I might as well

[sexiscriptor]

Ok, I wouldn't be surprised if many of you are already familiar with this concept, but I'm just going to make this post to at least give a simple, scientific explanation regarding protein synthesis. (it happened to be one of my favorite units in bio)
Ok, so here's how it's gonna go down:
For the amino acids I'm going simplify it down to about 7 (which I'll letter t-z). Do note proteins are often a LOT more complex (the simplest is insulin, with about 50 amino acids involved; most proteins number in the hundreds of amino acids).
So let's just make a simple code: T-U-V-W-X-Y-Z. This is our protein we're trying to synthesize, ok?
Now, let's just say I've just had a protein drink. And of course there are amino acids in in (duh).
Okay, let's say that in a given amount of the powder/drink/whatever there are 60 T's, 70 U's, 50 W's, 10 Y's, and 100 Z's.
As the body absorbs the amino acids, they reach my cells where the fun starts. Do note this is the more complex part and it is also not entirely imperative that you know it. So if you get confused just skip to the next paragraph. Special loops of RNA (like DNA, but with a few differences [which are irrelevent right now]) grab the amino acids. These are called the tRNA [transcription RNA]. Each thing of tRNA is specifically coded for a certain amino acid. Once they have their amino acid, they hook up to a coding strip of RNA (which takes it's info from DNA; the DNA in other words is copied into a strip of RNA, called mRNA [messenger RNA]). Then, when they're all lined up along the mRNA, a part of the cell called a Ribosome comes along and connects the amino acids together and frees the tRNA (which promptly goes in search of another amino acid to continue the protein synthesis). Note: The third and final type of RNA is rRNA; it is attached to the ribosome, thus it stands for ribosomal RNA.
Ok, now here's the relevent bit. Remember the numbers of our amino acids? There are only 10 Y amino acids. They're going to run out very quickly, right? Well, despite the fact that there are nearly 100 Z's floating around, and plenty of the other amino acids, the moment the tRNA can't find a Y amino acid, the ribosome stops where it is and waits till a tRNA can find one and put in place.
So, now I can make my point. What I should logically do is try to get more Y amino acids, right? Otherwise I'm not going to get much in the way of gains, right? Thus my advice would be eat a variety of foods in addition to my protein drink, you know, apples, oranges, cheese, yogurt, whatever works.
*do note that most protein drinks are probably made so that they don't have too little of an essential amino acid. however, just in general, for your whole body, you need a large variety of amino acids (there are 20 in all). also note: amino acids are NOT stored in the way fat and carbs are stored.*
Ok, I hope this has been helpful to at least someone out there.

Cool description,

I knew a bit of this information already but your description made a little light bulb come on in my head.

-- LeatherGryphon --

[brent]

That was interesting, but I do have a question: What is the difference between an essential & an unessential amino acid? Do I only need essential aminos (thus the name) or should I take all 20? Up untill now I've taken supplements with the widest variety I could find.

Thank you for a response,
Brent.

[wbhunk]

"Essential" simply means that your body can't synthesize it in sufficient quantity from other components, so you have to get it from your diet. "Nonessential" means that, if you don't get enough from your diet, your body can produce it from other diet components.

That's kind of an interesting question.....there is a lot of animal nutrition data out there about feeding targeted protein for a specific amino acid balance, but not as much for humans. If you're eating a good-quality animal-derived protein, you're probably not deficient in specific amino acids....but, if it makes you feel better, essential aminos would probably be best.

[sexiscriptor]

I'll even point out that one in particular (let's see if I can get the spelling right...) phenalalinine (hrm...) is poisonous to SOME (as in VERY few) people. It's only because they lack the genetic trait to break it down so it just builds up in their body--not good. Fortunately, they test for this condition at birth--so you'd know by now if you had it. Fun thing to try: next time you're drinking a soda, check out the can or bottle; somewhere on it it should say something like "warning to phenalkereutics" or some such thing.
Also, in general, it's not easy to synthesize amino acids--usually it recquires a good deal of energy to synthesize them, so instead your body generally absorbs them. Most of these amino acids originate in plants, which have such abundant amounts of energy that they can make amino acids. Thus, animals eat plants and get amino acids or animals eat animals and get amino acids.
Another thing, since DNA ONLY codes for protein synthesis. This means that things like that special group of lipids{the official names for the fat family} known as steroids--not necessarily anabolic: testosterone and cholesterol are also steroids--are not coded for directly. Instead, your body makes enzymes to create them (enzyme are, by definition, a special kind of protein).

