For an extra protein boost! Peas were one of the earliest cultivated crops in our time. Evidence exists from the Stone Age (about 4500 BC). Peas are still a major foodstuff around the world and are also one of the few plants that are nitrogen-fixing, i.e. they have an ability to bind and use atmospheric nitrogen. This means that the need for nitrogen-rich manure is reduced, which makes the pea an environmentally sustainable crop to grow. Nitrogen, in the form of nitrate, is a common source of environmental pollution as the excessive use in farming leads to seepage into the groundwater. Proteins are made up of amino acids, and amino acids are often called the building blocks of protein. Besides water, protein is the most abundant component of muscle, about 20%. When muscles are experiencing stress, for example during training, they break down proteins and muscle fibres are separated. The process of repair and growth, also known as protein synthesis, requires raw materials in the form of amino acids. To increase muscle mass, protein synthesis must exceed protein degradation.