Protein, soy, whey, casein, glutamine, BCAA… the list goes on and all the jargon can get confusing. Protein powders have gained a huge following over the last decade and have become an essential part of the athlete and weight lifter diets. Sure, protein powder can increase muscle mass and aid in athletic performance, but non-athletes can also benefit from these popular products as well.
Like any other supplement we take, protein is treated the same way. Depending on your dietary goals, activity level, age, and gender, the recommended dietary guidelines for protein can vary. For example, according to the US Department of Agriculture, a sedentary, 50 year old female who weighs 140 pounds would have recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of 53 grams of protein per day. Use this easy online protein calculator to determine your personal needs.
The RDA is meant to reflect the most basic nutritional requirement, meaning the minimum amount needed to keep our bodies from getting sick– so not necessarily the definitive amounts we need each day. So, if 53 grams of protein per day is needed as a bare minimum for our 50 year old subject, the truth is she will probably need a little extra to maintain her health and daily vitality. Just to paint a picture, a 6 oz chicken breast contains about 52 grams of protein, so how do we make sure we are getting all the protein that our bodies demand? Enter: supplementation!
Protein powders range in all types of proteins and flavors, but Life Priority’s Whey of Life is made of 100% whey protein and is unflavored so it can easily be integrated into any beverage and/or meal. Before we examine the anatomy of a protein shake, step into our protein powder glossary as we explain the main ingredients and what they are responsible for.
Whey: a byproduct from the process of cheese making. Whey is the leftover liquid from curdled and strained milk. These proteins serve as an excellent source of protein.
BCAA: short for Branched Chain Amino Acids, BCAAs act in the stimulation of protein synthesis. Glutamine: the most abundant BCAA found in muscles.Leucine: BCAA found in muscles that plays a key role in protein synthesis.
L-glutamic Acid: helps the body generate glutamine.
Life Priority’s Whey of Life boasts 20 g of protein per serving. Coming from the freshest and richest source of milk in the US Midwest, the whey protein is 100% all natural. This protein source carries 4.371 g BCAAs, 1.982 g of which are Leucine. With 3.345 g of L-glutamic Acid, synthesis of glutamine is increased. Glutamine serves as the main BCAA in our muscle tissues so it is important that our diets and supplements are supporting the production of this amino acid. Whey of Life has just the right amount of natural protein needed to supplement your existing diet.
Some other protein powder products on the market can be made from other, un-natural protein sources and may not contain these key protein synthesis components so it is critical to make sure you are reading your labels. Additionally, these products often are geared to one group of athletes and can contain too much protein per serving than what your personal needs would require. A powerlifting athlete that is working out multiple times per day and looking to add bulk will intake much more protein than the average person, so knowing your individual requirements is necessary.
In general, most of us are failing our daily required amount so adding a protein shake a day to our regimen can be very beneficial for our muscle, red blood cell, immune, skin, and hormone health.
- 100% Natural Premium Whey Protein
- 20 g Protein
- 4.371 g Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA)
- 1.982 g L-Leucine : A BCAA specifically for muscle protein synthesis
- 3.345 g L-glutamic acid
