Sports Nutrition Protein Facts

Sports Nutrition Protein Facts by Jeff Feliciano

Daily athletes and fitness enthusiasts looking to perform better should be concerned about getting enough protein and calories rather than concerning themselves about what type of protein to consume or when. Protein, protein, protein is the order of the day when you are starting out in pursuit of athletic goals.

Those looking to achieve/improve their muscle function and performance should get at least 1 gram per pound body weight and proper calories to be aligned with your exercise goals. Whether you are looking to gain size and strength or burn fat and obtain lean muscle, protein combined with proper calories is the best start. Science tells us that the importance of protein nutrition is to eat enough and frequently (on the order of every 2-2½ hours).

There are two main concepts exercise physiologists tell us we need to understand as athletes. First, protein supplements are digested at varying rates depending on the protein, as well as the fat and carbohydrate content. Casein and Milk Protein Concentrates are digested slowly, which effects protein metabolism, while whey and soy are digested quickly.

The slow protein is more anticatabolic and can support muscle protein synthesis over a long period, which is good. Whey protein is more anabolic, but over a shorter duration. Whey protein probably supports muscle growth during periods when the muscle and body demand amino acids quickly rather than slowly like casein.

When the body is recovering from exercise and trying to support elevated rates of muscle protein synthesis, casein and milk protein concentrates - along with tissue protein (lean meats) from chicken, fish, or beef - are more than likely superior to whey. What the body needs is a slow continuous influx of amino acids. Tissue proteins, as well as caseins and milk protein concentrates, are best suited for this purpose. Periods of rest - such as at night during sleep and at times other than immediately before, during or after training - are ideal times to take these proteins.

The second concept exercise physiologists suggest you become familiar with is the one which tells us that consuming quickly digested proteins such as free form amino acids - especially combinations of essential amino acids and proteins like whey or soy protein - immediately before, during, and immediately after intense exercise, amplifies exercise induced muscle protein synthesis.

Exercise induces the muscle to increase its synthetic pathways…to build more muscle. Research shows that providing the muscle with a supply of dietary amino acids before the muscle actually begins to speed up its protein synthesis – such as immediately before training as well as during and immediately after training – allows you to get the most out of these critical periods of accelerated periods of muscle growth---to grow more.

Other research tells us that during this critical window of nutrition, which is close to exercise, the amino acids from whey avoid some of the oxidation that they are normally exposed to since blood levels are cleared quickly after exercise. The body needs the amino acids, and it needs them quickly. Free form amino acids, whey, and soy protein are best suited to supply the body with the amino acids it needs during this critical time for muscle growth.

A combination of casein or milk protein and whey is digested only as fast as its slowest protein, so it will be digested more slowly than just whey protein since the casein content controls the rate of digestion.

Whey protein combined with fat and carbohydrate is digested more slowly and metabolized more efficiently, so their amino acids are utilized more for protein synthesis than if you were consuming pure whey protein.

And finally, adding creatine to any protein powder, whether it is whey, casein, or milk protein concentrate, produces a bigger bump in muscle protein synthesis.

For extra reading, we suggest the following references:

• Boirie Y, Dangin M, Gachon P, Vasson MP, Maubois JL, Beaufrere B. Slow and fast dietary proteins differently modulate postprandial protein accretion. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1997 Dec 23;94(26):14930-5.

• Burke DG, Chilibeck PD, Davidson KS, Candow DG, Farthing J, Smith-Palmer T. The effect of whey protein supplementation with and without creatine monohydrate combined with resistance training on lean tissue mass and muscle strength. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2001 Sep;11(3):349-64.

• Morens C, Bos C, Pueyo ME, Benamouzig R, Gausseres N, Luengo C, Tome D, Gaudichon C. Increasing habitual protein intake accentuates differences in postprandial dietary nitrogen utilization between protein sources in humans. J. Nutr. 2003 Sep;133(9):2733-40.

• Tipton KD, Wolfe RR. Protein and amino acids for athletes. J Sports Sci. 2004 Jan;22(1):65-79.