What Is Protein?
If you’re trying to build muscle, you’ve probably heard all about the muscle building properties of protein. However, there’s a lot more to protein than this and in this article I’m going to be giving you a full overview of this important macronutrient.
An Introduction To Protein
Protein is a macronutrient (one of the three main nutrients your body needs in large quantities to survive) and is constructed from chains of amino acids. There are 23 amino acids in total with each one supporting your body in different ways and there are two main types of amino acids:
- Essential Amino Acids = There are eight essential amino acids in total and they are deemed essential because your body cannot produce them so they need to be sourced from your diet.
- Non- Essential Amino Acids = There are 15 non-essential amino acids in total and they are deemed non-essential because your body can produce them so you can get by without consuming them as part of your diet.
The Role Of Protein In Your Body
The main role of protein in your body is to build, maintain and repair all your body’s cells which include your muscles cells, your skin cells, your blood cells and all your vital organ cells. When you eat foods containing protein, your body breaks down the protein into individual amino acids and then uses these single amino acids to create new proteins which can support new and existing cells within your body as necessary.
Protein also has a number of side roles in the body and is responsible for supporting muscle contractions, maintaining fluid balance in the body, producing various important chemicals (including antibodies, enzymes and hormones) and much more.
The Best Food Sources Of Protein
Animal products are generally the richest food source of protein with dairy products, fish and meat all containing high levels of this important nutrient. However, protein can also be sourced from a range of plant based products with nuts, seeds and soybeans all being rich sources of protein. If you’re struggling to get enough protein through regular food sources, whey protein supplements are also an option but it’s best to get your protein naturally if possible.
Summary
I hope this article’s given you a fuller understanding of protein and helped explain how to get plenty of protein in your diet. So if you’re not currently consuming enough quality protein, make some changes today and enjoy all the benefits it has to offer.
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