{"id":35346,"date":"2022-08-18T09:39:55","date_gmt":"2022-08-18T07:39:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/getindya.com\/?p=35346"},"modified":"2026-11-03T17:12:02","modified_gmt":"2026-11-03T16:12:02","slug":"protein-functions-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/getindya.com\/en\/protein-functions-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Everything you need to know about protein"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You may have heard that <\/span>building muscle<\/b><\/a> requires eating endless <\/span>protein<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

This <\/span>macronutrient<\/b> certainly enjoys a strong reputation in fitness, and performs key roles in <\/span>bodily function<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Including helping you build strong quadriceps, of course.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read on to learn <\/span>why protein matters<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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What is a protein?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Chemically, a protein is a <\/span>macromolecule<\/b> made of amino acids. There are <\/span>20 main amino acids<\/b>, joined by <\/span>peptide bonds<\/b> in different sequences to form different proteins.<\/span><\/p>\n

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What do proteins do?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Have you wondered<\/span> what proteins are for<\/b>?<\/span><\/p>\n

They have <\/span>structural roles<\/b>, including maintaining and repairing organs and muscles, and <\/span>regulatory roles<\/b> controlling metabolic pathways.<\/span><\/p>\n

When carbohydrate and fat availability is limited, they can also provide an <\/span>energy source<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"Athlete<\/p>\n

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What types of protein are there?<\/span><\/h2>\n

There are several ways to classify them:<\/span><\/p>\n

By origin:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Proteins may be <\/span>animal<\/b>, <\/span>plant<\/b> or <\/span>microbial<\/b> in origin, with the latter produced by bacteria or single-celled fungi.<\/span><\/p>\n

Microbial proteins are less widely used than conventional sources but may offer future opportunities because of cost and biological value.<\/span><\/p>\n

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By biological activity:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Proteins perform many different functions.<\/span><\/p>\n

They include <\/span>enzymes and structural, transport, storage, motor, regulatory, signalling, sensory and defence proteins, receptors and hormones<\/b>, as well as<\/span> antibodies<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

A macronutrient with plenty of roles!<\/span><\/p>\n

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By solubility:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Proteins may be <\/span>water-soluble or insoluble<\/b>. <\/span>Transmembrane proteins<\/b> have hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions suited to their position in cell membranes.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"Table<\/p>\n

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Plant or animal protein?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Different diets can work when <\/span>well planned<\/b> and <\/span>tailored<\/b> to your needs.<\/span><\/p>\n

The balance of <\/span>animal and plant protein<\/b> proposed here is around <\/span>50:50<\/b>, as both sources can provide useful nutrients.<\/span><\/p>\n

Consider the accompanying foods: <\/span>plant protein sources<\/b> often supply <\/span>fibre with relatively little fat<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Animal <\/span>protein foods<\/b> often contain <\/span>less fibre and more fat<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Their <\/span>amino acid profile<\/b> also matters. <\/span>Essential amino acids<\/b> must come from food because the body cannot make them.<\/span><\/p>\n

With plant foods, <\/span>combining different protein sources<\/b> is particularly useful for covering the full essential amino acid profile.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"Protein-rich<\/p>\n

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Protein in an athlete’s diet<\/span><\/h2>\n

This macronutrient has a <\/span>key role<\/b> in normal bodily function, whether or not you exercise.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is particularly relevant to weight training, <\/span>running<\/span><\/i> or swimming, especially with a goal of <\/span>gaining muscle<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Proteins supply the <\/span>building blocks of muscle<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Eating protein <\/span>after training<\/b> supports <\/span>muscle repair<\/b>. A large protein-rich meal <\/span>immediately before exercise<\/b> may <\/span>slow digestion<\/b> and cause gastrointestinal discomfort.<\/span><\/p>\n

The appropriate <\/span>amount<\/b> depends on goals and individual needs. A range of <\/span>1.6\u20132.2 grams per kilogram of body weight<\/b> is discussed here. More does not automatically build more muscle, because the <\/span>muscle protein synthesis response is limited<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"Athlete<\/p>\n


Unsure how to improve your nutrition and <\/span>sporting performance<\/b><\/a>? Explore<\/span> our subscription plans<\/b> and get advice from a <\/span>sports nutritionist<\/a>.<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What are proteins, and what do they do in the body? Our sports nutritionists explain this macronutrient.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":14574,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[213],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35346","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nutrition"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/getindya.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35346","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/getindya.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/getindya.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getindya.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getindya.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35346"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/getindya.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35346\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35661,"href":"https:\/\/getindya.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35346\/revisions\/35661"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getindya.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14574"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/getindya.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35346"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getindya.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35346"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getindya.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35346"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}