Eggs Redux by Jerry Brainum 3/22

 

I've written two previous articles about eggs that appeared in two separate issues of Applied Metabolics back in 2017. So why am I again writing about eggs five years later? Because new research has appeared about the health effects of eggs as well as the bodybuilding benefits of eggs. When I began training 60 years ago, eggs were considered the best protein food of all. This is related to the high biological value of the protein found in eggs. The biological value of a protein is determined by ease of digestion, as well as the ability to promote growth. When you think about it, it's not surprising that eggs contain such superior protein content since they are the first source of nutrition, other than Mother's milk. What makes eggs special is that they contain a concentrated assortment of essential amino acids, the elemental forms of protein that are needed for growth. However, the average 6 grams of protein that is contained in an egg consists of amino acids found in both the yolk and white of the egg. In bodybuilding and elsewhere, it's popular to toss the yolk and consume only egg whites. The basis for this action is that the yolk contains the fat and cholesterol content of eggs, while the white is nearly pure protein. But again, half the protein content of eggs exists in the yolk, so when you consume only egg whites you are ingesting only 3 grams of protein per egg white. And the ideal amino acid balance that makes eggs such a superior source of protein comes from consuming whole eggs. The white alone does not, contrary to popular belief, contain an ideal amino acid balance.

When I started training, whey protein supplements were rare and not often used. The whey back in those days was a much more raw product compared to today's version of whey protein supplements. As a result, when you consumed milk and egg protein, which was considered the best protein supplement in those days, the milk included in the product was usually either a whole milk powder or casein, which is the major protein found in milk. Casein proved problematic because when you mixed it, it gelled up and tasted awful. I recall sending for a casein supplement that was sold by a famous Canadian powerlifting champion named Doug Hepburn. I was only 12 years old at the time and had a lot of respect for Hepburn, who was considered one of the strongest men in the world. In my prepubescent mind, I somehow equated Hepburn's prodigious strength to his use of the protein powder he sold. Hepburn's product arrived a few weeks later, and it consisted of a brown paper bag containing the protein powder. Unfortunately, the product had been damaged in shipping, leaving me . . .