PROTEIN.....
Most of us that exercise, know that protein helps build muscle....but how much do you REALLY know about protein, and what it can do ???

There are many, many, many functions to protein, that go WELL beyond just building muscle.....

First, bodybuilders and people who work out hard...(ladies too)...need to know, that building huge muscles is NOT a "high priority" function in the human body....which is why it is so tough to build muscle, and why it takes a long time to build a quality physique.....
Your body uses protein as an "energy source"...in the absence of carbohydrate, or in the instances of "not enough calories"....
Your bodies priority is SURVIVAL....not building muscle....and holding large amounts of muscle is VERY tough, if your diet is not very accurate, and very correct.

As soon as your calories drop too low, or if you do not have sufficient carbohydrate intake to support your muscles need for "glycogen"...the main energy source for the body....your body will start using the protein in your muscles to make up for it. It will burn fat also, but it WILL burn protein and sacrifice muscle.

BUT, as I said....protein does MUCH more than build muscle in the human body, which is why my opinion is that we need much more protein than is being talked about, if we want enough excess protein to build muscle.

Protein is 45% of the human body.....

Required for building and repair of body tissues (including muscle)
Enzymes, hormones, and many immune molecules are proteins
Essential body processes such as water balancing, nutrient transport, and muscle contractions require protein to function.
Protein is a source of energy.
Protein helps keep hair, skin, and nails healthy.
Protein, like most other essential nutrients, is absolutely crucial for overall good health.

Proteins are, the substances that "cause actions" in cells and in an entire organism. Without proteins the most basic functions of life could not be carried out.
Respiration, for example, requires muscle contractions, and muscle contractions require proteins.
Movement, the beating of your heart, your circulation....all caused by muscle contractions that require protein..

There are many, many different forms of proteins.....
Your immune system, and the enzymes that make your body function, are made up of proteins...
Proteins come in chains of amino acids, and some of the chains are up to 2000 "amino" molecules long...and are in ALL DIFFERENT combinations of "aminos"...

NOW, you can see why getting your protein from REAL FOOD is so important....as there is NO way we can artificially reproduce all the different chains and combinations of "aminos" that make up the protein molecules from nature.

The function of proteins as enzymes, is perhaps their best-known function. Enzymes are catalysts—they initiate a reaction between themselves and another protein, working on the molecule to change it in some way.....in fact, enzymes are known to be involved in over 4,000 bodily reactions.

It is almost impossible to estimate the total number of different proteins in nature. For example, in only just an "E Coli cell" about 3000 different proteins are known. 

Again....another BIG REASON why synthetic, man made proteins, cannot compare.....

The word PROTEIN, comes from Greek language, and means, "of primary importance".... and generally speaking.... proteins do everything in the living cells. All functions of the living organisms are related with proteins. Each protein or group of proteins are responsible for their own specific function, and own specific action.

The body is using protein for a myriad of things other than building muscle, things are much higher in importance than building muscle....
We must have enough circulating protein to support all of these functions.....AND....have enough left over to build the muscle we are working so hard for....

Which is why, in my opinion, it is imperative to get protein with every meal, and to try to ingest a steady supply of REAL FOOD PROTEIN, and minimize the supplements to just "after workout" for the protein powders.

There are many different classifications of what proteins do....
They are enzymes....
They are hormones....
They are "nutrient transporters"....
They are antibodies in our immune system.....
They are "structural components" of cells and tissues. (collagen for example)

As you can plainly see.....protein is a VERY important substance, NOT to be taken lightly.....

With all the possible TRILLIONS of amino-acid combinations, in all the different protein types....hopefully NOW you can see the importance of getting your protein from FOOD, as opposed to synthetic, man-made, IMPOSTERS of the actual proteins in nature.....

Keep supplements to a minimum.

It is VERY easy to get enough protein from REAL FOOD, and that is the preferred way to get, and absorb, all the correct forms of protein you need to function.

It is TOO IMPORTANT not too......

Do it for your health....
Do it for your body.....
And do it to have enough to build a little muscle on top of it.....

Now, go get it DONE...