Definition: "An ergogenic aid is any substance or phenomenon that enhances performance "
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15.04.2011 |
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Hemp protein is every bit as good as protein in beans
Hemp protein is no longer an obscure supplement you can only buy over the internet. You'll find it in high-street shops these days. While nutritional value of hemp protein is not as high as that of soya protein and whey, Canadian nutritionists at the University of Manitoba discovered, it is better than that of nuts and wheat protein.
Plant protein
The change has already started – we eat more plant proteins each year than the year before. And increasingly, these proteins are derived from waste products of the industrial processes whereby raw materials for chemicals and bio-fuels are extracted from plants.
Hemp protein
Study
The first table below compares the scores of the essential amino acids found in hemp protein with the scores for casein. The reference score takes the form of an imaginary protein, devised by FAO/WHO scientists, which would provide children with all the amino acids that they need. This protein scores a 1 for all amino acids.
The first score is for hemp seed meal, the second for dehulled hemp seed and the last one for whole hemp seed.
HIS = histidine; ILE = isoleucine; LEU = leucine; LYS = lysine; M+C = methionine plus cysteine; P+T = phenylalanine plus tyrosine; THR = threonine; TRP = tryptophan; VAL = valine.
The table above shows the protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score for the three different types of hemp protein – plus the score for other protein types. The figures have been corrected for the digestibility of hemp protein.
The digestibility of casein is about 98 percent; that of hemp protein from whole seeds is about 85 percent. If you remove the outer covering of the seeds, the digestibility climbs to 95 percent [dehulled hemp seed]. So if you're thinking of buying hemp protein, dehulled hemp seed is the better one to go for.
Conclusion
One of hemp protein's strong points is that it contains a lot of arginine. "Hemp proteins contain a high amount of arginine (94-128 mg/g protein)", write the Canadians. "Arginine serves as a dietary precursor for the formation of nitric oxide, a potent mediator of vascular tone and, therefore, may have implications for the health of the cardiovascular system. Additionally, arginine, or nitric oxide specifically, has been linked to optimal immune function and to muscle repair. Therefore, the potential exists to position hemp proteins as a source of digestible arginine."
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