Sports proteins began exclusively as options for those who needed to gain weight and for those who were high-performance athletes, however, over the years, it has become much more popular among people who start exercising regularly.

There are many types of proteins on the market and you can distinguish them as follows:

ANIMAL OR VEGETABLE BASE

Protein can be found in both animals and plants. The animal is a byproduct of cheese making, and has a very high protein quality, as it contains essential amino acids. The protein of vegetable origin comes from those legumes with the highest protein intake such as soybeans, beans, peas, among others. Although the protein content is high, the quality is not as high in amino acids.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CONCENTRATED AND ASYLATED PROTEIN

Whey protein is called concentrated protein that remains as a residue from cheese making and is dehydrated to become powder. In this concentrate is 80% protein, including whey and casein, and 20% carbohydrates and fats. Whey is made up of all water-soluble components of milk, including lactose, which can affect those who are intolerant.

In order to raise the protein percentage, a purification process is carried out, in which some carbohydrate and fat compounds are separated, leaving a minimum of 90% protein. This content is called protein isolate.

For proteins of plant origin, they are called in the same way, concentrated protein that is obtained from the dehydration of vegetables or legumes and is called protein isolate to which a purification process is applied to get at least 90% protein.

ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS

Amino acids are the small structures that makeup proteins and which, in the case of protein drinks, have the function of building muscle mass.

In the case of proteins of animal origin have more essential amino acids than those of plant origin, that is why we talk about protein quality when we refer to what it gives us in nutritional terms. Lysine, for example, is much easier to find in foods of animal origin because it is better bioavailable to be assimilated by our body.

The essential amino acids are histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine. Specifically, leucine, isoleucine, and valine, are branched amino acids, which means that they act together to make proteins, energy production, and immune system protection.

With this information, you can get an idea of ​​the protein content of the protein you consume, where it comes from and what it can do for your body.

Gangurde, H., Chordiya, M., Patil, P., Baste, N. 2011. Whey protein. Scholars Research Journal Vol 1, Issue 2.