Protein: The Most Important Building Block of Your Body
Most of you already know this and have certainly heard it from us many times. But sometimes you need, as I do, a fresh boost of motivation. Because everyday things that everyone already knows are easily forgotten in day-to-day life. We do not forget to breathe, because with oxygen things become critical after just 3 minutes, but with other essential things, where noticeable effects do not come so quickly, we all like to slack off from time to time. For example, with protein. And then you also read the exact opposite of what is true in social media and elsewhere, and suddenly you are unsure again. For more than 10 years we have been saying that without enough protein you cannot have any success in sport or in getting healthy. And what is the point of all the work of pur-life if the participants — that is, you, or all of us — do not have any success with it? Nothing. Without protein, everything is nothing. Without protein, it does not work.
Our body consists of protein. All the building blocks of our body that are produced in our body every single day with the help of DNA, so that our body can function at all, consist only of the 20 different amino acids. Twenty amino acids that make human life on this planet possible in the first place. And we need and use them every day. Logically, we have to supply them to our body.
Eight of these amino acids are essential — which means you have to eat them. The body cannot produce them itself. In that respect they are like vitamins. Our body needs them in order to function and to stay healthy or become healthy again.
Just like the other familiar vitamins, amino acids also have vital functions. That is why we always recommend eating enough protein, so that you have all the important amino acids. Sometimes, however, you may also want to make targeted use of some of the advantages of individual amino acids. Then you can take them individually and selectively improve individual functions. Here is a short list of some amino acids and their specific function in the body:
💉 Arginine — The Pump
A precursor of NO (nitric oxide), it causes vasodilation, improved blood flow, lower blood pressure, better muscle perfusion and the "pump" effect during resistance training. Important for muscle building.
⚡ Tyrosine — The Energiser
A precursor of dopamine, adrenaline and thyroxine (thyroid hormone). Important for alertness, attention, energy provision, fat burning and basal metabolic rate.
😴 Tryptophan — The Mood Booster
A precursor of serotonin, our happiness hormone. Mood enhancement, good sleep, cheerfulness.
💪 Valine, Leucine, Isoleucine — The BCAAs
Branched-chain amino acids. Main component of muscle protein. Important for muscle building and recovery.
🦷 Hydroxyproline — The Connective Tissue Firmer
Main component of collagen and connective tissue. Important for firm skin, firm connective tissue, joint cartilage, tendons and ligaments.
🛡️ Glutamine — The Immune Protector
Used in medicine for severe infections and intensive-care patients. Precursor of HSP (heat shock protein): improves stress tolerance in severe disease states.
All of these amino acids are available over the counter — in food or also as supplements. Individually or all together, for example in protein powder.
My TIP: 1500 mg tyrosine in the morning to help you feel fit, 1500 mg tryptophan in the evening to sleep well and wake up happy. The effect is noticeable. And completely harmless. None of it is a must, but if you want more — just try it.
Incidentally, protein does not lead to acidification. Amino acids are called acids because, when they are on their own, they have one hydrogen atom (H+) left over — this is where people often come across dangerous half-knowledge. When amino acids are linked together into protein molecules, these H+ ions are split off. Proteins are not acids. On the contrary: protein has a pH of 7.8 — so it is alkaline. And protein molecules are components of our buffer system. They therefore buffer acids.
How Much Protein Does My Body Need?
Now, as always, the big question is: HOW MUCH of it? For decades, the DGE has said (without taking current scientific studies into account) that a human being needs 0.8 g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. That was once measured at the start of the last century in resting (lying) humans. The question was: how much is lost each day? That much would have to be topped up. Well, unfortunately it was not taken into account that people also move, that they do sport, that some people have illnesses that waste the body's substance (= protein) or may perhaps be under stress. All of that increases protein requirements enormously. Newer studies have demonstrated this many times over.
Do we not want merely to top up the minimum that is lost while sitting or lying down, but perhaps also gain a few additional muscle cells? Do we want to burn more fat, change body shape or even strengthen the immune system, and even compensate for and heal illnesses (deficits of the body)? Then the minimum of 0.8 g/kg/day, which is just enough to vegetate, is not enough. For that we need at least 1.5 g of protein/kg/day, better 2 g/kg/day.
Here is a fine publication from the British Journal of Sports Medicine from 2018: a meta-analysis of 49 studies with a total of 1,863 participants. It examined the influence of protein on muscle gain through resistance training. The curve from the study shows average protein intake per day on the x-axis and muscle gain in kilograms after a series of resistance training sessions on the y-axis. Particularly exciting: at a protein intake of 1 g/kg/day (and that is still more than the DGE recommendation), muscle gain was ZERO.
As we can see in the graph, muscle gain rises with average protein intake per day. The higher the protein intake, the more muscle growth. Weeks of training, effort, exertion and the result with too little protein: zero. That demotivates even the last person who drags themselves to sport and training. If we want success, then we need PROTEIN — because once there is success after a few weeks, motivation will come all by itself and you keep going.
The daily protein requirement varies from person to person, depending on age, amount of movement, type of sporting activity and body composition. For an average adult, the daily amount of protein required is stated as 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. Children and pregnant women have increased requirements. For physically active people or manual labourers, the recommended daily amount is up to 2 g/kg/day.
