Protein. Plant or animal?
Protein is an essential component of human nutrition. Without a sufficient amount of protein, our body simply will not be able to maintain its vital functions. This is especially true for athletes. After all, physical activity increases the natural process of disintegration and restructuring of muscle tissue, and therefore increases the need for" building material " for muscle cells - amino acids.
Where do amino acids come from? Some of them are synthesized by the body itself, but this requires a source of nitrogen, i.e. protein. Others (essential), the human body must obtain from food.
Again, food protein is used to produce them.
The problem of food protein sources is particularly acute in power sports, since it is in them that catabolism (breakdown) of muscles is most pronounced. Therefore, in order not just to maintain, but to build muscle, increase strength, and endurance, the athlete must receive enough protein.
What foods should be included in the diet of athletes?
I will start with the most neglected plants.
Greens for mass
Yes, legumes and cereals, which for most bodybuilders are primarily a source of carbohydrates, also contain a lot of protein. Soy and beans surpassed even meat in this indicator. No wonder soy products are the basis of the diet of the peoples of the Far East. Lentil soup is almost more nutritious than meat, and not worse in taste. Soy produces products that taste like meat, but do not contain unsaturated fat and cholesterol.
But for some reason, the jocks do not rush for beans and peas, preferring chicken and cottage cheese.
Disadvantages of plant proteins
Why, when it comes to protein sources, first of all remember dairy products and meat, and not, for example, peas or soy, although the protein content in them is quite high?
Unfortunately, plant proteins are significantly deficient, that is, they do not contain a complete set of necessary amino acids. There is such a concept - "limiting amino acid", that is, the amino acid whose content in the protein is most different from the ideal. Based on the content of the limiting amino acid, the biological value is calculated. According to this indicator, plant proteins lag far behind animals. Soy protein is the closest to fullness. It is followed by lentil protein.
Potato protein is almost complete, but it is not enough (about 2 percent of the dry weight). Therefore, protein from plants has a relatively low biological value, that is, it is digested by 50-60 percent (egg and milk proteins - up to 100 percent).
With legumes, another problem: the carbohydrate stachyosis contained in them has a bad effect on the intestines. The well-known expression "full of peas" implies abundant gas eruptions.
Unpleasant and does not contribute to productive work.
Protein content in plant products (percent of dry weight)
Product % of dry weight
Peas 22.4
Beans 23-24
Soy 23-25
Lentils 27.6
Wheat flour 11
Rye flour is 10.5
Oatmeal 11
Buckwheat 12.6
figure 7
millet 11.5
semolina 11.2
pearl 9
barley is 9.5
But there is a solution for eating plant proteins
As science shows, when you eat several sources of protein, their biological value increases significantly. Hence the conclusion: correctly combine plant and animal food! For example, using different types of legumes, cereals and dairy products together, you will bring the biological value of the protein contained in them to almost 100 percent.
For example, the widespread combination of cereals with milk leads to better assimilation of both.
Cooking improves the digestibility of the protein, changing its structure. Special methods allow you to overcome difficulties with the digestion of plant proteins. In particular, the same" meat-like " soy products are much easier to digest than minced meat.
In addition, a variety of food contributes to better assimilation, since the monotony in the menu greatly disrupts the enzymatic work of the pancreas.
By experimenting, you can find the optimal composition of your diet, which is absolutely necessary if you want to increase the" efficiency " of food.
Create a food plan where plant and animal products complement each other. Of course, keep an eye on compatibility. Legumes are poorly combined with milk and may not be combined with fermented milk products, except cheese and sour cream. There are no problems with meat. Try to add vegetables as much as possible for better absorption and digestion.
Tip: the legumes should be soaked in cold water for 3-4 hours, then drain, add fresh water and put on fire. Then the product cooks faster, and you avoid problems associated with gas formation, since the substances that cause gases are removed during soaking.
Now you know that vegetable protein can be successfully used as a full component of your diet.
Meat, fish, poultry
Animal products usually provide the bulk of protein in the diet of ordinary people. A significant portion of bodybuilders and power workers also eat specially selected meat and fish products, consuming huge amounts of chicken and tuna. Red meat is the subject of fierce debate: some argue that it is harmful, while others, on the contrary, praise the advantages of meat proteins over all others.
Meat of animals, birds and fish, have a fibrous structure, since meat, roughly speaking, is muscle tissue. However, the stiffness of the bonds between the fibers may be different. The softest meat is found in fish, and the toughest in wild animals. Accordingly, the tougher the meat, the more difficult it is to digest and assimilate the body.
Another common feature is the high protein content, since muscle tissue is the most active of the body's tissues.
Muscle fibers (myofibrils) are protein-rich cellular formations. Consequently, the total protein content of meat is very high.
Meat, fish and poultry have different biological values. The harder the product is, the worse it will be absorbed. You can fight this by turning the meat into minced meat, but neither chopping nor cooking will ensure 100% assimilation. Mechanical processing of meat is accompanied by no stronger denaturation of meat protein than cooking.
(Protein denaturation is a change in the native conformation of a protein molecule under the influence of various destabilizing factors. The amino acid sequence of the protein does not change).
Thus, the biological value of meat proteins does not exceed 70-80.
Recently, various kinds of game have become popular. Foreign magazines advertise ostrich meat in the form of sticks, bison sausage and other exotic things. Unfortunately, although wild animals are not as fat as domestic animals, their muscles are denser and their meat is even less digestible.
Conclusions:
Choose low-fat foods. If the goal is to get protein, and not to gain calories from fat meat;
Prefer fish and lean poultry to red meat. since you need to eat often, these products will have time to digest and digest. Red meat takes longer to digest. If you are fond of red meat, it will not have time to digest and there will be problems with digestion. But this does not mean that you need to completely abandon red meat, just use it a little less often than poultry and fish;
If you are on a diet, then get rid of the broth! A fair amount of fat goes into it;
Avoid fried foods, especially on a large amount of fat. The best option is steaming or cooking in a pressure cooker.
The article didn't mention eggs. More information about this type of protein here.
Where are the nuts? And about nuts will be a separate article!
Protein content in various types of meat, fish and poultry
Product % of dry weight
Beef 21-25
Pork* 15
Lamb* 15
Veal 20
Beef liver 19
Goose* 16
A duck* 16
Chicken 25
Corp 19-20
Pike* 18
Eel* 17
Beluga 23
Mullet 21
Heck 16
Trout* 15
Perch 19
Herring 15
Tuna 20
(An asterisk indicates the most fatty foods)Enjoy your meal! Eat with pleasure and without consequences!
