Buckeye Sports Nutrition

Protein is an incredibly diverse nutrient with a wide variety of functions in the body. Proteins are usually large molecules made from twenty (20) different amino acids. We obtain these amino acids from food protein in our diet, and we can make "some" of them in the cell as needed. Amino acids that we can't synthesize in the cell in sufficient amounts are known as essential or indispensable amino acids. There are 9 of them. The remaining 11 are known as nonessential or dispensable amino acids and these are the ones our body can make when we are in dietary shortage.

Function

Proteins are made from amino acids.  Proteins/amino acids are the building blocks for:

• growth and maintenance of bones,
• strength and flexibility of muscle,
• effectiveness and efficiency of the immune system,
• formation of some hormones and almost all enzymes,
• the binding and support tissues that hold us together (connective tissue),
• blood-clotting functions,
• eye acuity (vision),
• transportation of nutrients in blood and lymph is accomplished by proteins, and
• a source of fuel to generate energy.

Importance for Athletes

Athletes need more protein than people who are not athletic, however when you eat more protein than your body can use, it is simply broken down in the liver to the nitrogen and carbon skeleton. The nitrogen is excreted in the urine. Unlike carbohydrate and fat, there is no appreciable storage form of protein or amino acids in the body. Protein consumed in the diet is either used by the body as amino acids or it is broken down and the nitrogen excreted in the urine. The remaining carbon skeleton after breakdown of amino acids can be used as energy or stored as fat or glycogen. Athletes should not try to rely on amino acids (protein) as an energy source to fuel the muscle.

People who limit their diet to plant foods need to monitor the intake of essential and indispensable (nonessential) amino acids to ensure that adequate quantities of the amino acids are being provided in dietary sources. Our link to vegetarianism can be found under the "special needs" icon.

Recommended Intake

Approximately 15-18% of the diet consumed by athletes should contain protein from either plant and animal sources.  If you eat an ample amount of meat, you should be getting all of your essential amino acids. If you rely on plant foods or protein supplements, you should look more closely at the balance of your essential amino acids.   Eating a good source of protein with each meal also will also slow digestion so you will feel satisfied for a few hours, unlike a meal which is high carbohydrate that gets digested quickly and may leave you feeling hungry a short time after eating.

Current protein recommendations are based on kilograms body weight:

Best Food Sources

Good protein sources include meat, poultry, milk, eggs and beans. Plant foods contain smaller amounts of protein, but a plant-based diet is usually able to provide enough protein to meet the needs of athletes as long as the athlete chooses wise combinations of foods. It is a good idea to have a source of protein at each meal. For example: skim milk with breakfast, cheese at lunch, yogurt as a snack and a lean meat at dinner. This sort of pattern will help you distribute your protein throughout the day.