Hey guys!
A couple of months ago there was a survey on Boxrox about the quality, taste and source of a protein that you would actually like to drink on a daily basis. You may have already seen that Scitec Nutrition’s WoD Crusher is out with its protein product called Protein Recovery, customised to your basic needs.
PROTEIN RECOVERY
Protein Recovery has a flat 20 g protein amount per serving and has 2 different delicous flavors (Chocolate and Vanilla). The source is whey protein (concentrate and isolate) mixed up with some amino acids (L-Glutamine, L-Leucine and Taurine) and digestive enzymes (bromelain and papain) for better digestion and faster protein (amino acids) absorption.
This is all great news! Some of you might ask why Scitec Nutrition’s WoD Crusher has not chosen a different source; for example rice protein that is used nowadays more and more often in sports nutrition supplements. Others might say soy, egg, or even hemp or pea would sound promising.
From a theoretical point of view, I might know the answer for their choice.
HOW WE ABSORB AND USE PROTEIN
Determination of the nutritional effciency of protein in the diet is, in most cases, based on estimating the extent to which dietary protein nitrogen is absorbed and retained by the body, and is able to balance daily nitrogen losses.
- Net Protein Utilisation (NPU) is the percentage of ingested nitrogen that is retained in the body.
- Biological Value (BV) gives the percentage of absorbed nitrogen that is retained.
Biological Value is the product of NPU and digestibility. However, since whole egg (the best whole food source of protein content) was originally set as the protein digestibility standard, it is possible for processed protein sources like whey protein concentrate to exceed this value. Whey protein has good digestibility and amino acid composition, thus it’s Biological Value is great compared to other dietary protein sources such as meat, fish, eggs or soy.
However, according to the Food and Agriculture Association and the World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) there are 2 more metrics that describe the quality of a protein source, as determined by its essential amino acid composition and the digestibility and bioavailability of its amino acids. So, altogether the four of them are:
- Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER)
- Biological Value (BV)
- Net Protein Utilization (NPU)
- Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS)
THE EFFICIENCY OF PROTEIN
Protein Efficiency Ratio determines protein quality by measuring animal growth. In this rating, rats are fed a test protein and are measured for weight gain vs. every gram of consumed protein. This value is then compared to a standard value of 2.7, the value corresponding to casein protein’s effect on growth. Any value higher than 2.7 indicates an excellent protein source. This metric is a bit outdated, cause the growth in rats does not strongly correlate to human growth.
Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) measures protein quality based on human essential amino acid requirements and our ability to digest it. PDCAAS is currently considered the most reliable score of protein quality for human nutrition. The test protein is compared to a standard amino acid profile and is given a score from 0-1, with a score of 1.0 (maximum amino acid digestibility).
- The most common protein supplement, whey protein (concentrate and isolate) receives 1.0 score
- Meat and soybeans (0.9)
- Vegetables and other legumes (0.7)
- Whole wheat, rice and peanuts (0.25-0.55) all provide diminished protein digestibility
THE QUALITY OF PROTEIN
As you can see different protein sources are not created equal. The quality of a protein, its amino acid composition and absorption tendencies are all important when choosing the right protein source. As far as I can see, Scitec Nutrition’s WoD Crusher line made a pretty good job with Protein Recovery!
PROTEIN RECOVERY is an excellent quality whey protein blend with whey concentrate and whey isolate. Dietary proteins are the source of nitrogen and indispensable amino acids, which the body requires for tissue growth and maintenance. Therefore PROTEIN RECOVERY contributes to the growth and maintenance of muscle mass, and also to the maintenance of normal bones.
Whey protein from milk is a so-called complete protein, because it provides the body with all the necessary types of amino acids, including the 9 amino acids the body cannot synthesize and must be supplied by the diet (Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan, Valine). PROTEIN RECOVERY has more added components: an “Amino Acid Matrix” that provides popular extra amino acids, namely L-Leucine, L-Glutamine and Taurine. Also, the digestive enzyme blend of Papain and Bromelain is included in the formula!
And when to use it? It is up to you! Some like to use it in the morning with oatmeal as a day-starter, others like to drink 1-2 servings before going to bed so that they will digest and ingest amino acids even when sleeping. You know what? Buy one and decide for yourself!
Featured image (C) RX’d Photography
Images (c) Scitec