Oh, I'm going to randomly throw this out there cuz this is a pet peeve I want to get out of the way NOW:
MUSCLE CELLS NEVER, EVER, EVER DIVIDE! (except in muscle growth stories where it's perfectly fine for them to do so--anything goes in the name of good, hot muscle growth )
It's not so much that I've seen this a lot on this site--in fact, I've never seen anyone on this site ever say muscles divide. But I have seen it on other sites, so I just wanted to make sure we're all well educated muscle worshipers

[polomuscle]

Sexiscriptor made a good point which a lot of gym rats forget--when you eat high quality protein supplements (which are expensive!) you are going to need high quality food with them, esp. fruits and vegetables.

It has been my experience that I feel GREAT and DIGEST GREAT when I combine protein with green vegetables (lettuce, kale, spinach, asparagus...anything green). It has also been my experience that I feel like crap when I eat proteins with complex carbs like potatoes, bread, white flour. If I must eat "starchy" carbs with protein, I'm best off with brown rice or whole grains.

In my opinion, anyone who is trying to build a healthy, buff, ripped body but is eating white flour and refined sugar along with expensive protein supplements is pissing their money away, somewhat. You can take a vitamin pill, but vegetables, fruits, and whole grains will give you vitamins and minerals naturally, which works better than pills.

What good is buying high quality protein if you're not eating a diet that maximizes digestion?

If you're NOT eating good food with your protein weight gainer, for fuck's sake, I hope you're takin' your vitamin pills!

Think about it this way. After you eat a full meal at McDonalds, you know you get that greasy, bloated feeling. After you eat a ton of sugar, you know you get that strung out, crashed out feeling (after the sugar high). Well if you eat a plate of steamed kale with ginger and sesame seeds and a splash of soy sauce, along with your herbed skinless baked chicken breast, you are going to feel the exact opposite. You aren't taxing your body with salt, or spiking your blood sugar, so your body has more energy to digest properly. And you're also providing it with quality protein and vitamin rich greens, as well as dietary fiber.

If you can't get yourself to eat healthy green vegetables like kale, spinach, watercress, broccoli, swiss chard, seaweed, asparagus, brussel sprouts...do this: eat little bit of them, WITH something. Eat a little bit on the side. Who the hell wants to eat a plate of brussel sprouts? Cook the little bitches, and put 4 brussel sprouts next to the steak. Then open your mouth and fucking eat them.

Also, stick to your diet and designate a "cheat day." Eat the veggies and protein, and every time you want to eat bread, cake, sugar, or any other no-no foods, write it on a list. Then, one day a week, allow yourself to eat all that stuff on your list. You'll feel sick, and you'll soon be rid of your cravings to eat shitty carbs.

In my opinion, the only complex carbs bodybuilders or weight gainers should be eating are brown rice, and (if they can digest them) SOME whole grains.
If you are used to eating bread, pasta, white flour, and potatoes, try replacing them with brown rice, whole grains, and MORE VEGGIES for your lunch and dinner meals and see the difference in 1) your bodyfat and 2) how you feel.

TIMING is important. If you don't eat a little bit of carbs and proteins right after you work out--then an hour later (especially if you did a lot of cardio) you are gonna want to binge on carbs. Be a goat. Graze.

Bodybuilders know you should eat 5-6 small meals throughout the day, instead of 2-3 big ones.

One last thing: you need to know which fruits are low glycemic. This means they won't spike your blood sugar (they are better for fat loss programs). These fruits are NOT grapes, and NOT processed red apple juices. These fruits ARE green apples, pears, apricots, grapefruit, berries, melon. If you're dieting and trying to LOSE FAT, make a big, big fruit salad of green apples, pears, and apricots. Eat the whole thing--not a problem. If you're dieting, DON'T chug a carton of "healthy" apple juice or grape juice. You'll load up on sugar.
From the atkins site:
"Fruits, such as berries, honeydew melon, pears, green apples and plums, are not only rich in antioxidants and other beneficial phytochemicals, they are also low on the glycemic index so they do not produce the insulin surges associated with high-glycemic fruits such as bananas."
If you're gonna eat bananas, or complex carbs, eat them for breakfast. Bananas are not evil--they do contain lots of potassium, which your body needs.