0.8g
Minimum for sedentary adults
1.15g
Weight maintenance after diet
1.5g
Baseline for active people
2.0g
Optimal for sport and body change
If the daily necessary amount of protein is not met, breakdown (catabolism) occurs and thus loss of muscle mass, bone mass, and so on. If, however, you want to build up the body — muscles, bones, organs, the immune system — a higher intake of protein from food is indispensable.
For the body to be able to build structures and tissue, it needs an adequate amount of amino acids and proteins from food. The human body has a certain turnover of proteins per day: a certain amount is absorbed, metabolised, and a certain amount is also broken down again. Building up is referred to as anabolism, breakdown as catabolism. Protein contains nitrogen, which is excreted by the kidney in the form of urea. A balanced protein status is reflected in an equilibrium between the amount of nitrogen consumed and the amount excreted. Minimum balance may ensure survival, but not normal physical performance.
„Without protein there can be no success. No change in the body, no muscle gain, no health."
Protein Powder as a Source of Protein?
Many people have reservations about protein powder and shakes. But without protein in powder form, it becomes very difficult in the long term to cover our body's protein requirement.
An example: an adult who is physically active and weighs 70 kg therefore needs 2 g/kg/day of protein, which corresponds to 140 grams of protein per day. What this athlete would have to consume in the form of food as protein could look like this:
●
250 g lean meat (e.g. turkey breast) = 58 g
●
250 g low-fat quark = 30 g
●
200 ml low-fat milk = 7 g
●
200 g potatoes = 4 g
●
200 g wholemeal bread = 16 g
●
1 hen's egg = 7 g
●
150 g oats = 18 g
Total = 140 g
These are especially protein-rich foods. As you can see, it is not so easy to consume enough protein — and not everyone manages to eat all of that every day. There is also the danger that too much fat, carbohydrate and overall calories come along with the food. That is why it also makes sense to consume protein in the form of shakes, i.e. protein powder. Whey protein is particularly suitable for this. It is the highest-quality protein available.
My personal tip: I cannot drink protein shakes myself — it immediately makes me feel sick. Here is how I do it: 500 grams of Skyr, 30 grams of whey powder and 30 grams of collagen powder mixed in. And for flavour a few nuts or, particularly delicious (but naughty 😉), crunchy oats. That gives you 90 grams of protein in one go, covering well over half of your daily requirement very quickly.
Of course, there is also vegan protein powder for shakes. For snacks and for when you are out and about, protein bars are a good option. These too are available in vegan versions.
Which Foods Are Good Sources of Protein?
The best and highest-quality protein is whey isolate (pure microfiltered whey protein). This is the best protein with the highest proportion of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and has the best composition for targeted muscle building. And muscle is our best fat burner and the necessary prerequisite for reducing body-fat percentage, which benefits not only appearance, but above all health.
As supplemental nutrition, to reach daily protein requirements, we therefore recommend whey protein. This is available as a powder. 30 g of protein powder contain approx. 27 g of pure protein and no carbohydrates or fats (if mixed with water). Two such shakes of 30 g each per day, ideally before and after training, help to bring the athlete's protein requirement closer to the desired amount and support muscle building and therefore fat burning.
A small tip: anyone who does not want to use protein powder can, for example, take a tub of low-fat quark and mix it with fruit juice or a smoothie. This tastes very good and with 500 g of low-fat quark you already cover a good share of the requirement with 60 g of protein.
Are There Plant-Based Protein Sources for Vegans?
How well the body can process protein from a particular protein source is described as bioavailability. Since animal protein sources are more closely related to the human body, bioavailability is of course higher here. But plant proteins also consist of the 20 amino acids that the human body needs and can be broken down during digestion into these building blocks and utilised for tissue-building processes.
Plant-based protein sources are primarily pulses, such as beans, lentils, peas and soya. The latter, for example when processed into tofu, is a varied and protein-rich addition to the vegan meal plan. Various cereals and so-called pseudocereals also provide protein — examples include rice, oats, spelt, millet, amaranth and quinoa. However, care should be taken that, in attempting to cover your protein requirement from this source, you do not consume too many carbohydrates and therefore too many total calories. Nuts are another plant-based option, though here you should pay attention to the fat content — nuts should be regarded more as a supplement in the meal plan.
Is Plant Protein Better Than Animal Protein?
Proteins are large molecules composed of individual amino acids. That applies irrespective of whether they come from plant or animal sources. You can think of it as a kind of construction-kit principle — all proteins consist of different combinations of different amino-acid building blocks. Our DNA is nothing other than the blueprint for the composition of amino acids and the structure of the body's own proteins.
Proteins are therefore the building material of the human body. All organs, such as skin, muscles, bones, nervous tissue, internal organs (heart, lungs, kidneys, spleen, liver, gastrointestinal tract, immune system) consist of protein. These amino-acid building blocks can also be split by our body during digestion from plant protein sources and used to build new tissue.
