Protein is considered the most important nutrient in sport when it comes to building muscle, body definition and increasing strength. The range of protein shakes, protein bars and amino acid supplements is therefore growing all the time. For many sports enthusiasts, the motto seems to be: A lot helps a lot. But is that true? Or can too much protein be harmful?

Protein is an energy-providing nutrient (4 kcal per gram) that is needed in the body for many important functions:

• Building enzymes, hormones and substances in the immune system
• Component of structural elements (actin and myosin) in the muscles and in tendons (collagen)

The various protein structures are built up by the body itself from 20 amino acids. Eight amino acids are essential, i.e. indispensable, and must be obtained from food. The remaining twelve amino acids can be produced by the body itself, provided the starting substances are available (especially cysteine and tyrosine). Histidine is only essential for infants.

Essential amino acids
Isoleucin1 Leucin1 Valin1	Lysin Methionin Phenylalanin	Threonin Tryptophan

¹ Branched-chain amino acis (BCAA)

Non-essential amino acids
Alanin Arginin Asparagin	Asparaginsäure Glutamin Glutaminsäure	Glycin Prolin Serin	Histidin2 Cystein2 Tyrosin2

^{2 conditionally essential}

Protein in food & requirements

Protein is found in both plant and animal foods:

• Animal protein sources: Meat, fish, dairy products, eggs
• Plant protein sources: Cereal products, pulses, nuts and seeds

Protein is therefore present in many different foods, so that the protein requirement of healthy adults (0.8 g per kg body weight according to D-A-CH reference values) can be easily met.

Protein requirements in sport

In sport, the protein requirement is increased due to the increased energy metabolism and the breakdown processes in the muscles caused by intensive physical exertion. It is not only the quantity of protein that is decisive, but above all the quality of the protein. In principle, animal protein is of higher quality for the body, as the amino acid composition corresponds better to human body protein.

Vegetable protein has a lower content of essential amino acids, meaning that larger quantities must be consumed in order to achieve a similar effect. However, the protein quality of vegetable protein sources can also be improved through targeted food combinations (e.g. cereals with beans, beans with maize). Pulses should therefore be included in the diet several times a week as a source of protein.

Regardless of the type of sport, the protein requirement for sport is

1.3 to 1.8 g protein per kg body weight.

For an athlete weighing 80 kg who completes 5 training sessions per week, this corresponds to a requirement of 104 to 144 g of protein. Half of this should be obtained from plant-based foods (bread, pastries, pasta, rice, nuts, seeds), the rest can be obtained from animal-based foods and pulses. In this case: 52 to 72 g.

To make it easier to estimate and plan your protein intake from these foods, animal foods and pulses are calculated as so-called ‘protein portions’:

1 protein serving (10 g of protein) equals:
meat, fish, ham	50 g
egg	1 piece
dairy products milk jogurt 1% fat Skyr  0-2 % fat lean pot, cottage cheese cheese 35 % / 45 % F.i.T.	300 ml 250 g 100 g 100 g 30 / 40 g
pulses chickpeas, kidney beans tofu sojadrink, soja jogurt	120 g 80 g 300 ml

These protein portions should be divided into three to four meals.

A protein intake of 0.2 to 0.3 g of high-quality protein per kg of body weight per meal is ideal.

In the case of the example, this means

• With 3 meals a day: 0.3 g protein per kg body weight per meal = 24 g protein per meal (=2-2.5 protein portions)
• With 4 meals a day: 0.2 g protein per kg bw per meal = 16 g protein per meal (=1.5 protein portions)

A higher protein intake per meal is not advisable, as from 40 g there is talk of a ‘muscle-full effect’ and the excess protein is not used to build muscle, but is channelled into energy production and also into fat storage. An extremely high protein intake over a longer period of time is also not advisable due to possible strain on the kidneys, which are responsible for excreting protein breakdown substances.

Protein timing

Three to four meals a day are ideal to provide the body with sufficient protein. One of these meals should be planned as a post-workout meal within 30 to 60 minutes after training, at the latest three to four hours afterwards. The last meal, which should also contain protein, should be eaten shortly before going to bed. This provides optimum support for muscle protein synthesis, which is active for 24 to 48 hours after training. Those who do not sleep well on a full stomach should eat their last meal two to three hours before going to bed so as not to impair regeneration during sleep.

While quickly available protein is recommended after training – especially whey protein, but pea protein or pumpkin seed protein are also possible – slow-digesting protein (casein, soya protein) should be used before going to bed.

You do not necessarily have to use protein powder to utilise these different protein sources. Dairy products contain whey protein and casein and can therefore contribute to the protein supply:

Dairy product	Protein share
milk	80 % Casein, 20 % Whey
greek jogurt 0-2 % fat	higher whey proportion than milk
cheese, cottage cheese, curd	casein

Vegetable protein sources, especially pulses, nuts and seeds, also provide the muscles with sufficient protein.

Vegetable protein sources	Average protein content in g per 100 g
Cooked chickpeas	9
Cooked lentils	8
Cooked soja beans	15
Nuts	20
Seeds	30
Oats	13
Amaranth	14

Source: ÖNWT

Due to the lower protein quality of plant-based foods, when eating a plant-based diet, it is particularly important to eat several protein-rich foods throughout the day and to combine them with each other in order to achieve a suitable average daily amino acid profile. In this way, muscle building can also be optimally supported with a plant-based diet.

Protein + carbohydrates

Not only a sufficient protein intake after training is necessary for an increase in performance, but also an adapted carbohydrate intake. Carbohydrates increase the insulin level in the blood, which reduces catabolic, i.e. degrading body processes caused by intensive training. At the same time, this improves protein uptake into the muscle cells.

Meal	Time	Food	Protein
1.    Meal	08 am	oatmeal with 100 g skyr and berries	1 protein portion
2.    Meal	12 pm	chickpea curry with wholewheat rice salad with linseed oil	1 protein portion
	3 pm	training
3.    Meal	4:30 pm	High-Protein-Oats Ingredients: ·        100-150 ml water ·        100 g Greek jogurt 2% fat (1 protein source) ·        20 g Alpenpower® Whey-powder Vanille (1,5 protein sources) ·        40 g oats ·        berries	2.5 protein portion
4.    Meal	7 pm	150 g Kräuter-Hüttenkäse mit Gemüsesticks und Vollkornbrot	1,5 protein portion

Summary:

• Protein requirement: 1.3-1.8 g protein per kg body weight regardless of the type of sport
• Cover half of this with vegetable protein and the rest with animal protein and pulses
• Divide your protein intake into 3-4 meals per day
  30 to 60 minutes after a workout, consume rapidly available protein (0.2-0.3 g per kg body weight) and carbohydrates

More information about BCAAs (Branched-chain amino acids) awaits you in the next blog post.