The sports nutrition market has a huge selection of proteins of various types and for every taste. When you study the reviews of athletes who prefer proteins of animal origin, it seems that buyers deliberately ignore herbal products, classifying them as low-grade. If you delve into biology, you can find that soy protein is significantly superior to any protein of animal origin. And not only in amino acid composition, but also in the presence of vitamins and minerals. To date, the production of soy protein has been put on a grand scale.
Protein Giants Marketing Stroke
In the mid-twentieth century, when soy products took first place in world markets, sports nutrition developers began to incur enormous losses. Bodybuilding soy protein, reviews of which were only positive among consumers, was so in demand that some manufacturers did not have time to put it on the market. It was then that the world giants of the meat and dairy industry, thanks to research centers, tested soybeans on monkeys. Shocking results were published in all sports publications of the world. Bean derived phytoestrogens, which block the secretion of testosterone in humans, disrupt sperm formation in men. Such a statement discredited soy protein in the market. The benefits and harms of the product are overgrown with legends, often accompanied by the conclusions of famous scientific centers.
Exposing a criminal conspiracy
Decades later, the truth about research was discovered - phytoestrogens were used in pure form in gigantic dosages so that the monkey’s liver did not have time to neutralize the hormone with glucuronic acid, which, like humans, can eliminate the effect of the substance. The research centers began to study legumes again. Thanks to technological progress in the field of microbiology, it was possible to find out that the plant has a number of other healing properties.
Athletes will be interested to know that the benefit of soy protein is to increase the production of nitric oxide in the body, which increases pumping during training. Being a powerful antioxidant, this product accelerates muscle recovery after a heavy load and is guaranteed to increase the body's production of growth hormone. Rehabilitation took place, the best protein in the world - soy! Compared to other proteins, it is out of competition in terms of nutrients, therefore it is completely harmless to any mammal on the planet.
The potential of the plant world
Vegetable protein, which few athletes pay attention to, is the most useful of all existing in the world. Indeed, unlike meat and dairy products, it does not contain cholesterol, and some plants are superior to even animal proteins in amino acid composition. Protein is found in grains, seeds, legumes, and nut plants. Not for nothing that some athletes discuss ways of germinating grains and beans at home in sports forums. The protein obtained from plants is widely used in cosmetology to restore and saturate the skin and hair with minerals. In the sports nutrition market, you can find protein obtained from processing rice and soy.
If you compare soy with meat and dairy products, you can find an interesting fact. As you know, the maximum possible amount of protein, amino acids and vitamins is found in beef meat of the highest grade. If you compare the two products and their composition, soy protein exceeds beef indicators with a decent margin several times. If we add to the research results the digestibility coefficient of soy protein equal to unity (like that of egg white), we get an “oil painting”, as David Markovich Gotzman said in the TV series “Liquidation”.
History reference
Soya refers to those products, the discovery of which for mankind has occurred several times throughout world history. The first references to five medicinal plants with magical powers are found in the book “Matter of the Medic”, written by the Chinese in the fifth century BC. Even then, people revealed the element necessary for the body - protein. Soy product is described in cooking recipes by Japanese and Korean sages. The discovery and cultivation of plants rightfully belong to the Ancient East. Centuries later, Buddhist monks learned to produce milk, cheese, sauces, and other healthy products from soybeans.
Later, in the twentieth century, soy was discovered for the second time already in Europe and America. Economically developed countries have come to the conclusion that, given the high levels of nutrient content, growing and producing a plant is much more effective than meat and dairy products. Therefore, many countries with a favorable climate for plant cultivation, abandoning cattle breeding, emphasized the cultivation of soybeans.
What is interesting in the sports nutrition market?
Judging by the positive feedback from athletes, world-famous manufacturers of sports nutrition are Scitec Nutrition, Optimum Nutrition, and Ultimate Nutrition. Along with various animal proteins, they introduced soy protein to the market. In bodybuilding, an important factor when buying is the composition of the product and the amount of protein per serving. On average, the protein content in the products of these brands is in the range of 75-90%, which is quite acceptable.
For weight gain, you should pay attention to the inexpensive Soy Pro protein from Scitec Nutrition with a protein content of 78%. There is a better option for the same purpose - 100% Soy Protein from Optimum Nutrition. The high price for the product is due to the high protein content in the portion - 90%. During drying, each calorie counts, so it is recommended to use Protein Isolate from Ultimate Nutrition. Protein is low in calories and sugar free. The sticker on the jar describes the full composition of the mixture, including all amino acids, indicating the dosage per serving.
Reviews from professionals from around the world
The wonderful book "The New Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding", written by Arnold Schwarzenegger, reveals the secrets of sports nutrition, drawing the reader's attention to the main building material for muscles - protein. According to the author, soy protein can reduce blood cholesterol and is highly recommended for people whose body has a high level of natural fat.
