0 Why It Is Sometimes Wise To Use Protein Supplements

Walk into any health food store, or supplement store attached to a gym, and you’ll see that the world is not crying out for lack of protein supplements! But who’s consuming all those proteins, and if you can simply get this nutrient from food, why bother with supplementation at all? These are all valid questions, which will be addressed.

But first, let’s have a look at proteins. What are they, and what do they do? Biologically speaking, they are peptide-bonded chains of amino acids. They are broken down in the stomach and intestinal tracts by digestive enzymes, into their component amino acids. Amino acids are then used for a variety a purposes, the most important of which, at least for athletes and bodybuilders, is building new muscle mass, and repairing cells that have been damaged through exercise.

But why use supplements? The fact is that most people don’t necessarily need supplementation, since they get all the proteins they need from dietary sources (i.e. food). Proteins can be found in a wide variety of food types, including meat, fish, seafood, as well as in beans, lentils, soy, and much more. The complications start when you need a lot of proteins, like athletes and bodybuilders do.

Protein in meat is of high quality, but it comes with a high price: fat, and not the good kind. Regular steak will, on average, have anywhere from 20 to 35% protein by weight. It will have a similar percentage of fat, even if it looks lean. If you are so muscular that you need, say, the amino acid equivalent of 5 steaks a day, you would be eating so much fat along with the proteins that it would become completely counterproductive to your efforts.

This is where protein supplements come in. Most supplements are available in the form of powder, which are then mixed with milk or water to form a delicious shake. The available flavors are somewhat predictable: chocolate, vanilla, strawberry and more. Most are tasty enough, after a fashion. You can also purchase protein supplement in the form of bars, which have similarly predictable flavors, except that they’re usually not that great-tasting. There are exceptions, of course.

The most popular type of protein used in supplementation is whey, closely followed by casein, as well as egg albumin and soy. Whey and casein are both complete proteins, derived from milk. They offer similar amino acid profiles, rich in anabolic, or muscle-building branched chain amino acids.

Whatever you chose, supplementation gives you choice and control; you don’t have to rely on fatty meat proteins, or their starchy vegetal equivalents. You can enjoy almost pure protein, with tiny, almost negligible fat and carbohydrate content. You can thus get all the nutrients your body need without exposing yourself to an unhealthy or unbalanced diet. It should be noted that you should always get your baseline nutritional intake through dietary sources, and supplement with whey or casein proteins. Those shakes are not snacks, nor are they meal replacements! In short, eat a healthy and balanced diet, then supplement as needed.

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Cecil D. Murphy is a writer and online marketer specializing in wellness, health and nutritional products. He was drawn to this field because of his own dark past both as a smoker, and as one who struggles with his weight. Visit his website to learn more about ViSalus http://planvisalus.com/, or even to join ViSalus, either as a customer or distributor, if youre ready to make a massive positive change in your life!

Article Source : Why It Is Sometimes Wise To Use Protein Supplements

Author : Cecil D.