What is the biological value of protein?

Article provided by the site fotos.ua.
2014-05-26

Everyone knows what protein is and that it is beneficial for muscle growth (and even for fat reduction). Protein is the building material of the body, and it needs to be consumed every day. It also repairs muscle tissue, which is especially important after workouts when the muscles are damaged. If you want serious results in sports, you cannot do without protein.

The other two types of macronutrients – carbohydrates and fats – are sources of energy, much like gasoline for a car. Carbohydrates also deliver glycogen to muscle cells.

Now that we have learned the basics about each macronutrient, let’s talk more specifically about protein and how to choose it properly.

Choosing a Protein Source

Many people, especially beginners, think that all proteins are the same. Some believe they get enough protein from products like nuts, oats, rice, and potatoes. While these foods do contain protein, they should not be the main source of protein, and here's why.

First, to meet the daily protein requirement, you would need to eat a lot of these foods. This is extremely difficult. And even if you manage to do it, you will also consume an excess calories that will inevitably lead to obesity.

Second, proteins consist of essential and non-essential amino acids. Most of the aforementioned protein sources are not "complete." This means they lack some essential acids required by the body. Essential amino acids are those that our body cannot produce on its own, so they must be obtained from food. They play a crucial role in muscle recovery and growth. A deficiency of these will immediately result in a lack of progress, no matter how much we train.

Third, you need to assess an important factor called biological value (BV).

Biological value is a parameter that determines how effectively the body can utilize protein. It depends on the amino acid composition of the protein and its digestibility.

This means that the fewer amino acids are in the protein and the poorer it is absorbed, the lower the BV will be. Conversely, the higher the BV will be if the protein has a complete amino acid profile and is well-absorbed. Below is a table of several commonly used products.

Conclusion

In practice, you can even disregard the protein content in foods with low biological value. It’s better to categorize them into other groups – sources of carbohydrates and fats. It is advisable to count only those proteins obtained from sources with high BV (they are listed at the top of the table). If you want to gain muscle, you should particularly focus on such products and supplements.