The only negative effects described in some studies are purely retrospective and show negative effects only from animal protein, but not from plant protein. So it cannot be the protein itself, because amino acids are small chemically defined molecules. And they look exactly the same, whether they come from a pig or from a soya bean.
No one officially knows what causes it yet. But it seems likely that factory farming has nowadays pushed the quality of meat extremely in a negative direction, and that negative effects therefore arise from other ingredients in meat — more trans fats, more omega-6, less omega-3, hormones and so on. And because it is particularly important and is repeatedly misunderstood even by doctors and nutritionists:
„Protein and meat are NOT the same thing, just because meat contains a lot of protein."
Some authors do recommend an upper limit in the long term of 3.5–4 g/kg per day. But that is only a recommendation based on gut feeling — there are no studies for it. With 2 grams you are in the safe range. Most people will already have difficulty managing 2 g/kg.
Protein and Weight Loss?
Anyone who wants to lose weight wants to get rid of excess fat. To achieve this, fat burning must be increased and basal metabolic rate must be raised. Protein leads to muscle building. And muscle is our largest and most effective fat burner. The more muscle mass, the higher the basal metabolic rate — not only during sport, but also at rest. Fat burning increases, even at night while asleep.
Furthermore: protein does not make you fat. As shown above, protein is used to build body structures — muscles, bones, organs. The body therefore uses valuable protein only to a very small extent for energy provision, and is therefore hardly used at all to build fat. For that, the body makes abundant use of the fats and carbohydrates supplied with food.
Further advantages of a high-protein diet:
●
Reduction of body weight, fat mass and hip circumference. Benefits also demonstrated for diabetics in connection with resistance training.
●
Improved blood lipid values with a corresponding reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease. Lower blood levels of cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL, and improved glucose tolerance.
●
Higher basal metabolic rate, more fat burning.
●
Greater satiety through protein and therefore easier weight loss.,
A person remains hungry until the body has received the amount of protein it needs. So if you consume only fat and carbohydrates, you remain hungry and will consume even more of them, thereby accepting a marked increase in weight with all the health consequences. Protein makes you feel full.
If we give our body the amino acids that it urgently needs, the feeling of hunger also stops and we eat less overall. Anyone who wants to lose weight permanently cannot avoid protein. Here is another interesting study on the subject: the two amino acids lysine and tryptophan in particular increase satiety and help with weight loss.
Protein in Kidney Disease?
Protein is NOT nephrotoxic (damaging to the kidneys). We consist mainly of protein. Our genes, DNA, encode protein molecules. How can something we are made of, and the only thing our genes produce, namely protein, be harmful?
In people with the most severe renal insufficiency, many substances are no longer completely excreted by the kidneys — among them is urea, the breakdown product of protein. The breakdown product of protein is not fully excreted, like many other substances requiring urinary excretion. But from that you must not conclude that protein has a nephrotoxic effect — that is dangerous half-knowledge.
Protein does not raise uric acid. Uric acid is a breakdown product of purine bases. Purine bases are not proteins — more dangerous half-knowledge.
Basically, it can safely be said that in people with healthy kidneys, increased protein intake over a long period has no negative effect on kidney function. However, if kidney function is impaired, protein intake should, for safety reasons, not exceed the recommended amount of 0.8–1 g/kg/day. The type of protein consumed is important. A high-protein diet is simultaneously associated with increased phosphate intake — processed meats, cheese and fast food in particular contain a lot of phosphate. In renal insufficiency, an increased phosphate level in the blood already presents per se because of the kidney dysfunction, and a high phosphate level increases the risk of atherosclerosis.,
That is why we recommend protein intake with whey protein, as this contains little phosphate. Adequate, healthy protein intake is especially important in sick people, and in kidney disease a great deal of protein is lost via the kidneys, so a protein deficiency can quickly become a risk.
When it comes to phosphate in food, the best foods are fruit and vegetables, nuts, seeds and pulses. The unhealthiest are refined or heavily processed foods.
Quellen
1: Morton RW, Murphy KT, McKellar SR, et al. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. Br J Sports Med. 2018;52(6):376–384. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2017-097608.
2: International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2007 Sep 26;4:8.
3: Schmidt/Thews. Physiologie des Menschen, 26. Auflage.
4: A high-protein diet with resistance exercise training improves weight loss and body composition in overweight and obese patients with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2010 May;33(5):969–76.
5: Reduced body weight and adiposity with a high-protein diet improves functional status, lipid profiles, glycemic control, and quality of life in patients with heart failure: a feasibility study. J Cardiovasc Nurs. 2009 May-Jun;24(3):207–15.
6: Protein intake and body-weight regulation. Appetite. 2005 Oct;45(2):187–90.
7: Perceived hunger is lower and weight loss is greater in overweight premenopausal women consuming a low-carbohydrate/high-protein vs high-carbohydrate/low-fat diet. J Am Diet Assoc. 2005 Sep;105(9):1433–7.
9: Renal function following long-term weight loss in individuals with abdominal obesity on a very-low-carbohydrate diet vs high-carbohydrate diet. J Am Diet Assoc. 2010 Apr;110(4):633–8.
10: Can we influence the progression of chronic kidney disease? Urologe A. 2009 Jul;48(7):793–803.
