fitness

(proteins)

Powder Power
The modern protein powder is much more
complex and effective
by samit gupta

Protein is the most important of the three macro

nutrients, the other two
being carbohydrates and fat.
Required for the structure,
function and regulation of the
bodys cells, tissues, and organs, each protein has unique
functions. It may serve as a
structural material (fibrous
protein, for example, keratin),
as enzymes, as transporter
(example, haemoglobin), as
an antibody (for immunity) or
as regulators of gene expression. Proteins are essential
components of muscles,
skin, bones and the body as a
whole. From the bodybuilders perspective, the most
important is building muscle
tissue, which is made up of
protein (actin and myosin). So,
its a simple fact that to build
muscle you must consume
adequate protein.
how much: The thumb rule
is one gram of protein per
pound of lean bodyweight
(i.e. 2.2 grams per kilo of lean
bodyweight)
how to consume: Spread it
out over five meals and consume equal portions in each
of them. Make sure your post
workout meal is a protein
shake. The other meals can
be whole food portions.
the meal: A meal in fitness
terms is not your convention-

Food
Egg 1 whole egg
Egg white
Chicken 100 gm
Pompfret 100 gm
Sardine 100 gm
Paneer 100 gm
Skimmed milk 200 ml
Soy 100 gm

al lunch, dinner or breakfast.

The concept of a meal here
is basically any portion of
food you consume after a
fixed interval of time. So, for
example, your evening snack
is considered a meal and
so is your post workout
protein shake.
for non-vegetarians: Eggs,
chicken, fish and lean meat
for vegetarians: Cottage
cheese, skim milk, soy,
sprouts, lentils and tofu

enter the modern protein

powder: Take the original

protein powder your mom

gave you in childhood, Use

value. Remember, protein

is a very expensive ingredient to produce and you get
what you pay for. Watch out
for smaller and lesser known
brands stating unbelievable
label values.
Check whether its a multi
source whey blend or
a single source isolate:
Multi-source whey blends
comprising a combination of
whey protein isolates as well
as concentrates are a better
bet than single source whey

whey blend which has whey

protein isolates (WPI) as the
primary protein source.
Check whether hydrolyzed
whey peptides (HYDROWHEY) is a part of the
formula: Check whether your
powder has these shorter
chains of amino acids called
whey peptides. These are
absorbed much faster than
regular WPC or WPI and
are highly desirable post
workout.
Digestive enzymes: Digestive
enzymes such as Aminogen
help digest your whey protein
better. Ensure that they form
part of your formula.
professional post workout
formulas: These are specific

products formulated for post

workout use. They include not
only protein, but all the other
nutrients you need after a
strenuous workout and that
too in the precise ratios.
multi-protein blends: In

tips for vegetarians:

Vegetarians will find it quite

difficult to meet their total
protein requirements (see
table) from food alone. A
good idea is to throw in a
scoop of a protein
powder such as
Protein
ONs ANY WHEY,
(In gm)
which is a flavour6
less cookable whey
protein, into your
3
dal, atta, oatmeal,
etc. to automatically
26
boost the inherent
18
protein content of
your foods. Alter21
natively, consume a
18
scoop of a protein
powder with every
7
meal.
36
protein supple-

Sprouts 100 gm

25

Lentils 100 gm

23

Tofu 100 gm

10

46 august 2009 MW

your school years? That was

the original protein supplement. Then came the bodybuilders with their hunger for
larger-than-life muscle mass
(a la Arnold Schwarzenegger) and scientists were left
scratching their heads as to
how to re-engineer their formulations to accommodate
these new demands.

ments defined:

Remember the milk

beverage your mom
forced down your
throat throughout

10x better protein sources,

subtract the carbs, fat and sodium, purify further , add rich
creamy flavours and bingo
you have you have the
modern day protein powder.
Types of protein
supplements:

whey protein powders: These

are ubiquitous all over the

place. But beware! All whey
protein powders are not
created equal. Heres how to
choose:
Brand reputation: A reputable brand will stick to label
claims for protein percentages. A lot of the newer and
lesser known brands will
exaggerate their label claim
values just to measure up
to the bigger brands while
offering very low prices, and
unsuspecting customers get
easily carried away thinking
they are getting a better

isolates. You not only get

a product at a much lower
price, but the other add-ons
in whey blends actually
end up producing a more
user-friendly product than
the overpriced single source
whey isolates.
Check whether whey isolates
are the primary source of
your whey blend: Although
the point described above is
true, beware of the majority
of whey blends which have
whey concentrates (WPC) as
the primary protein source.
These products end up adding whey isolates in very small
quantities just to make the
label look impressive. Go for a

addition to the all-important

whey protein, these also
include other protein sources
such as egg, milk and casein
to give a protein powder that
can be used at other times
of the day (such as between
meals, to replace a meal, preworkout).

meal replacements: These

contain high protein, moderate carbs and good fats along

with fiber and all other micronutrients (vitamins/ minerals)
to give you a nutritious meal
replacement alternative when
you are travelling.

night time protein powders:

Used at night before bedtime, they give a sustained

release effect throughout the
eight hours of your sleep.

Samit Gupta is the Managing Director of Neulife

Store and a specialist in performance nutrition.
You may send your queries on nutrition or bodybuilding to info@neulife.com