Do you value a varied and healthy diet? Then you have probably already dealt with the topic of the different protein building blocks. In this article we will introduce you to protein drinks and give you tips on how you can easily mix drinks with lots of amino acids yourself. These are an often underestimated and very advantageous way to supply your body with high-quality protein building blocks.
The aminos form, among other things, the smallest unit of protein. Many of these building blocks are not just the material basis of our body tissues.
In addition, each
amino acid has countless other tasks to fulfill in our body. The question regularly arises as to how the need for valuable protein building blocks can best be met. Special living situations and
diets can increase the need for valuable protein, as can intensive physical activity.
Cover your protein needs through food
When we talk about
protein building blocks , we often mean the essential representatives of this group of substances. While the
organism synthesizes
non-essential amino acids itself, the essential ones must be contained in the diet. A third group is made up of building blocks that are formed in some phases of life but must be absorbed in others. These are called
semi-essential amino acids .
The essential building blocks
- Isoleucine
- Leucine
- Lysine
- Methionine
- Phenylalanine
- Threonine
- Tryptophan
- Valine
Together with other substances, they also form the basis of the
non-essential building blocks . The distinction between non-essential and essential does not represent an assessment of the importance of the individual amino acid. For example,
arginine (semi-essential) determines the functionality of many physical processes.
It is a characteristic of
protein building blocks that they are in constant conversion processes. They not only transform into other protein building blocks and the body's own protein, but also into messenger substances, hormones and other substances that are indispensable for us.
Against this background, the need for protein building blocks can vary from person to person. Factors such as body weight, physical and psychological stress, age and
general health play a role. What is particularly interesting about the essential building blocks is that they can be converted particularly effectively into the body's own protein.
Who needs how much?
Recommendations for daily protein intake range between 0.8 mg and up to 1.4 mg/kilogram body weight. These requirement values do not say anything precise about the extent to which which protein building blocks are contained.
The
World Health Organization (WHO) has developed its own recommendations in mg per kilogram of body weight for the
intake of essential protein building blocks :
- Isoleucine 20 mg
- Leucine 39 mg
- Lysine 30 mg
- Methionine 15 mg
- Phenylalanine 25 mg
- Threonine 15 mg
- Tryptophan 4mg
- Valine 26 mg
When is an additional requirement for amino acids necessary?
The value of around
0.8 mg/kilogram body weight corresponds to an average value of the intake recommendation. Therefore, the need may vary and increase in some life situations. For athletes, these values range up to 1.4 mg.
It is also underestimated that not only physical strain, but also stress can lead to additional needs. The stress hormone
cortisol promotes the breakdown of the body's own protein. This is possible because the hormone breaks down the protein (again) into its protein building blocks. Seniors often experience a slowdown in many physical processes. You may therefore also benefit from more protein in your diet.
Vegans and vegetarians should keep an eye on the protein content of their food. In many cases, animal foods in particular contain
essential amino acids in sufficient quantities and in the correct ratio to one another.
When it comes to plant foods, there are protein-rich representatives such as almonds. However, it may happen that one or another amino acid is not present in sufficient quantities. For this reason, when avoiding animal foods, you should pay attention to combining different plant protein sources. This may require a good knowledge of food and its composition.
Protein-rich foods
For most people, the first thing that comes to mind when they hear the word protein is protein
- eggs,
- Meat,
- Fish
- and dairy products
a.
What is less known is that
almond flour and lentils contain a higher percentage of protein than whole milk (56% and 33% to 20%). In the
European Union , these definitions have been agreed upon when assessing the protein content of foods:
Foods have a high protein content if the protein content accounts for at least 20% of the total calorific value. Foods that make up at least 12% of the total calorific value are considered a source of protein.
Protein supply during a diet
At first glance, there are a lot of different foods and food combinations that are a source of protein. Nevertheless, many people are looking for a safe, tasty and easy way to reliably cover their
protein needs at all times. This applies above all to athletes, but also to some other groups of people.
For example,
protein supply is a very important factor during a reduction diet. Anyone who has ever had to deal with the infamous yo-yo effect may know the connections.
If not enough protein is consumed during a reduced calorie intake as part of a diet, the body attacks its own protein. The body's own protein is mainly found in the muscles. But it is our muscles that burn energy. If muscle loss occurs during a diet, our body's
calorie needs decrease. If the
calorie intake is increased again after the diet, the body burns less. This inevitably leads to an increase in the scale.
Protein is also interesting for people who want to lose weight because protein can be used to change the metabolism. Our body is able to generate energy in different ways. The typical and easiest option for our body is to obtain energy from sugar (carbohydrates). The brain in particular relies on an intensive intake of sugar for its supply.
