Basic Nutrition: Part 2 – Amino Acids and Protein

As you may know, part 1 of this 5 part series that I am calling Basic Nutrition was focused on water and vitamins and minerals. If you haven’t read it yet please do. This second part is going to focus on Amino Acids and Protein. The reason these two are going to be discussed together is because they are very closely linked. Protein is made up of amino acids and when it is broken down in the digesting process the body uses the amino acids to build new tissues in the body. I will discuss all of this later. So let’s get started.

There are two types of amino acids: essential and nonessential. The essential amino acids are ones that the body cannot produce on its own. These consist of leucine, isoleucine, valine, lysine, tryptophan, threonine, methionine, phenylalanine, and histidine. The nonessential amino acids are ones that the body can produce on its own and they are: alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, proline, serine, and tyrosine. In total there are 20 amino acids that the human body uses.

Amino acids serve a variety of purposes and are often referred to as the “building blocks of protein”. This is because protein is essentially made up of amino acids. When your body digests protein it actually breaks it down into amino acids and from there uses those amino acids to construct the necessary proteins for the cells of the body. A good example is muscle. Muscle is largely made up of protein. The protein that we consume in our diet is not immediately transferred as muscle to areas of our body. This protein, such as various meats, is digested and broken down into a variety of amino acids. Some of these amino acids are then reconstructed by the body into the necessary proteins to build muscle cells which results in more muscle. Make sense? This process does not only happen for muscle though. Every cell in the body is in some way constructed of proteins. Skin cells, bone cells, organ cells, and any other type of cell you can think of contains a protein structure. However, they are not all made up of the same kinds of protein. For example, muscles have proteins called actin and myosin which act together to cause muscle contractions. Our skin on the other hand does not have these proteins. If it did we would be able to flex and contract our skin the same way we do with our muscles. It is also known that there are 3 essential amino acids known as the branched chain amino acids. These are leucine, isoleucine and valine. These branched chain amino acids are the key players in muscle protein synthesis and are used frequently as a nutritional supplement to help expedite the protein synthesis process. This ultimately leads to better muscle gains and faster recovery.

As stated in the previous paragraph amino acids serve a variety of purposes in the human body. Some are used to construct proteins while others are used for other functions. Arginine for example plays a key role in the synthesis of growth hormone, immune system regulation and dilation of blood vessels through the production of nitric oxide. Glutamine is another amino acid that is widely used as a supplement both pre and post workout. Glutamine actually helps the body prevent muscle protein breakdown. This means that glutamine helps to prevent muscle loss. The body has the ability to break down muscle and use those proteins for energy. Glutamine helps to prevent that process. Aspartic acid, particularly d-aspartic acid, is known to promote testosterone production which is great for males looking to naturally boost their testosterone.

So you see, amino acids play various roles within the body. You now know too that protein is constructed of amino acids which is where our bodies get them from is the protein that we consume. So this leads me into my next section: protein. Here I will cover a few different things, mainly the different types of protein.

First let’s start with the all-natural proteins, not the supplements. Not that those aren’t natural, but they are processed. Anyways, there are essentially 2 types of proteins: complete and incomplete. Complete proteins are those that contain all of the essential amino acids (refer to section on amino acids) whereas incomplete proteins lack 1 or more of the essential amino acids (again, refer to the section on amino acids). Examples of complete proteins are beef, poultry, fish, cheese, milk and eggs. Examples of incomplete proteins are beans, rice, tofu and some vegetables such as broccoli. Then you have your breakdown of specific types of protein such as whey, casein and soy. These proteins have different characteristics in terms of digestive rates, amino acid content, and where they are derived from.

Whey protein is probably the most popular form of supplemental protein on the market. It digests very quickly, has a great amino acid matrix and is derived from milk. Many athletes and bodybuilders rely heavily on whey protein for post-workout recovery as it is digested very quickly and starts the muscle building and recovery process. Casein protein is another popular form of supplemental protein. This too is derived from milk, but is much slower digesting than whey, meaning it will feed your muscles at a slower, longer rate. This is great for a mid-day snack or for serious athletes and bodybuilders, before bed. Lastly, there is soy protein. Soy is not so popular with male athletes because of its effect on estrogen levels. Soy actually increases estrogen, so for men to primarily use soy is a bad idea. Soy is also the slowest digesting form of protein. However, natural soy is not as bad. Soy protein is actually derived from soy beans, which many of us refer to as Edimame. Soy is a complete protein and very good for you, just in moderate amounts if you are a man. I really would not recommend supplementing soy protein into your diet, however casein and whey are a go! Just eat soy beans to get that little bit of healthy soy in your system.

Now that we know about amino acids and the different kinds of proteins we can discuss more about proteins role in the body. Ultimately protein is a source of energy just like any other kind of food we put in our bodies. There are 4 calories per gram of protein. Think of calories like energy units. One calorie equals one unit of energy. The way this energy is used is what is different than fats and carbs. Where fats and carbs are used to fuel the body and keep your energy up, proteins work a little bit differently. A straight protein diet would not be a good idea because you would have very low blood sugar levels and as a result very little energy. Protein just doesn’t work that way. What it does do is act as a building agent for your body. As discussed earlier, protein is broken down in the digestion process into amino acids which are used for various functions within the body, primarily cellular structure. In order for muscles to grow they need protein. Without it the body will not have the amino acids needed to build and repair muscle cells. This is the main reason why people who exercise a lot but do not consume much protein in their diets do not achieve very good results. They are breaking down muscle fibers without giving their bodies the necessary nutrients to repair them and build more.

Ultimately protein and amino acids are essential for achieving results from your workouts. Your body needs them in order to repair damaged cells and build new ones as well as perform various bodily functions. I recommend that 30-40% of your diet consist of protein. This means for a 200lb man burning consuming 3000 calories per day should be taking in at least 225 grams of protein daily. Likewise, a 150lb woman consuming 2000 calories per day should consume 150 grams of protein daily. This will ensure that you are getting all of the necessary protein for full recovery from your workouts. Also, use amino acid supplements, particularly BCAA’s and Glutamine. They kick-start the recovery process and will help with muscle soreness. I hope this has been helpful. Please comment with any feedback or questions and check back soon for part 3 – Carbohydrates!