Muscle protein breakdown (MPB) and muscle protein synthesis (MPS) are the two sides of muscle protein turnover, the ongoing cycle of tearing down old or damaged muscle proteins and building new ones. In simple terms, MPB is the process of breaking muscle proteins into amino acids for recycling, while MPS is the creation of new muscle proteins from those amino acids. This cycle never stops: human tracer studies indicate that approximately 1–2% of muscle proteins are degraded and resynthesized daily, even at rest, to maintain muscle health and responsiveness to training. Understanding how MPB and MPS respond to exercise and nutrition explains why protein is essential for performance, endurance, and recovery, and how to maintain or build muscle over time.

Essential vitamins and minerals power everything from energy production to bone formation, recovery, and immune defense. They are called “essential” because the body either cannot produce them or cannot produce enough, so we must get them from food or supplements. For active adults and athletes, staying consistently nourished can be the difference between plateau and progress. This article explains what these nutrients do, where to find them, and how to choose multivitamin blends that naturally support active lifestyles.

Circulating amino acids are the immediately available “currency” your body uses to repair muscle, make enzymes and neurotransmitters, and fuel energy pathways. For athletes, maintaining an adequate circulating pool of amino acids before, during, and after training is essential to drive muscle protein synthesis, limit muscle damage, and support recovery. In practice, this means prioritizing high-quality performance protein for sports nutrition, timing intake for rapid availability, and distributing doses across the day to sustain the anabolic signal.

Leaft Foods, the creators of Leaft Blade, CEO Ross Milne joins host Megan Thomas from FoodTech Stories to talk about Rubisco, an enzyme found in green leaves that is rich in protein. 

Understanding how fast different proteins digest helps you match what you eat to what your body needs. Protein digestion rate is the speed at which a dietary protein is broken down and absorbed as amino acids, which then drive muscle repair, growth, and energy. Because protein absorption and bioavailability vary by source and processing, protein timing can significantly impact outcomes. Broadly, animal proteins and traditional plant proteins are not digested at the same rate or with the same efficiency; even within each category, there is substantial variation. For example, whey is considered fast, casein is slow, whereas leaf proteins, like the rubisco contained in Leaft Blade, set a new standard for speed and digestive comfort. Below, we explain how digestion works and compare digestion rates across common and novel proteins.

Rubisco is a plant-derived enzyme at the heart of photosynthesis that is now being developed as a clean, complete nutrition source for modern food systems. As the most abundant protein on Earth, rubisco offers a high-quality amino acid profile, excellent digestibility, and a neutral taste; traits that make it compelling for brands building functional, performance, and everyday foods. Interest from R&D, nutrition, and sustainability leaders is accelerating because rubisco pairs human-grade nutrition with a small environmental footprint, enabling low-carbon protein at scale.

Rubisco is emerging as a next-generation leaf protein sourced from leaves for functional foods and performance nutrition. Short for ribulose‑1,5‑bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase, it is the most abundant protein on Earth and a key enzyme involved in photosynthesis. For formulators and health-conscious consumers, rubisco stands out as a complete protein with exceptional digestibility and clean taste, making it ideal for dairy-free recipes and alternative food systems.