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Protein

A bunch of notes on protein that I've accumulateed from various sources.

Sources

Notes

  • Protein in the body is not just used to buld muscles. It is a core component in a bunch of other things that the body needs including enzymes and hormones.
  • Proteins are made up of 20 basic Amino Acids. 11 of them are non-essential meaning the body can synthesize them from fats and carbs. The rest 9 are essential amino-acids as the body can not make them.
  • Whatever protein we consume, the body breaks down everything into its constituent amino-acids and absorbs them. So the source of the protein does not really matter.
  • A normal person needs about 0.8gm/kilo of body weight. This value is good for someone doig recreational exercise.
  • For a regular gym-goes this is jumps to 1.2 - 1.4 g/kg
  • For active boyd-building and maintenance after body-building this is even higher; 1.4 - 2.0 g/kg
  • For ultra endurance athletes this ranges from 1.2 to 2.0 g/kg. (the range is large because these athletes typically end up using proteins for fuel as well)
  • How much protein needed to grow 10kg muscles in a year ?
  • Muscles are 70% water, so about 3kg protein (assuming 100% conversion)
  • That is roughly 10gm of extra protein a day.
  • We store about 1kg of glycogen in the body
  • Protein can not be stored. What happens to extra protein depends on other macros. Assuming excess protein intake, how the excess protein gets processed depends on the overall calorie situation of the body
  • First the excess protein gets deaminated. The Amino group (NH3) gets removed leaving behind a Keto group (carbon skeleton). The Amino group gets coverted into urea by the liver and then its pissed out.
  • If you are in a calorie deficit then
    • the excess protein (or the carbon chain) gets burned (oxidized) for energy (ATP). This is the Krebs Cycle.
    • If the body needs to maintain blood glucose levels, then it gets converted to glucose. This is Gluconeogenesis.
  • If you are in calorie surplus then
    • Since the body's immediate energy needs are met, the body stores the excess protein as fat. This is caleld Lipogenesis.