Food facts Protein The supreme discipline of protein is also the most widely known: muscle building and muscle maintenance. If you want to build muscle, you have to do sport. Even the best diet cannot change that. If the sporting activity is sufficiently intense and stimulates the muscles to the right extent, the muscle fibres will grow in thickness. This growth can be enhanced by smart nutrition with sufficient protein. For maximum muscle growth during intense exercise, we should take several servings of about 20 to 25 g of protein throughout the day. Most research shows that whey protein is the best source of protein for this purpose. Milk contains two main proteins: casein (80%) and whey protein (20%). Their effect on the body is different. Whey protein is digested more quickly and supports muscle building better during targeted training. In sports, therefore, the advantage is whey protein. The protein requirement of humans depends primarily on age. Health authorities such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) have long recommended an amount of 0.8 g per kilogram of body weight for adults. Today, many experts consider a somewhat higher amount of around 1.0 g per kilogram of body weight to be reasonable. In any case, it is better to take protein in portions throughout the day rather than all at once. Athletes have a higher protein requirement than people who do little exercise. They need additional protein during heavy training to support repair and recovery processes after training. Depending on the type of sport and the amount of exercise, the protein requirement is 10–70% higher than the average value for non-athletes. Calories There are sometimes theories that are obviously not really true. One of them is the statement “One calorie equals one calorie”. Whether a calorie comes from carbohydrates, fats or proteins, it is supposed to have the same effect on body weight. For this to be true, carbohydrates, fats and proteins would have to trigger the same reactions in the body. However, this is demonstrably not the case. For example, protein increases calorie consumption after a meal more than carbohydrates or fats. Sugar Our main sources of energy are carbohydrates and fats. The most common carbohydrates in terms of quantity are starch in cereals and potatoes and household sugar. Too many carbohydrates lead to a constant production of the hormone insulin in the pancreas. One of the consequences of this is that the breakdown of body fat is strongly inhibited. And over time, the risk of various diseases of civilisation such as diabetes or fatty liver also increases. Less sugar is a sensible thing to do for many of us. Chiefs® products contain no added sugar. Only the milk and whey ingredients used and the processed fruits contain small amounts of their natural sugar. Lactose Lactose (milk sugar) is an important source of energy for babies. However, as soon as we stop drinking milk, we normally lose the ability to utilise lactose. We become lactose intolerant. Worldwide, about two-thirds of adults are thought to be lactose intolerant. The prevalence and severity of lactose intolerance varies from country to country and from person to person. Our Chiefs® Milk Protein Drinks and Protein Puddings are lactose-free and therefore well tolerated by lactose intolerant people. Carbohydrates Lower Carb is an English term and means “lower carbohydrate”. Carbohydrates are the main sources of energy in our body. They include, in particular, household sugar and starch. As early as the 19th century, the Englishman William Banting discovered that a lot of bread and flour makes you fat. Today we know it a little better. When carbohydrates are consumed, the blood sugar level in the body rises. As a counter-reaction, the pancreas releases the hormone insulin. The good: insulin normalises the blood sugar level. The bad thing: At the same time, insulin suppresses the breakdown of body fat. Our fat deposits stay where they are. Avoiding superfluous carbohydrates therefore makes perfect sense in an otherwise balanced diet – the “lower carb hype” is not hype for many of us. Amino acids Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and each protein in our diet contains around 20 different amino acids. The amount of individual amino acids in a protein essentially determines how efficiently the dietary protein is utilised in the body. If a dietary protein contains many so-called essential amino acids, its utilisation is very high. In sports, the content of the essential amino acid leucine is of particular importance. Whey protein contains a lot of leucine and is therefore ideal for athletes.
