Soy protein in bodybuilding: benefit and harm, composition, reviews

In the sports nutrition market there is a huge selection of proteins of different types and for every taste. When you study reviews of athletes who prefer proteins of animal origin, it seems that buyers deliberately ignore plant products, referring them to low-grade. If you go deeper into biology, you can find that the soy protein significantly exceeds any protein of animal origin. And not only by the amino acid composition, but also by the presence of vitamins and minerals. To date, the production of soy protein is put on a broad foot.

The marketing course of protein giants

In the middle of the twentieth century, when soy products took first place in world markets, sports nutrition developers began to incur huge losses. Soy protein in bodybuilding, reviews of which among consumers were only positive, was so in demand that some manufacturers did not have time to deliver it to the market. It was then that the world's giants of the meat and dairy industry, thanks to research centers, conducted a soy test on monkeys. The shocking results were published in all sports magazines of the world. Obtained from beans phytoestrogens, which block the secretion of testosterone in humans, violate the formation of sperm in men. Such a statement discredited the soy protein market. The benefits and harms of the product were overgrown with legends, often accompanied by the conclusions of well-known scientific centers.

Exposing the criminal conspiracy

After decades, the truth about the research was discovered - phytoestrogens were used in pure form in giant dosages, so that the monkey's liver could not neutralize the hormone with glucuronic acid, which, like a person, is capable of eliminating the action of the substance. The research centers began to study bean plants again. Thanks to technical progress in the field of microbiology, it was possible to find out that the plant possesses a range of other medicinal properties.

Athletes will be interested to know that the use of soy protein is to increase the production of nitric oxide in the body, thereby increasing the pumping during training. Being a powerful antioxidant, this product accelerates the recovery of muscles after a heavy load and is guaranteed to increase the body's production of growth hormone. Rehabilitation was, the best protein in the world - soy! Compared to other proteins, it is beyond competition for nutrients, so it is completely harmless to any mammal on the planet.

The Potential of the Flora

Vegetable protein, which few athletes pay attention to, is the most useful protein in the world. In fact, unlike meat and dairy products, it does not contain cholesterol, and some amino acids make some plants superior even to animal proteins. Protein is found in grains, seeds, legumes and nut plants. No wonder that some sportsmen discuss ways of germinating grains and beans at home in sports forums. The protein obtained from plants is widely used in cosmetology for restoration and saturation of skin and hair with minerals. In the market of sports nutrition, you can find the protein obtained from the processing of 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 contained in the meat of premium beef. If you compare the two products and their composition, soy protein exceeds the beef index by a decent margin several times. If we add to the research results the digestibility factor of soy protein equal to one (as in egg white), we get an "oil painting", as David Gotzman said in the series "Liquidation."

Historical reference

Soy is one of those products, the discovery of which for humanity has occurred several times throughout the history of the world. The first mention of the five medicinal plants that have a magical power, are in the book "Materia medica", written by the Chinese in the fifth century BC. Even then, people identified the necessary body element - protein. The soy product is described in cooking recipes by Japanese and Korean sages. The discovery and cultivation of plants rightfully belong to the Ancient East. After centuries, Buddhist monks learned how to produce milk, cheese, sauces and other healthy products from soybeans.

Later, in the twentieth century, soybean was discovered for the second time already in the countries of Europe and America. Economically developed countries have come to the conclusion that, given the high nutrient content, plant growing and production is much more effective than meat and dairy products. Therefore, many countries with a climate favorable for growing a plant, abandoning cattle breeding, focused on the cultivation of soybeans.

What is interesting in the sports nutrition market?

Known worldwide manufacturers of sports nutrition, judging by the positive feedback from athletes, is Scitec Nutrition, Optimum Nutrition, Ultimate Nutrition. Along with all sorts of proteins of animal origin, they introduced a soy protein on the market. In bodybuilding, the important factor in buying is the composition of the product and the amount of protein in the serving. On average, the protein content in these brands' products is within the range of 75-90%, which is quite acceptable.

For mass gaining, you should pay attention to the inexpensive Protein Soy Pro from Scitec Nutrition with a protein content of 78%. There is also a better option for the same purposes - 100% Soy Protein from Optimum Nutrition. A high price for the product is due to a high protein content in the portion - 90%. During drying, each calorie counts, so it is recommended to use Protein Isolate from Ultimate Nutrition. Protein has a low calorie content and does not contain sugar. The sticker on the bank describes the complete composition of the mixture, including all amino acids, indicating the dosage per serving.

