Protein is a very large nutrient that’s made up of smaller substances called amino acids and they are one of the most important substances in your body that helps to repair and maintain your body tissues.

For example, our muscles are formed from an intricate matrix of protein fibers. Every flex, every bench press, and every movement of our muscles is the result of these protein fibres working in synchronicity. These muscle fibres are in a high state of dynamic motion in athletes and active individuals as they are constantly broken down and rebuilt during exercise. After intense workouts, the body is starved for protein, and in the absence of additional protein intake, the body may start to leach protein away from muscles, thus athletes and active individuals have higher requirements of protein, as the body needs the building blocks to recover from this muscle damage and initiate the process of building new muscle.

Supplementation with a suitable and complete protein source helps hinder this breakdown of muscle protein, enabling individuals to retain and build lean muscle mass and promotes adaptations in response to training and facilitates the replenishment of energy stores and glycogen in muscle post-exercise. Additional protein intake is also key to comprehensive muscle recovery after endurance activities – studies have shown that protein aids in the repair of muscle damage induced by high-intensity exercise [1].

Now, we know that builders and athletes need extra protein to cope with body requirements. But our body is not equipped to naturally break down and optimize the large amounts of protein. Excess protein that goes undigested in the small intestines could move into the colon where bacteria will break it down, creating ammonia that is difficult to neutralize and may build up over time. And while the body can handle small amounts of ammonia, large amounts of protein can produce more ammonia than the body can handle on its own, leading to compromised immune systems and even cell damage. Some common symptoms associated with undigested protein include gas, bloating, and diarrhea. The solution lies with enzymes that can break down food particles into an appropriate size for digestion. The problem is that enzymatic activity naturally decreases with age. Today’s diet is largely devoid of enzyme activity since enzymes are typically destroyed by food preparation and processing techniques that involve high temperatures. Supplementation with enzymes is one way to meet the digesting demands of high protein.

Unived Pea Protein Isolate offers a complete source of protein with natural digestive enzymes to make sure that the protein is easily digested and available to the body for absorption and utilization.

References:

1. Protein Supplementation in Athletes, httpp://www.sportsmd.com/sports-nutrition/protein/protein-supplementation-athletes.