What are protein powders?
Protein powders are dietary supplements that contain a high percentage of protein, this protein being derived from a variety of different food sources including:
· Rice
· Egg
· Milk
· Pea
· Hemp
· Soy
Beyond the high percentage of protein, many manufacturers fortify their products with synthetic vitamins and/or minerals as well as additional fats and carbohydrates. These later products, which also contain appreciable amounts of carbohydrates and fats are often referred to as MRPs or meal replacement powders.
As protein powders come directly from whole food sources, they are created by extracting the protein component of the food through a variety of processing methods. Typical processing methods include:
· Protein Concentration -
Concentration is a high heat drying process and acid extraction to lessen the whole food source into a concentrated protein powder. It is fairly inexpensive. During the processing other impurities can be concentrated with the protein (e.g., lactose, fat, cholesterol). Concentrates end up being about 60 – 70 percent protein by weight.
· Protein isolates -
With isolated protein, the idea is to separate out a majority This is accomplished through an alcohol wash, water wash, or ionization technique. Each method has a different expense. Water is the least expensive and ionization is the most expensive. After the isolate is created it goes through a filtration process. At this point, virtually everything but the protein has been eliminated. Minimal carbohydrate, fat, fiber and phytochemicals are left. Isolated protein is about 90 – 95 percent protein by weight.
· Protein hydrolysates (hydrolyzed)
Hydrolyzed protein is created by adding water to protein polymers and breaking them into miniature groups of protein called peptides. The groups will range in size from 2 to 5 amino acids. This is done to enhance absorption. Hydrolysis is essentially pre-digestion. Hydrolyzed protein is expensive to produce.
· Ion-exchange protein -
Ions are atoms or molecules containing charge-bearing groups. Ion exchanging separates protein molecules from other fractions in the food by taking advantage of electrical charges.
· Microfiltration, cross microfiltration, ultrafiltration -
A powerful filtration process that removes contaminants from the concentrated protein component by passage through a membrane. Similar to reverse osmosis used for water purification.
Why would I want to use a protein powder?
With data from numerous studies demonstrating the importance of protein for both body composition and health, dietary supplements providing protein are some of the most popular supplements available.
When setting nutritional goals, some individuals want to alter the macronutrient content of their diet by increasing their total amount and percentage of dietary protein. Perhaps the easiest and most convenient way of doing this is with a protein powder. Protein is implicated for helping improve weight management, muscle growth, immune function and exercise recovery.
What you should know about different Protein Types
Most protein powders have strengths and weaknesses.
· Rice protein – Hypo-allergenic, gluten-free, neutral taste, economical
· Egg protein – Fat-free, concentrated amounts of essential amino acids
· Milk protein (includes "whey", "casein", "calcium caseinate", and "milk protien blends") – May enhance immunity, high in BCAA’s, contains lactose, most likely to not be tolerated, highly studied
· Pea protein – No saturated fat or cholesterol, highly digestible, suitable for vegans, hypo-allergenic, economical
· Hemp protein – Provide omega-3 fats, most forms provide fiber, suitable for vegans, free of trypsin inhibitors, can get in raw form, high in arginine and histidine
· Soy protein – May have benefits for cardiovascular disease, suitable for vegans, contain trypsin inhibitors. There is concern about the utilization of Soy protein for many health reasons. We recommend avoiding it.
Check out another one of our blog posts about Protein Powder and how it is used in post-workout shakes here. Proteins can be classified by their quality. Protein quality is determined by the following methods.
Protein efficiency ratio (PER) is based on the weight gain of a test subject (rats) divided by the intake of a particular food protein during the test period. Previous data was influenced by methionine content. This method determines protein needed for growth and not maintenance.
Net protein utilization (NPU) is the ratio of amino acids converted to proteins to the ratio of amino acids supplied. Another way to think of it is the amount of protein that a food makes available to your body based on digestibility and the amino acid composition. This test is influenced by the essential amino acids in the body and limiting amino acids in the food.
Biological value (BV) is a measure of the proportion of absorbed protein from a food that becomes incorporated into the proteins of the body. Think of it as how well the protein can be used for synthesizing new proteins. Nitrogen retention is monitored. BC does not take into account how the protein is digested and absorbed. It can be altered by recent dietary intake and food preparation.
Protein digestibility corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS) is a method based on the amino acid requirements of young children. It takes into consideration digestibility of the protein. This is a recently developed measure and preferred for determining the quality of protein.
Click here for more about the science behind protein.
Summary and Recommendations
With the many options of protein powders currently available, it is important to find the option that matches your needs. Digestibility is an important issue and should be established before choosing a protein powder. Also, the method in which the protein powder is used will also influence your selection (e.g., shakes, puddings, bars, pancakes, etc). Finally, remember this, with dietary supplements, you get what you pay for. By choosing a “cheap” protein powder, you’re likely to get higher amounts of lactose, fat, etc. not removed during the isolation process. Even Oprah promotes protein powder as a source of nutrients for healthy Fruit Smoothies.
Make sure to avoid using the same protein type for more than 5 days in a row. You may develop an allergy to that protein type. So, keep at least 2 types of protein handy, Whey Protein and Rice Protein for example.
Send any additional questions regarding this topic to us at info@fit224.com.
JWW
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