Finally, Part III of the Protein Series addresses the utilization of protein sources. So what does all this knowledge mean to you, and how can you apply it to choose your protein wisely?
Unless you are sick, the human body must be in a state of “homeostasis,” or balance, which means that proteins are broken down at the same time they are created. Regardless of the sport or recreational fitness activities you participate in, there is one thing in common between them: emphasizing protein synthesis or anabolism over protein breakdown or catabolism. The best way to do this is to make different types of protein available to you throughout the day. That is why it is imperative to understand the different types of protein supplements available on the market.
Just as protein formulations vary, your goals may also vary. Regardless of whether you have a hard time gaining muscle, you’re someone who doesn’t have a problem gaining muscle mass, or even if you’re someone who isn’t interested in gaining a ton of muscle (but wants to keep the muscle they do have, like an endurance athlete). , it is imperative to give your body adequate, high-quality protein on a regular basis.
If your goal is to gain or maintain muscle, adequate and consistent amounts of amino acids in your bloodstream may be beneficial in preventing muscle breakdown or catabolism. The same applies if you practice high intensity sports such as cycling, running, marathons, triathlons, spinning, etc. A single source of casein (calcium or potassium caseinate) throughout the day can help you maintain the muscle you have and minimize muscle loss.
Caseinates have a slow gastric emptying time (they leave the stomach slowly) and therefore help maintain elevated amino acid levels for longer periods of time. These higher levels of amino acids in the bloodstream prevent muscle breakdown. A multi-sourced protein with whey protein concentrate (WPC) and caseinate among the first ingredients (to help prevent muscle breakdown) would also be a great choice.
Regardless of your sport, you want to avoid muscle breakdown (or catabolism) while maintaining your hard-earned muscle mass. If your focus is hypertrophy or muscle gains, you’ll also want to capitalize on anabolism, or muscle building. Unfortunately, WPC and Caseinates don’t do much for anabolism. Recent studies have shown much greater benefits of small molecular size single source proteins (such as whey protein isolates and hydrolyzed whey protein) in building muscle.
Whey protein isolates are an excellent option to supplement before and after training. By taking them before training, you ensure a steady flow of amino acids into your bloodstream for about an hour. Strength training should not last more than an hour and that is why a high quality WPI is a perfect choice.
During exercise, five hormones are released: growth hormone, epinephrine, nor-epinephrine, glucagon, and cortisol. These five hormones are known as “insulin-blocking hormones” because when they are present at high levels in the bloodstream, insulin is not secreted.
The reverse is also true: when insulin is present in large amounts, the other five hormones are not secreted. Insulin’s job is to STORE glucose in muscle cells as glycogen, and the other five hormones are in charge of BREAKING Glycogen back into glucose (in the case of cortisol, breaking down muscle into glucose). Insulin is the most anabolic hormone known to date.
After your next HIGH INTENSITY workout, try this: To take full advantage of the anabolic properties of insulin, wait about 15-20 minutes after your workout (this allows time for growth hormone, epinephrine levels to drop , nor-epinephrine, glucagon and cortisol) and have the following concoction:
20 grams of small molecular size single source protein (such as whey protein isolate or hydrolyzed whey),
70 grams of high glycemic carbohydrates,
10g glutamine,
10g of creatine,
20 g of branched chain amino acids,
300mg alpha lipoic acid (ALA),
1000 mg of vitamin C, and
400-1000 IU of vitamin E
Mix everything together with 32-40 oz. of water
The high glycemic carbohydrates will cause your blood glucose levels to spike, while the alpha lipoic acid will aid in insulin secretion. The increase in insulin due to the high amounts of carbs plus the action of ALA will transport whatever you combined with the high glycemic carbs into the glycogen depleted muscles forcing the necessary nutrients (Vitamins C and E to fight free radicals). ; glutamine, creatine, branched chain amino acids and whey protein isolates/hydrolysates for incredible recovery and growth.
