You’ve already heard a million times how important protein-rich foods are in gaining muscle. But you can’t help but wonder, are all proteins created equal? Should you fill your grocery cart with whatever food claims to be high in protein? We can only eat so much calories in a day, so shouldn’t protein quality matter as well?
Here, we discuss the main factors to consider in choosing the sources of protein in your diet. We explain the different criteria that set certain protein sources above the rest. Hopefully, by the end of this reading, you’d be more confident in choosing protein-rich foods that meet your fitness goals.
What Makes A Good Source Of Protein?
There are three properties that set certain protein-rich foods above the rest. These properties describe the quality of proteins and how they interact with your body. These properties are: complete, fast-absorbing, and bio-available.
Complete Proteins
Complete proteins, simply put, are protein-rich foods that contain all the nine essential amino acids. Imagine a kitchen where you grow your own vegetables. If you can make your own greens, then your grocery bag should have more meat and fish. Likewise, we need to choose complete proteins, because they contain building blocks that our bodies cannot manufacture on their own.
Complete proteins can be found in fish, beef, chicken, milk, and eggs. As you might notice, they are more common in animal protein sources. But vegetarians can also get complete proteins from some plant sources, such as soy, quinoa, chia seeds, and buckwheat.
Another way of getting complete proteins from plant food sources is by food pairing. This is achieved by combining two incomplete proteins that provide all 9 essential amino acids when eaten together. A few plant food combinations that provide complete proteins are:
- Whole wheat bread and peanut butter
- Whole wheat pasta and peas
- Black beans and rice
- Lentils and almonds
- Fast-Absorbing Proteins
As the name suggests, fast-absorbing proteins quickly deliver amino acids to the muscle to help them with building and repair. Fast-absorbing proteins are the ideal type for post-workout drinks, as they can start muscle repair immediately.
This property often has something to do with protein structure. At the microscopic level, proteins are complex chains of molecules that are twisted and folded together. In general, fast-absorbing proteins have a simpler, less folded structure, which makes it easier for our body to break them down into amino acids. The free amino acids can then be used by the body to build whatever protein it needs at the moment.
One of the most common sources of fast-absorbing proteins is whey. Whey is a common source of protein for post-workout drinks, because of how quickly it is absorbed in the body. Some forms of whey protein powders are hydrolysed, which means that it has been partially broken down. This makes whey protein even much easily absorbed by the body. Hydrolysed whey protein is a great post-workout protein source for serious bodybuilders.
Bio-available Proteins
Bioavailability is the degree to which your body absorbs and uses protein. This property is a composite of many factors, such as the amino acid profile, the structure of the molecules, the amount of branched-chain amino acids, etc.
The ‘Biological Value’ is a measure of how effectively a protein is metabolized to be used by your body. According to clinical studies, eggs are the most bioavailable, naturally-occuring source of protein. In fact, the biological value scale is based on egg protein, with its value set at 100.
Another example of a naturally bioavailable protein is whey. Yes–aside from being complete and fast-absorbing, whey is bioavailable too. Natural whey sits at 95 on the BV scale, but its bioavailability can be further improved by processing. Whey concentrate has a BV of 104, while isolates and hydrosylates can even reach values beyond 110.
As you can see, not all proteins are created equal. Some proteins are more helpful in building muscle, thanks to their properties of being complete, fast-absorbing, or bioavailable. Knowing where your food choices stand among these criteria can help you plan your diet to help you see faster results.