Protein Questions and Answers

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Q1. Is protein supplementation necessary?

Ultimately weather protein supplements are of value will depend on the consumer's specific needs and habitual dietary intake. Many health professionals imply that protein supplementation is unnecessary and that the recommended daily intake for protein is easily achieved via normal dietary intake. However, this argument is based on the assumption that everyone consumes a well balanced diet containing a range of high quality protein sources. In today's hectic world how many people actually achieve this? If you don't achieve your recommended daily intake of protein each and every day a protein supplement would defiantly be of benefit.

Additionally this argument fails to take into account the differing needs of individuals within our society. What about athletes and/or bodybuilders who want to maximise their lean muscle mass. If you eat three meals per day your protein intake is limited to three intakes per 24 hours. Protein synthesis is a continuous activity that requires a balanced supply of amino acids (Houston, 1999). By consuming protein supplements you can increase the frequency of protein ingestion, which will assist in maintaining blood amino acid concentrations across the day. This may increase protein synthesis (Houston, 1999), which could be of benefit to those wanting to maximise their lean muscle mass.

In recent years there have been a number of research studies that have indicated that
ingesting protein and carbohydrate prior to and after training can produce a greater increase in protein synthesis (Tipton et al., 2001;Rasmussen et al., 2000). Over weeks or months this may lead to greater protein accumulation therefore resulting in greater gains in muscle size, strength and athletic performance. Obviously the form of protein ingested prior to training is immensely important so as to not induce gastrointestinal distress that could ultimately impair the quality of your training. Protein supplements can provide a quality source of protein that is rapidly absorbed without causing the gastrointestinal distress that can be associated with whole food protein sources. Consequently, protein supplements may be a more practical protein source for athletes wanting to consume protein in close proximity to exercise.

Finally, what about those individuals that want to maintain their dietary protein intake while reducing their calories. Protein supplements allow protein to be consumed without the saturated fat, carbohydrate and unnecessary calories that come hand in hand with many whole food protein sources. This can ultimately allow the individual to meet their protein requirements while maintaining a low calorie intake.

Therefore the debate as to weather protein supplementation is or isn't necessary is not as black and white as some health professionals would imply. It depends on a number of factors including a person's normal habitual protein intake, their lifestyle and their natural taste preferences. The best judge of whether protein supplementation is necessary is the consumer.

Q2. How much protein do I need per day?

Recommended protein intake for adult individuals who are inactive or sedentary is 0.75g/kg/day (National Health and Medical Research Council, 2004). This means that if you are a 70kg office worker that does no exercise your daily protein intake would be 0.75g x 70kg = 52.5g per day. However it is generally accepted that those involved in exercise or training have higher protein requirements. Those involved in strength (weight) training are generally advised to consume around 1.6-1.7g/kg/day, while those involved in endurance training (eg triathlon) are generally advised to consume around 1.2-1.4g/kg/day (Lemon, 1998). Therefore if you were a 100kg bodybuilder you would be advised to consume around 1.7g x 100kg = 170g protein per day. Likewise if you were a 65kg Triathlete you would be advised to consume 1.4g x 65kg = 91g protein per day.

Q3. What is Whey protein?

Whey protein is derived from the process by which cheese is made from milk. In reality it is actually a by-product of the cheese making process. Via a number of purifying processes the final product sold as whey protein contains upward of 80% protein.

Q4. What is the difference between whey concentrate and isolate?

Whey protein isolate is often seen written as WPI, while whey protein concentrate is written as WPC. Although they are both considered whey protein, they vary in their composition and the manufacturing processes involved in their production. WPI has a slightly greater protein content of about 90%, while WPC is approximately 80% (Kreider, 2002). Both are excellent protein sources.

Q5. How can protein supplements be used during weight loss?

One of the advantages of ingesting adequate protein and performing resistance training during calorie restriction is that it helps maintain your lean muscle mass (Demling et al., 2000). This is important as lean muscle tissue burns calories and helps ensure your metabolic rate remains high. Lets remember that it is fat (not weight) that you want to lose. If you lose muscle mass during energy restriction your metabolic rate will drop and it will make it increasingly difficult to lose the desired body fat. However, maintaining an adequate protein intake while simultaneously restricting your calorie intake can be difficult as many protein sources are also high in fat and calories. Protein supplements are a source of protein that contains very little fat. If you take Body Science WPI as an example, one 30-gram serve provides 27grams of protein. To achieve this protein intake (27 grams) from a whole food source such as eggs you would need around four eggs. However as seen in figure 1 (below) WPI provides a method of ingesting protein while minimising fat intake.

Figure 1: A comparison of the protein and fat content in one 30g serve of Body Science WPI versus four eggs. Note that while the protein intakes are identical the fat intake is higher with the consumption of the eggs.

Q6. Body Science makes a number of protein supplements. Which is the best choice out of WPI, WPC, soy protein and egg protein?

They are all quality sources of protein and it is impossible to state which is the best as that depends on many variables, both objective and subjective. Egg protein has been commercially available for some time and is very popular among many consumers. It could be considered a good choice for lacto-ovo vegetarians (those that include eggs in their diet) (Kreider, et al., 2002).