Feedback from professionals from all over the world

The remarkable 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. Soy protein, according to the author, is able to reduce the content of cholesterol in the blood 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 in their interviews repeatedly stated that in the sports nutrition must necessarily be present vegetable protein based on soy. Given that the three-time "Mr. Olympia" champion Frank Zane, boxers Mohammed Ali and Mike Tyson are vegetarians, one can say with absolute certainty that they gained muscle mass by consuming soy protein.

Recommendations for use

To create cocktails on soy protein, you can use milk, water and fruit juice. It is necessary to take into account the high ability of soy protein to a set of moisture - 600%. Accordingly, the shaker should be rather big. In no case should the dosage indicated by the manufacturer on the label be exceeded, mixing the soy protein in the cocktail. Reviews of professional athletes - that's proof. Even with the lack of lactose in the protein, which is known to create problems with digestion, an overdose of high quality protein can disrupt the activity of the intestine.

Soy protein is digested for about 2-4 hours, so it should be eaten between meals or after exercise. If you drink a protein shake at night, it is able, like casein, to provide the body with amino acids for the entire sleep period.

Application in complexes

In the market there are mixtures, which include both animal and soy protein. Protein in such a complex is often used as a complete replacement of nutrition. The mixture contains not only proteins, but also carbohydrates, amino acids, vitamins and substances that improve the digestibility of the body of these products. Complex proteins have a low price and are offered in the market in large packages, sometimes reaching 7-10 kilograms.

Judging by the reviews of bodybuilders and articles in popular bodybuilding publications, the Syntha-6 products from BSN, Pro Mix from Scitec Nutrition and Complete Protein from the famous Optimum Nutrition have proven themselves well. Anyone 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, influence the internal enzymes of the body, slowing down the cleavage of all the intestinal protein molecules. That is why at the beginning of taking sports nutrition on a soybean basis, you need to reduce the dosage so as not to disrupt the digestive tract. Also, strict compliance with the dosage is recommended not only by the protein manufacturer itself, but also detailed on the pages of sports sources in the form of reviews. There are situations when soy protein, even in small amounts, does not fit the body, from this no one is immune. In such cases, the solution of the problem will be the use of proteins of animal origin.

Lottery for thrifty buyers

All sports resources, which are somehow connected with the advertising of sports nutrition, are being avoided by this subject. It's about the protein that comes from the manufacturer's factory. It is sold as a semi-finished product without the addition of sugar, dyes and flavor flavors. As a result, the consumer receives pure soy protein. The benefit and harm of such a purchase is that at a low cost of the product there are no guarantees that a pure protein is purchased, and not a mixture of milk powder and flour.

In bodybuilding, the protein swilling test for boiling water has long been a myth. If the protein is mixed with dry, dimerized serum, the isolation of the soy protein isolate will be 100%, and when tested 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 a good soy protein at a low price.

The complexity of growing beans

Soy plant is very demanding for the climate. In addition to heat and light, it is very fond of moisture. The optimum air temperature for the crop should be between 22-25 degrees Celsius. Until the moment of flowering, soy is able to transfer short-term frosts to -2 degrees, but a lack of moisture can provoke a sharp decline in productivity, up to the point where soy protein in beans will be absent.

Growing the culture in the suburban area will not be difficult in the presence of a warm climate and rich in calcium and humus soil. During the sowing, the land must be sufficiently wet. Seeds before laying must first be dipped in melted paraffin, otherwise they will become a treat for field mice. Having made a furrow depth of not less than five centimeters, it is necessary to sow seeds in it. The distance between the grooves should be at least half a meter.

Technology of soybean production 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 the meal (in the common people it is called "cake"). At the first stage of aqueous or alcohol extraction, a significant part of carbohydrates is separated. As a result, soy protein concentrate is obtained, and waste is used for the production of mixed fodder. To obtain the isolate, it is necessary to carry out further processing of the concentrate, removing fats and carbohydrates. The final product of this production contains at least 90% protein and has a structure resembling a liquid gel. The moisture is removed by heat treatment. Soybean powder is extremely unstable to the environment, it is capable of gaining moisture in the proportion of one gram of protein to six grams of water.

Summing up

Having understood what a soy protein is, you can draw several conclusions, each of which in one way or another will affect the choice when buying a quality protein for bodybuilding:

1. The best protein on the market is soy. This is a fact that is confirmed by numerous studies and reviews of real professionals.
2. Availability in the market at a low cost allows an ordinary buyer to use soy protein as a sports nutrition.
3. The absence of fats, the ability to lower cholesterol in the blood, the presence of amino acids necessary for the body in the protein allow using it in self-employment by bodybuilding.