What are protein supplements?

Protein supplements are substances made in laboratories for replacing meals and daily needs for proteins. They come in different shapes such as pills, powders, shakes, bars and other.

Several researches done in the past have proven that there is no biological advantage in consuming individual amino acids. Some people take them because of the claim that they are absorbed more quickly and effectively. However, this isn't true. The body’s digestive system was primary designed to consume and utilize proteins in whole foods, and it has plenty of enzymes to break down proteins for the needs of the body.

Not all protein supplements are the same.
Protein supplements can be made from a few different sources of protein.

These include:

• milk protein
• egg protein
• soy protein

The better a protein is absorbed by the body the higher the Biological Value the protein is said to have.

Biological value of proteins

This test measures the amount of protein retained in the human body per gram of protein absorbed. –When this system was introduced for the first time, a whole egg was at the top of the chart representing the food in which 100% of protein is absorbed. Latest discoveries have proven that whey is a better source of protein than an egg and it actually scores higher than 100. So, today BV is a number which lets you compare different types of protein.

Here is the BV of some common foods:

When is the best time to take a protein supplement?

Of course, this depends on the type of diet and when you are eating foods rich in protein. Here is some advice on when it is best to take a protein supplement:

• Right after a workout - this is when your body goes into a stage of recovery and growth. Having the amino acids that make up the protein is the primary goal at this point.
• First thing in the morning - because your body has just gone though 8 hours (or however long you slept for) of not having food - so the protein levels are way down.
• Before you go to sleep - this helps prevent the protein breakdown that naturally occurs when we sleep. If you are not trying to build muscle mass then this protein breakdown is fine. But if you are working out, you want to try to minimize any loss you suffer when you sleep and your protein metabolism slows down.