It is known that muscle anabolism is promoted when protein intake coincides with sensitive physiological states such as during recovery from exercise (Mosoni et al, 2003). Consequently if protein is to be ingested immediately after exercise it may be advised to consume a protein source that maximises amino acid availability in the shortest possible time. As WPC and WPI are considered fast proteins (Ha, 2003) they may be an excellent choice for pre and post training. Soy protein is the obvious choice for those individuals who are strict vegetarians (Kreider, et al., 2002).

Q7. Would any of the protein supplements stack well together?

Yes, there are numerous potential ways to stack BSc protein supplements but one combination may be particularly effective for strength athletes and bodybuilders. This involves stacking Peptobol and Mass Monster. Peptobol being a hydrolysed protein source will reach the blood stream more quickly, which if consumed immediately prior to exercise may facilitate protein synthesis. Unlike Peptibol, Mass Monster contains a blend of fast and slowly absorbed proteins. Consuming a mixture of both rapid and slowly absorbed proteins immediately post exercise will supply amino acids for protein synthesis while potentially offsetting protein catabolism via the more gradual release of amino acids from the slow protein sources. An example is provided below as to how this stack could be used.

Q8. Could protein be stacked with a sports drink to facilitate recovery after an endurance event such as a Triathlon?

Yes this is a practice used by many athletes. In fact a recent study investigated the effect of adding protein to a standard carbohydrate type sports drink (Niles et al., 2001). The study required endurance athletes perform a long and fatiguing exercise session. Athletes then ingested either a carbohydrate drink (standard sports drink) or a carbohydrate drink with protein added. Several hours later the athletes performed another exercise performance test. Results indicated that athletes consuming the carbohydrate drink with added protein performed superiorly in the second exercise test. This may suggest that the addition of protein to a sports drink may facilitate recovery at a faster rate than carbohydrate alone. To trial a similar stack simply combine a serving of EcoAid with 40 grams of whey protein isolate (WPI) immediately after exercise.

Q9. Are protein supplements safe?

There have been only positive reports back from sponsored athletes and consumers of BSC protein products. Excessive consumption of any protein supplement or source is not advised. Unfortunately many manufacturers recommend very large protein serves and daily intakes. This has no scientific backing and is simply a marketing ploy to increase the volume of product purchased. At Body Science we recommend our products be used in a manner that optimises health rather than impairing it.

Q10. Could protein supplements cause a positive drug test?

No, protein is not a banned substance. In fact none of the ingredients in body science protein products are listed on the current World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) prohibited list (WADA, 2004). Therefore, protein supplements can be considered a safe and legal method of supplementing the diet, even in elite athletes subjected to regular drug testing.

References:

1.Demling, R.H. and DeSanti, L. Effect of a hypocaloric diet, increased protein intake and resistance training on lean mass gains and fat mass loss in overweight police officers. Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism. 44:21-9, 2000.
2.Ha, E. Zemel, M.B. Functional properties of whey, whey components, and essential amino acids: mechanisms underlying health benefits for active people. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. 14:251-258, 2003
3.Houston, M.E. Gaining weight: the scientific basis of increasing skeletal muscle mass. Canadian journal of applied physiology. 24:305-316, 1999
4.Kreider, R.B. Which protein is best for sports performance? Availible online at: http://www.ffnmag.com/ASP/home.asp
5.Mosoni L. Mirand PP. Type and timing of protein feeding to optimize anabolism. [Review] [41 refs] [Journal Article. Review. Review, Tutorial] Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care. 6(3):301-6, 2003 May.
6.National Health and Medical Research Council, 2004: Availible online: http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/publications/diet/n6p1.htm
7.Niles, E.S., Lachowetz, T., Garfi, J., Sullivan, W., Smith, J.C., Leyh, B.P., Headley, S.A. Carbohydrate-protein drink improves time to exhaustion after recovery from endurance exercise. [Article URL ] Journal of exercise physiology online 4(1), Jan 2001, http://www.css.edu/users/tboone2/asep/Niles1Col.doc
8.Rerat AA. Nutritional supply of proteins and absorption of their hydrolysis products: consequences on metabolism. [Review] [41 refs] [Journal Article. Review. Review, Tutorial] Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 52(2):335-44, 1993
9.Rasmussen, B, B., Tipton, K.D., Miller, S.L., Wolf, S.E. and Wolfe, R.R. An oral essential amino acid-carbohydrate supplement enhances muscle protein anabolism after resistance exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology. 88:386-392, 2000
10.Tipton, K.D., Rasmussen, B.B., Miller, S.L., Wolf, S.E., Owens-Stoval,l S.K., Petrini, B.E. and Wolfe, R.R. Timing of amino acid-carbohydrate ingestion alters anabolic response of muscle to resistance exercise. American Journal of Physiology - Endocrinology & Metabolism. 281:E197-E206, 2001
11.World Anti Doping Agency prohibited list (2004). Available online: http://www.wada-ama.org/en/t1.asp