It is shocking at just how people can get even the very basic things wrong. Proteins are basic and fundamental, but how much do you really know about proteins apart from the fact that it is essential for your body as it helps in the building of body tissues. In my opinion, the reason why bodybuilder still aren’t taking their proteins as they should both in terms of quality and quantity is probably because they don’t know that much about proteins. So let me take you back to the very basics of what, why and when.

Some say that it is the most important nutrient in the body considering that it’s present almost everywhere in your system its abundance is just an indication of how important it is to your body. Protein is broken down in the body to release 20 amino acids of which only 9 of them have to be provided through your diet. These 9 amino acids are called essential in the sense that you have to have them in your diet. The others can be made by your body and aren’t necessarily needed as part of your diet. There are two main sources of proteins namely, animal sources and plant sources. The difference of cause apart from one coming from animals and the other coming from plants is that animal proteins are complete while plant proteins aren’t. Animal proteins contain all the essential amino acids that your body required and are hence termed as complete sources of proteins. Plant proteins on the other hand lack in one or more of the essential amino acids and are thus not complete. If you are taking plant proteins as your major source of protein probably because you’re a vegetarian, then you need to combine these proteins such that the sources complete themselves.

The amount of protein that you should consume in a day is 0. 8 grams per body kg of bodyweight. This is the one that will give your body a nitrogen balance which in simple terms means that your body your body is breaking down the amount of protein that you’re taking in. there is also a scale that is used to measure the quality of proteins that you’re taking. This measure is known as Biological Value or simply BV. The higher the BV, the better that protein source is in terms of its quality. For whole foods, eggs are the ones with the highest BV. Egg whites have a slightly lower BV than whole eggs. Following closely behind are chicken, fish, lean beef, cow milk etc. in that order. Protein supplements on the other hand also can be ranked in BV. Actually, whey has a higher BV than eggs and in essence is the protein source with the highest BV. It is important that you supplement your protein intake especially if you are a vegetarian or a vegan. There is a wide product line of protein supplements that range from shakes and bars to meal replacement powders. When buying supplements, I highly recommend that you buy from known brands.

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