By Amanda Black February 2014

 Protein is on of the three macronutrients your body needs for energy. It works with carbs and fats to fuel you body.  Protein is a series of amino acids that are linked like a chain. Different foods have all, none, or some of the ‘parts of the chain’. You need a complete chain to get all the benefits of protein. This can be done by eating a variety of foods. Source: Muscle & Strength

 Protein is essential for the following things: › Balanced PH levels in the bloodstream › Preserves muscle tissue during dieting or fasts › An energy source if carbs are not readily available › Required for chemical reactions in the body › Keeps the immune system healthy › Regulates the fluid balance in the body  PROTEIN IS KEY TO A STRONG BODY Source: Muscle & Strength

 Protein is available in many foods. They are from either complete (whole chains) or incomplete (part chains) proteins. You can eat either, and they will combine to form the fullest possible chain.  Protein comes from: eggs, meat, fish, dairy, soy, nuts, legumes, and wild game  Small amounts of protein are available in vegetables as well. Source: Muscle & Strength

 Protein Supplements are used to make sure you get enough protein a day, or to maximize protein intake for athletes.  Supplements come in bars, shakes, powders, weight gainers, and meal replacements.  Each serving usually has 20-30g of protein as well as vitamins and minerals. Source: Myer, David. 2006

 Protein Supplements get their protein from a wide range of sources. They are often blended together into an optimal formula specific to the products purpose.  Sources of protein are: whey, casein, egg albumin, soy, wheat, and peas.  These also come as whole proteins, isolates (less fat/lactose), and concentrates (70-85%protein) Source: Muscle & Strength

 Whey protein comes from cows milk, and is a byproduct of making cheese.  Casein is also from milk, but is very high in protein (92%). It is popular in weight gainers  Soy protein comes from soy beans, and is digested much faster than whey.  Wheat protein is used by vegetarian bodybuilders, or those with a dairy allergy  Pea protein is 100% gluten free and dairy free. Source: Muscle & Strength

 Protein supplements require almost no preparation time. They can be taken on the go in a bag, purse, or in your lunchbox.  The price per serving is much lower than beef, salmon, and often chicken.  Timing protein intake after a workout is key to maximizing muscle gains. A protein shake in your gym bag makes it simple to intake protein within an hour of a hard workout.

 Atheletes constantly push their bodies to their limits. They need to recover quickly, and minimize the chance of injury.  Protein helps you maintain a positive nitrogen balance to make those repairs quickly.  Taking in protein throughout the day allows your body to use a steady stream of aminos to maintain the nitrogen balance. Source: Myer, David

 Vegetarians often have trouble eating enough protein throughout the day.  Active vegetarians need the same muscle repair as meat-eaters, but have a limited way to get it.  Eating the same foods to get protein can cause appetite fatigue, and adding shakes can add variety to your veggie diet. Source: Muscle & Strength

 The elderly often do not eat enough over all during the day.  Sedentary lifestyles, and a lack of interest in food can be detrimental to muscle mass in older people.  Their bodies will become weak due to burning muscle for energy.  Protein shakes and supplements take no prep time, and can be handled easily by elders. Source: Nutribody Protein

 Constipation: Upping your protein can often lead to constipation. Why? It takes more water to process protein than carbs or fat. This means you have to consciously add more water to you daily diet.  Shakes contain extra calories, and can lead to unwanted weight gain  Too much protein causes the PH to be off. This causes your body to pull calcium from bones to adjust it. This leads to weak bones among other things Source: Holistic Squid, 2012

 The Federal Government regulates supplements through the FDA. They do not have the same oversight however.  Manufacturers do not have to provide proof of claims to the FDA. They may make health claims, nutritional content claims, and function of the product claims  If the FDA determines the product is unsafe once it’s on the market it can have the product removed. Source: NCCAM

 The RDA for adults is.36 grams per pound of body weight. For example: A 200 pound peson needs about 72 grams per day, and a 150 pound person needs about 54 grams per day.  Athletes and body builders need 20-40% of their diet to be protein, or grams per pound. Source: Muscle & Strength

 Excellent paper from Vanderbilt University about protein and weightlifting: einWeightLifting.htm einWeightLifting.htm  A very in-depth article about benefits of protein supplements, and using it for maximum results: -guides/protein-supplements -guides/protein-supplements  The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) has lots of information on supplementing your diet:

 Holistic Squid The Problem with Protein Powders. Retrieved on 24 February 2014 from with-protein-powders/ with-protein-powders/  Myer, David. 14 October Protein Supplementation and Weightlifting. Retrieved on 22 February 2014 from oteinWeightLifting.htm oteinWeightLifting.htm

 NCCAM. Using Dietary Supplements Wisely. Retrieved on 25 February 2014 from ts/wiseuse.htm ts/wiseuse.htm  Nutribody Protein. A High Protein Meal for Active Adults and Elderly. Retrieved on 24 February 2014 from e-adults/index.php e-adults/index.php

 Muscle & Strength. Protein Guide: Learn Hot to Choose The Right Product. Retrieved on 24 February 2014 from pert-guides/protein-supplements pert-guides/protein-supplements