What is Protein and Why Do You Need it?
The questions that get asked most frequently by average individuals are; What is protein? How much should I take? Does having protein build muscles? Many supplement companies feed people the wrong information for sales, but here at P92 we hate gimmicks and we do not sell broken promises. We pride ourselves on giving our consumers clean, natural supplements, made of ingredients good for our health, mind, body and soul.
What is protein?
Protein is a core macro nutrient that is essential to the human body and paramount in the building of muscle mass. Proteins are made from small molecules called amino acids, both essential and non-essential. Non-essential amino acids are produced within the body and essential amino acids are not, which means we must get them from wholefood sources or supplements. Amino acids are defined as the building blocks of proteins and in turn proteins are the building blocks of muscles.
Why do we need protein?
You should consume protein for four important reasons:
- The body uses proteins to make enzymes, hormones and other important chemicals in the human body. Without protein within the human body, we would not be able to survive.
- Protein is an important building block for muscles, bones, cartilage, skin, nails, hair and blood.
- The body uses protein to build and repair tissues within the body.
- Protein is a key component in all cells in the body.
What are the sources of protein?
Sources of protein come from both animal products and plant-based wholefoods which both provide sufficient amounts of protein to the body. Another source is protein powders, being either whey or plant based. You should not rely solely on protein powders to get your daily intake of protein as many powders in particularly whey protein powders lack vital nutrients which your body needs and gets from protein rich wholefoods. Plant-based protein powders such as P92 Organic Lean Protein on the other hand are packed with nutrients and are made from organic plant-based wholefoods.
Animal protein sources include; chicken, fish, beef, eggs and dairy products such as milk and cheese. Plant-based protein sources include; tofu, lentils, chickpeas, almonds and other variety of nuts and legumes.
Why is protein key in muscle building?
Muscles are soft tissues in the body made up of mostly proteins. Muscle tissues are constantly being broken down and rebuilt within the body, during exercise and weightlifting are broken down at a faster rate. For a human to build muscle the body needs more protein in the muscle than its breaking down. For this to happen, individuals who wish to gain muscles need to consume a greater amount of protein to support muscle protein synthesis. Muscle protein synthesis is the process in which protein is produced to repair muscle damage caused by exercise.
How much protein should you consume?
Protein consumption is dependent on your weight, height and activity level. For an average male or female, the DRI (dietary reference intake) is 0.8g of protein per kilogram of body weight. When attempting to gain muscle or even to preserve existing muscle, you should consume around 2g of protein per kilogram of body weight.
Protein powders, what are they?
As discussed earlier, protein powders are dietary supplements which contain high amounts of protein. Protein powders are a great source of protein to consume directly after your workouts to give your body the protein it needs to start the repairing and building stage. Protein powders should be used together with a healthy wholefood diet and not as a wholefood substitute. Protein powders on the market today are mostly whey/milk based, animal based (collagen) or plant based.
P92 Protein Supplements include:
- Organic Plant Based Lean Protein – made from organic pea, brown rice, hemp and sacha inchi protein.
- Peanut Butter & Collagen Protein – made from 100% raw peanuts and 97% pure bovine collagen.