Proteins are basic building blocks of life, the body's main structural components. This course is Intro to Protein 101. Whether you are a professional body builder, a wanna be bodybuilder, or an average Joe trying to determine if you need to add protein and how much of it to enhance your workout regimen, this is the course just for you.
If you look beyond the jargon and scientific "terminology", the mystery surrounding protein supplementation and choosing the most effective protein can be easily solved. All you need is this basic information.

When you ingest protein it is broken down during digestion into smaller components, amino acids, so they can penetrate the intestinal wall and absorb into the blood stream. There are 22 amino acids, eight of them are considered essential which means the body can't make them. They must be supplied by the diet. The 14 amino acids that are made in the body are called non-essential amino acids.

Your hair, eyes, skin, bones, heart, veins and muscles, as well as the genes that carry your blue print, are all made from protein. A variety of nutrients are important, but it is protein that builds and maintains your muscles. Protein is the only nutrient that actually builds your muscles. Protein is the only nutrient that gives you muscles: the nitrogen necessary for growth, recovery and repair. So how much protein is enough? The current recommendation is 0.8 gram of protein daily per kilogram of body weight (Source: Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine). For example, a 150 pound woman would need 54.5 grams of protein. To calculate this number convert pounds to kilograms by dividing by 2.2.

Example: 150 (lbs.)/2.2 = 68.18kg
68.18 X .08 grams=54.54 grams

A lot of research has shown that these requirements, based on normal growth and repair, are insufficient for bodybuilding purposes. People who engage in resistance training require more protein. Current research suggests that 1.7 to 1.8 grams of protein per kg of body weight is a more realistic figure. A word of caution: there are conflicting reports that protein intake at these high levels could potentially be harmful.
High amounts of protein not accompanied by proper electrolyte balance could saturate the body with harmful waste products. Therefore, if you are consuming the recommended amount of protein/kg, ensure proper water consumption.

The next time you are in the Protein Powder Aisle:

1. Acid hydrolysis - The protein is broken down but treated with acid on-base solutions instead of enzymes. They contain sodium and can cause water retention.

2. Cross-filtered ion exchange - This protein is superior to protein that is processed through the ion exchange method. The reason is that cross filtered ion exchange removes 98% of the denatured protein compared to 90% through ion exchange.

3. Cross filtered ionized, or micro flow technique - No heat is required to process the protein when this method is used. This preserves glutamine, the most abundant amino acid in skeletal tissue.

4. Denatured - When protein is exposed to high temperatures especially above sixty degree Celsius, or to chemical agents, it disrupts the bonds on which the protein structures are based. They become denatured and no longer perform at their biological function. Therefore, look for un-denatured protein.

Types of proteins:

Enzymatic Hydrolysis - this means the protein is predigested (broken down into smaller peptides). These peptides do not attract water into the intestines, which causes diarrhea.

Intact Proteins - these proteins are in their original natural form and require complete digestion.

Isolated Amino Acids - these amino acids require no digestion and do not contain any animal byproducts.

Protein Isolates - these are smaller protein fragments, the same as the predigested protein.

Pure crystalline amino acids - no digestion required.