Egg white protein is available in many powdered and liquid forms for use on its own or as part of a protein shake. In powdered form, egg is usually isolated from the white of the egg (albumen). Egg is a complete protein, with a biological value of 100, and egg whites (albumen) have a biological…
Technically, alcohol (ethyl alcohol) is a nutrient. However, it is one of those nutrients which crosses over into the domain of psychotropic drugs, causing both agonistic and antagonistic effects. Alcohol largely has received largely a wholly negative reputation with regards to health and well-being. The various negative outcomes of alcohol consumption do not require overt…
Casein is the most abundant type of protein in cow’s milk, representing approximately 80% of the protein content. Caseinates exist as small spheres of 100-300µm in size, known as micelles. All types of caseinates contain a rich combination of essential and non-essential amino acids. However, it is important to note that caseinates contain a lower…
Vegetarian and vegan diets come under much scrutiny and disparagement from omnivores, even though much evidence points towards vegans being healthier than omnivores, so are there really any nutritional deficits in those diets and of so what are they? Carbohydrates Vegetarian and vegan diets are proportionately rich in fruits and vegetables, which are nutrient…
Developing lean muscle mass is an undertaking which requires a dedicated focus on nutrition and training. Vegan protein powders represent sports supplements which enable vegans to maintain their dietary requirements, in a quick convenient manner, whilst supporting the achievement of fitness goals. Traditionally, vegans face greater difficulty than their omnivore counterparts in reaching their daily…
Amino acids can affect the growth of muscle mass through several pathways. Arguably, the most important amino acids gaining muscle and performing optimally during exercise are the BCAA’s. There are three BCAA’s: leucine; isoleucine; and valine, which are named branched chain amino acids because their structure appears to look like a branch. BCAA’s are essential…
The quality of a protein relates to the proportion of consumed protein that can be used by the body, whilst minimising the proportion of protein which is oxidised and wasted. No protein is used 100%, and the amino acid profile of each type largely dictates that, proteins are not the same in their rate of…
Modern culture teaches us that foods should be consumed, which are low in fat. In fact, we are taught to believe that we should be consuming foods as low in fat as is possible in order to maintain low body fat levels. Fat has developed a negative reputation culturally, but not all fat is bad.…
Recovery is crucial to achieving goals. Recovery represents the beginning of improving physical capacity. Whilst muscles are stimulated during exercise, exercise itself is catabolic – meaning that it causes breakdown of tissue. Recovery begins with preparation for exercise. If there are sufficient glycogen stores before exercise is undertaken, they will not be completely depleted, which…
It is necessary to assign time to determining daily calorie requirements. There are several ways in which this can be carried out. The most simplistic method is to apply the Harris-Benedict Equation, which utilises the individual’s basal metabolic rate (BMR – the number of calories you burn at rest) then calculates daily activity factor in…