The right protein sources

 The Right Protein Sources

Protein quality can be measured in a number of ways. Most often you will hear the concept of bioavailability, which describes what percentage of the protein that you consume is actually absorbed into the bloodstream.

Another indicator of protein quality considers how much of the protein is composed of essential amino acids (which are those your body cannot make itself) and how much of the protein is composed of non-essential amino acids (which are those your body can make itself). Obviously, sources that are rich in essential amino acids are of higher quality in this sense.

In general, protein quality ranks from animal sources to plant sources. Here is a short list of common foods ranked by their protein quality according to the concepts I just mentioned, starting with the most quality sources first.

Whey Protein

1)(Cooked) Eggs

2)Beef and Pork

3)Chicken

4)Fish and Seafood

5)Soy Protein 

Complementary Plant Sources (e.g. beans and rice) Isolated Plant Sources (e.g. nuts or whole grains)

What this means is that, all other things equal, your fitness will be better if the proteins higher on the list predominate in your diet over the proteins lower on the list. But and this is a big but - don' go out and buy buckets full of whey protein powder while consuming nothing else.

First of all, the differences between the foods are very small and will make up only a few percent of diet success at the most. Second, there is nothing worse for your physical and mental health than a completely one-sided diet. For example, even though nuts aren't the highest quality source of protein, they are a great source of healthy fats and micronutrients. The same goes for other plant-based proteins or fish and seafood.

This also means that vegetarian athletes will see great results as long as they make sure to get their protein from a variety of plant sources to ensure they get enough essential amino acids through their diet.