One more thing. If your digestion sucks, don't combine fruit with other foods. And never eat melon with other fruit.

$0.02

Great points about nutrition. I know it sounds like a lot of gobble-dee-gook to the average person. Way too much to cover properly here but the good body builders who are in it for the long haul learn about nutrition, and body chemistry, and physics as well as exercise techniques, and the hyped drug du-jour.

It's good if you follow prescribed diets but it's GREAT if you know WHY the diets are prescribed and WHEN you should eat this or that. Know WHY to avoid this or that.

It "ain't" easy. If it was easy everybody would do it. Be one of the informed. Study, study, study. You have to weed out the gems of knowlege from the crap ("90% of everything created by mankind is crap"). Be one of the creators of the 10%.

-- LeatherGryphon --

[sexiscriptor]

Thanks to Polo and Gryphon for that very valuable information.
I'm going expand slightly on some of what Gryhon said about diets.
Some diets, like the Atkins, work very well for some people, astronomically well for some people, and then hardly at all for others. Different people have different body chemistries, thus their different bodies react differently to their diet.
Thus, it is very important, if not a must-know, to understand how these "miracle" diets work. If you understand the diet and how it does its stuff, not to mention the whys, then you can adjust it to yourself to get the most out of that diet.
Polo also made some very good points about how the body reacts to carbs. I will add that refined sugar is the bane of mankind and that high fructose corn syrup is the downfall of global society.
See, one of the most astonishing negative effects of refined sugar and whatnot is that it screws with your sense of taste. Refined sugar is sweeter than ANYTHING we would have ever found naturally in our environment, far beyond your normal range of taste. Thus refined sugar causes your sense of taste to have to adjust to its extreme sweetness.
Thus as your sense of "yummy" and "ick" have to stretch to accomodate, the region where your body and mind would say "eww, this doesn't taste good at all!" has been extended into the region that would otherwise have been "hmm, that's yummy!" Thus, foods that would and should taste very good (all or at least most vegetables, for example) now don't seem to taste good at all.
Moral of the story: refined sugar causes your body to dislike the taste of foods that might otherwise be a good deal healthier.
And it's bad for your teeth
The good news: if you cut back on how much refined sugar you eat, your sense of taste will return to what it normally would be.
Anyway, I'm done; no more rants for today

[wbhunk]

All I can say is this....when your sweet tooth can be satisfied by whey protein powder, you'll be much happier. <g> It sounds crazy, but my "sugar fix" is a hot chocolate made with milk and chocolate-flavored whey powder.

[sexiscriptor]

oooooo....whey.....
yummmy.....

[claygrant]

Originally posted by sexiscriptor
See, one of the most astonishing negative effects of refined sugar and whatnot is that it screws with your sense of taste. Refined sugar is sweeter than ANYTHING we would have ever found naturally in our environment, far beyond your normal range of taste. Thus refined sugar causes your sense of taste to have to adjust to its extreme sweetness.
Thus as your sense of "yummy" and "ick" have to stretch to accomodate, the region where your body and mind would say "eww, this doesn't taste good at all!" has been extended into the region that would otherwise have been "hmm, that's yummy!" Thus, foods that would and should taste very good (all or at least most vegetables, for example) now don't seem to taste good at all.

scriptor, where did you read/hear this? So if a baby is raised with a strictly natural diet, would he as a grown-up say that vegetables are "yummy?" Interesting idea...

[sexiscriptor]

Even if someone is raised on refined sugar, if they stop eating said forms of sugar, their sense of taste will eventually return to what it would be.
So yes, they would. (also note: some of the complaints about vegetable flavors stems from poor cooking )

[RadRx]

I've always had a theory that kids have more sensitive taste buds than adults which is one reason they cringe at the thought of vegetables.

I am gradually losing my sweet tooth with my excess pounds (down 28 and counting). I can still eat sweet things, but it has to be a small portion. I'm still nowhere near craving protein shakes.

I love vegetables (mostly raw or lightly steamed), but there are some that even as an adult I can't stand. Beets, for example, have always tasted like dirt to me. Don't care how you dress them up, they will be rejected. Don't even try. Blechhh!