Losing weight with amino acids can therefore achieve success.
Energy supply from protein in the keto diet
Since this metabolism is predominant, many people do not know that the body can also obtain energy from fats. This process is the basis of the current
keto diet . This special diet relies on a greatly reduced intake of carbohydrates. Protein has a key function here. There are certain protein building blocks that form so-called keto bodies. These
ketone bodies are the basis for producing energy from fats.
If you would like to reliably supply your body with enough good
amino acids , then the question arises as to how. You may not want to eat eggs, milk, or meat for various reasons. Or maybe you're just looking for a tasty, easy-to-digest solution to your protein supply. A
protein drink can be a great alternative, and not just for athletes.
Sports drinks for the liquid absorption of protein
Athletes have long sworn by consuming liquid proteins. For example, you consume these before or after training to promote
muscle building . These types of drinks often contain three specific protein building blocks,
branched-chain amino acids , known by the abbreviation BCAA. Behind it are
leucine, isoleucine and valine . This amino trio is said to be able to promote muscle building, among other things.
Why drinks with lots of amino acids are ideal?
Athletes love the liquid
amino acid proteins because they can consume it as a drink before exercise without putting any strain on the body. The aminos in liquid form are regularly absorbed more easily and quickly by the body. In high-quality products based on
protein powder, the aminos have already been broken down. They are absorbed into the blood within about 20 minutes.
That's why athletes like to use a finished product or mix one themselves from powder.
Protein powder as a basic variant
Drink powders with protein are also used for calorie-reduced diets. They usually contain all
essential amino acids in sufficient quantities. They are a simple way to prevent muscle loss during a diet and thus the dreaded yo-yo effect. At the same time, they have the advantage that they keep you full for a certain period of time and can therefore be used as a meal replacement to help reduce your calorie intake.
Drinks with lots of amino acids are now available in a wide variety of forms. If you pay attention, you will find cans, small bottles with ready-made
protein drinks , as well as a wide range of powders for drinking.
Not everyone likes the composition of some of these products. A majority contains sugar, sweeteners and artificial flavors. In addition, ready-mixed products in cans or bottles often do not contain preservatives.
The protein sources for the powders also differ significantly. Some products use combinations of soy and milk proteins, others have a purely plant-based basis, for example with pea protein.
Quite a few users prefer a
neutral powder base like amino4u , which can be used in different forms of nutrition.
Check out our delicious recipe for the heavenly
Coco Berry Shake . Protein-rich, fruity and with a touch of Caribbean flair!
Alternatives to powder
In fact, there are countless ways to make tasty mixed drinks with enough protein without powder. There are hardly any limits to the imagination and
possible variations .
Mixed food eaters and vegetarians who consume dairy products have a particularly large selection of drinks. For example, you can
- milk
- Quark
- yogurt
- cream cheese
- cream
Make your own fresh
protein drink with other various extras. Examples of suitable fruit include bananas, mangoes and, above all, berries. Berry fruits are particularly interesting for people who want to keep the natural sugar content of the finished protein drink as low as possible. Bananas and
mangoes have a high natural sugar content and therefore taste very good to many people.
If you want to increase the vegetable content of a homemade protein drink, you can use almonds and hemp seeds, for example. Almonds combined with plant-based milk such as coconut milk, soy milk and oat flakes represent a high-quality combination of plant-based protein sources for mixed drinks.
Protein drinks can be made from unprocessed food ingredients. However, by combining different foods, it is not possible to reliably say how high the proportion of different aminos is. This may sometimes be a bit unsatisfactory, especially for a sports drink where, for example, the supply of
BCAAs is important. Here, a high-quality protein powder is a good to better choice for your protein drink.
High-quality powder as a basis
Valuable and high-quality powder products do not require any additional additives and, ideally, no flavors. They offer an ideal composition of various aminos, for example all essential representatives of this group of substances in the ideal amount and combination.
These neutral powders can be processed with other ingredients such as fruit to create a wide variety of drinks. Only protein sources of plant origin are used in particularly high-quality protein powders. This means that all diet types can benefit from these products. Today, the decisive factor for the value of a protein powder is the
protein value . This describes how intensively the aminos contained are converted into the body's own proteins.
If this value is too low, unused protein building blocks burden the liver and kidneys with nitrogen waste. In this context, increased uric acid is formed. In high-quality protein products, the amino acid build-up value reaches up to 99%. There are generally no negative consequences of protein intake.
Drinks with lots of amino acids in a variety of options
Protein-rich
mixed drinks are a varied alternative to ensure the supply of valuable protein building blocks. They can be combined in a variety of ways with countless typical foods alone or in combination with a high-quality protein powder. They taste good and are particularly well absorbed by the body.
