Sunday, June 23, 2013

PROTEIN POWDERS: CAN YOU USE THEM IN HOT DRINKS AND RECIPES? By Veeraj Goyaram

PROTEIN POWDERS: CAN YOU USE THEM IN HOT DRINKS AND RECIPES?

By Veeraj Goyaram for Bodybuilding Mauritius
Very often we are told to not use protein powders in hot drinks and hot recipes. The reason being:

 "Heat denatures the protein" and "decreases the protein content, making the supplement less effective" 

This is not 100% correct. 

Yes, heating DOES denature the protein but denaturation is not the end of the world. 

DENATURATION!! I think people misunderstand this term. 

What is denaturation?
Protein molecules in nature have a certain structure; they are folded in different ways. Denaturation simply means a disruption of the 3D structure of the protein by means of high temperature (and also chemical, pH change or UV light) exposure. Therefore the denatured protein unfolds from its original state.  


Does denaturation render the protein useless?
The answer is NO. The body can still use the protein. When a person eats protein his/ her main aim is to get amino acids from the protein. Digestive enzymes break down the protein into amino acids that are utilised by the body for various functions, one being muscle protein synthesis. When we cook an egg we are denaturing the protein that is why it coagulates but we don't mind this, do we? Protein supplements (whey, casein etc) are no different.

The protein content does not decrease with heating. 

How about bio-active fractions in whey protein?
In the case of whey protein, the heat may be altering some of the biological properties of the whey protein by denaturation (e.g bioactive peptides present in whey protein like lactoferrin) but I am not sure about the amount of heat necessary for this to happen. I must still do more research on this topic. 

You can add protein powder on your cooked oatmeal in the morning. Below is a yummy recipe! 

You can stir some protein powder into your coffee before training but careful to not add the protein powder to boiling liquids because it may coagulate and thus alter the sensory properties of the drink. 

I add a heat-stable milk protein powder to my coffee or tea everyday. 


PROTEIN FUDGE QUICK RECIPE
Add two scoops of protein powder to a mug, add enough milk to dissolve the protein into a thick paste. Then add 1 large spoon of peanut butter and stir into a paste. Microwave the whole thing for about two minutes. Keep an eye on it so that it doesn't overcook and turn into rubber. LOL. Voila! You get a cake. Protein powder becomes food! 

Approximate nutritional content:
37g Protein
5g Carbs
10g Fats
258 calories
 Questions? Suggestions?
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