Biological Value of Proteins (BV)
The Biological Value of proteins (BV) are used to determine the percentage of the actual protein your body can use. It captures how readily the digested protein can be used in protein synthesis in the cells. The Biological Value can be very important when analyzing your diet because it isn’t just how many grams of protein you eat each day, it is the quality of those proteins.
| Protein | BV Value | Complete Protein? | Slow or Fast Digested | Notes |
| Whey Protein Isolate | 100-159 | Yes | Fast | Great for post workout, but not for feeling “full”. |
| Whey Concentrate | 104 | Yes | Fast | Great for meal replacement |
| Eggs | 100 | Yes | Slow | The perfect natural protein |
| Milk | 91 | Yes | Slow | Great natural protein |
| Fish | 83 | Yes | Slow | One of the best food sources |
| Beef | 80 | Yes | Slow | Great protein, however saturated fats/cholesterol may be issue |
| Chicken | 79 | Yes | Slow | Great economical food source |
| Casein | 77 | Yes | Slow | Slow digesting protein but not the highest BV |
| Rice | 75 | Depends | Slow | My favorite vegan option |
| Soy Isolate | 74 | Yes | Slow | Soy has phytoestrogens that can raise estrogen levels |
| Pea Protein | 65 | No | Slow | Decent Vegan Option |
| Wheat | 54 | No | Slow | I only like as a whole food, not as a protein powder |
| Bean | 49 | No | Slow | I only like as a whole food, not as a protein powder |
| Peanut | 43 | No | Slow | I only like as a whole food, not as a protein powder |
Sources (Various)
Why is BV important?
Many companies claim to have the highest quality muscle building protein. After analyzing the protein inside the powder can actually tell us if it is quality protein. Meal replacement proteins need to keep you full (that is slow digesting) and that is made primarily of high BV proteins. This needs to be mainly of from whey, casein, egg, milk, etc. It can have some isolates, but you don’t want it to be only an isolate, because isolates are digested fast and will leave you hungry. This is why I suggest Level-1 Protein by 1st Phorm. Level-1 is a true meal replacement protein. It includes Whey Protein Concentrate, Milk Proteins, and Whey Protein Isolates. You can order Level-1 here with free shipping.
Post workout your body would respond better to a whey protein isolate, especially a predigested-hydrolyzed whey protein isolate that digest incredibly fast to deliver the protein (in form of amino acids) to the muscle. This is when your body desperately needs pure protein/amino acids ato rebuild and repair muscle. This is why I suggest the Post workout stack which includes ignition and Phormula-1. It has an ultra high biological value and simple sugars to repair and rebuild. It has 5 grams of BCAAs. You can order here with free shipping.
Summary:
We want to eat a high protein diet, however we want to make sure that we eat high quality protein. Many vegetarians or vegans have to watch for inferior protein sources. If you are vegetarian and drink milk, I highly recommend Phormula-1 and Level-1. These protein sources are light years ahead of plant options.
Thank you for reading and share with your friends,
Dustin Holston
Certified Nutritionist/Personal Trainer