How Soy Protein Benefits Athletes

By Edna Booker


Proteins are an essential part of a balanced diet. Many people think of meat when they think of them but many plants contain high levels of them. Those who have decided not to consume meat and fish need to make sure that they get enough of all the necessary proteins from plants. Soy protein benefits the body in almost the same way as meat because it is complete.

Proteins are made up of amino acids, they are the building blocks. Many types of amino acid are now known and it has been found that there are twenty two which are used by the human body. Most of these are made in house, so to speak in that the body can produce them with little help. However, there are nine others which must be included in the diet for good health.

Soy contains all of these nine missing amino acids and is therefore called complete. There are only a few plants which are complete and so consumption has grown massively in recent years as vegetarians became aware of this. It is also high in other essential nutrients; fatty acids, micronutrients, fiber, calcium and B vitamins. At the same time it is low in fat and cholesterol and so is a great way to get lots of benefits without much harm.

Western scientists have been interested in the dietary habits of Asian people for many years as they have such excellent health. In the far east people live longer, more active lives with lower levels of disease. This has long been thought due to their lower consumption of meat and higher intake of soy and vegetables.

Cholesterol has become a controversial issue in recent years. After decades of official dietary advice that everyone should try to lower it there is now growing evidence that too little can also be detrimental. Some of this controversy has come about due to misunderstanding as there are different types of cholesterol, ldl is thought to be the most dangerous. Soy contains phytosterols which help block absorption of it thus keeping overall levels in the body lower.

Soy powders are used by more and more body builders and sports people to aid in recovery after a workout. It was maligned for many years as research suggested that maybe soy lowered testosterone levels but this has now been shown to be negligible. The benefits outweigh the negatives. Soy is really the only plant with complete proteins and so can be used to build muscle mass.

Fermented soy foods are a better option as they are easier to digest and also contain probiotics which aid absorption of nutrients. These are found in a variety of forms such as, miso, tempeh and nattoo. Miso is an extremely versatile ingredient and can be eaten in soup but also used as a flavoring for other meals as it has lots of umami and is almost like beef in its taste.

Another method of ingesting it is to take a supplement. Powders are now widely available and are used by body builders and athletes who want to increase strength and build muscles. It seems strange to some people that body builders might be vegans but it is entirely possible and there are a growing number of athletes who are shunning meat proteins in favor of plant ones.




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