Professional bodybuilders Sergio Oliva, Jay Cutler, Lee Haney and many other famous athletes have repeatedly stated in their interviews that soy-based vegetable protein must be present in sports nutrition. Considering that the three-time “Mr. Olympia” champion Frank Zane, the boxers Mohammed Ali and Mike Tyson are vegetarians, we can say with absolute certainty that they gained muscle mass by consuming soy protein.
Recommendations for use
You can use milk, water and fruit juice to create soy protein shakes. It is necessary to take into account the high ability of soy protein to collect moisture - 600%. Accordingly, the shaker should be rather big. In no case should you exceed the dosage indicated by the manufacturer on the label when mixing soy protein in a cocktail. The reviews of professional athletes are proof of this. Even with the absence of lactose in the protein, which, as you know, creates problems with digestion, with an overdose of high-quality protein, intestinal activity can be disrupted.
Soy protein is absorbed about 2-4 hours, so you need to use it between meals or after training. If you drink a protein shake at night, it is able, like casein, to provide the body with amino acids throughout the sleep period.
Application in complexes
There are mixtures on the market that include animal and soy protein. Protein in this complex is often used as a complete replacement for food. The mixture contains not only proteins, but also carbohydrates, amino acids, vitamins and substances that improve the body's digestibility of these products. Complex proteins have a low price and are offered on the market in large packings, sometimes reaching 7-10 kilograms.
Judging by bodybuilder reviews and articles in popular bodybuilding publications, Syntha-6 products from BSN, Pro Mix from Scitec Nutrition and Complete Protein from the famous Optimum Nutrition have worked well. Anyone who wishes can independently prepare a complex mixture at home, combining the available components.
Contraindications and side effects
It remains to understand what is dangerous soy protein. The harm lies in the fact that the substances contained in it, which allow the protein to be absorbed for a long time, affect the internal enzymes of the body, slowing down the breakdown of all protein molecules of the intestine. That is why at the beginning of the intake of sports nutrition on a soy basis, it is necessary to reduce the dosage so as not to disrupt the digestive tract. Also, strict adherence to the dosage is recommended not only by the protein manufacturer, but is also described in detail on the pages of sports sources in the form of reviews. There are situations when soy protein even in small quantities does not fit the body, no one is safe from this. In such cases, the solution to the problem is the use of animal proteins.
Lottery for thrifty shoppers
All sports resources that are somehow connected with the advertising of sports nutrition try to avoid this topic. It's about the protein that comes from the manufacturer. It is sold in the form of a semi-finished product without the addition of sugar, dyes and flavorings. As a result, the consumer receives pure soy protein. The benefit and harm of such a purchase is that at the low cost of the product there is no guarantee that pure protein is purchased, not a mixture of milk powder and flour.
In bodybuilding, the test for protein folding by boiling water has long been a myth. If the protein is mixed with dry, diminished whey, capping of the soy protein isolate will be 100%, and when conducting a test in the laboratory, the content of this component in the mixture will be less than 20%. If you listen to the reviews of athletes and popular information sources, you can always find good soy protein at a low price.
The difficulty of growing beans
Soybean plant is very demanding on the climate. In addition to heat and light, it is very fond of moisture. The optimal temperature for the culture should be in the range of 22-25 degrees Celsius. Before flowering, soybeans can endure short-term freezing up to -2 degrees, but a lack of moisture can provoke a sharp decrease in productivity, up to the point that soy protein in beans will be absent.
It is not difficult to grow a culture in a summer cottage in the presence of a warm climate and soil rich in calcium and humus. During sowing, the ground should be sufficiently moist. Before planting, seeds must first be dipped in melted paraffin, otherwise they will become a treat for field mice. Having made a groove with a depth of at least five centimeters, it is necessary to sow the seeds in it. The distance between the grooves should be at least half a meter.
Soybean production technology in developed countries
The main products after processing beans are soybean oil and meal, they account for 82% of world production. The release of soy protein begins with the processing of meal (in common people is called "cake"). At the first stage of water or alcohol extraction, a significant portion of carbohydrates is separated. The result is a soy protein concentrate, and the waste goes to the production of animal feed. To obtain the isolate, it is necessary to carry out further processing of the concentrate by removing fats and carbohydrates. The final product of this production contains at least 90% protein and has a structure resembling a liquid gel. Moisture is removed by heat treatment. Soybean powder is extremely unstable to the environment, it is able to collect moisture in the proportion of one gram of protein to six grams of water.
To summarize
Having figured out what soy protein is, you can draw several conclusions, each of which will to one degree or another affect the choice when buying high-quality protein for bodybuilding:
- The best protein on the market is soy. This is a fact that is confirmed by numerous studies and reviews of real professionals.
- Availability on the market at a low cost enables the average buyer to use soy protein as a sports nutrition.
- The absence of fats, the ability to lower cholesterol in the blood, the presence of amino acids necessary for the body in the protein make it possible to use it in independent bodybuilding classes.