- Food supplements - usually in powder form, obtained from various products such as egg, milk, soy, some cereals, legumes etc;
- Fortified diet foods - such as yogurt, smoothies, meal replacements, shakes, etc.
- Intense and prolonged sport, especially strength or bodybuilding;
- Third age and tendency to sarcopenia;
- Disorders related to digestion and absorption;
- Combination of multiple factors, such as unbalanced diet and gestation or breastfeeding or development etc;
Note: it is important to underline that the goal of protein supplementation would be to increase above all the intake of essential amino acids.
For further information: Proteins , the quality of the proteins taken, the contemporary caloric intake, the physiological state and the physical activity carried out.
For those who train it is very difficult, if not impossible, to guess the necessary protein requirement, since each of us has a different physical and metabolic structure. C "it must be said that this value is not always so different among individuals who practice the same activity and who have a similar conformation. However, this doubt of variability is the basis of the collective tendency to exaggerate with the protein intake. greater awareness would allow to introduce only the necessary proteins.
For a sportsman, even of strength, it is totally useless to exceed an intake equal to 1.4-2.4 g / kg of real body weight. We also remember that proteins provide 4 kcal per gram and that excessive intake leads to a greater adipose deposit due to the conversion of amino acids into fatty acids.
For further information: Breakdown of Proteins: When to Take Them? , protein powders can be classified as follows:
- Whey protein (high biological value - VB = 100): obtained by ultrafiltration, with about 6% of fats and 80% of proteins; by microfiltration with values obtained of over 80% of proteins and 1% of fats; by ion exchange, the best in quality as they represent 90% of proteins and less than 1% of fats;
- Milk caseins (BV lower than the previous one, about 80): very satiating, as they absorb water and are slower to digest;
- Total milk proteins (VB 100): they have an average digestibility overall;
- Egg proteins (VB 100);
- Soy protein (BV less than 75);
- Proteins from other legumes (medium or low VB, do not have all the essential amino acids or have them in scarce quantities). It would be better to combine them with those of wheat or rice;
- Wheat and rice proteins (with an abundance of gluten, VB of about 50, therefore low).
Proteins of animal origin are considered the best.