Thirty to forty-five minutes later, your blood sugar levels will crash because the insulin has stored all the glucose produced by the high-glycemic shake. This is the perfect time for a regular meal, such as chicken breast, brown rice, and steamed vegetables, which will help prevent hypoglycemia and keep blood sugar levels within normal limits.
If you don’t have trouble gaining muscle mass, you may not need to rely on a single source of casein (calcium or potassium caseinate) or a multi-source protein, which consists primarily of slow-release, slow-digesting proteins throughout the day. day. to prevent catabolism. However, you will benefit from following the aforementioned protocol of using a high quality WPI or HWP pre-workout to maintain amino acid levels during your workouts, and post-workout along with the insulin-boosting effects of the high-calorie blend. glycemic index for maximum growth and growth. recovery.
It goes without saying that if your weight training workouts are not high intensity (stomach cramps, severe flank pain), you should NOT use the above protocol as it will only increase body fat. This protocol should only be used when you are certain that your muscle glycogen has been depleted from very intense training. If you use the mirrors at the gym to see if your outfit matches, you most likely won’t qualify as a candidate who would benefit from the above mix.
Please note** If your primary interest lies in endurance sports, from marathons to triathlons and all other extreme running events, you too will benefit from this protocol with a slight twist: Don’t add creatine to the mix, as it will your body weight will increase. significantly. Creatine can increase body weight between 5 and 15 pounds.
It would not make sense for someone who spends over $6,000.00 on a bike that is half a pound lighter than their old one to take a supplement that would increase their body weight by five to fifteen pounds. If you are an endurance athlete, it would be fine to use creatine in the off-season as long as the muscle gains are beneficial. Now that I think about it, it also doesn’t make sense for most endurance athletes not to see a dietitian to drop THEIR excess weight too…it can be a lot less expensive than that new bike and make them a whole lot faster. Several of my clients are top notch competitive cyclists and have seen quicker recovery and better power output by incorporating the aforementioned protocol.
There are just as many reasons to use a multi-sourced protein as there are to use a single-sourced protein. These vary as much as the people who use them.
It is difficult to specify exactly which protein regimen and supplement would be best for you as an individual without more information about your training program, training intensity, ability to schedule, and many other factors. I don’t believe in a “one size fits all” mentality for nutrition or training. I think you should monitor your results on a weekly basis to see if what you’re doing is working for you. Here’s a chart I use to determine my clients’ progress:
MUSCLE FAT
? ? Is the meal plan perfect?
? Eating too many calories?
? Don’t eat enough calories?
? Don’t eat enough protein?
Finally, I would like to address a common term used in protein research known as the Protein Efficiency Ratio or PER. PER is a measure of protein quality assessed by determining how well a given protein supports weight gain in laboratory animals: namely rats. The PER is probably not the best scoring system because it overestimates methionine requirements due to the increased need for methionine in rats for hair production.
The protein efficiency ratio is based on the weight gain of a growing rat divided by its intake of a particular dietary protein during the test period. The formula I shared with you earlier in this article of dividing the grams of protein in a serving by the total grams in a serving is known as “protein yield per serving” and is a very useful tool in determining if your protein supplement is mostly protein or mostly useless fillers. This formula should be used with protein from multiple sources or protein from a single source and should not be used with meal replacement powders (MRPs) or other blends that may contain many beneficial ingredients such as essential fatty acids, creatine, glutamine, glycine, flax seed. , fiber and the list goes on and on.
Again, the best results, regardless of your fitness goals, will be seen by incorporating additional protein into your eating plan or diet. Keep in mind that you want a fast dumping protein post-workout for recovery purposes, and a slow dumping protein for satiety and hunger control.
The combinations and forms of use and benefit of these products are as diverse as the population that reads this article. Arming you with the information and knowledge to be able to make an informed purchase and knowing what to look for on a label is just as invaluable as your satisfaction will be once you reach your fitness and nutrition goals.
For more information on personalized nutrition programs and recommendations for specific protein sources and supplements, you can visit our website at http://www.ExerciseAndNutritionWorks.com http://www.ExerciseAndNutritionWorks.com.