

I also remember that proteins have 4 kcal per gram and that excessive intake would be set aside in adipose tissue, our archenemy!