Carbohydrate - Protein Supplements

I did a research paper on this topic for Senior Seminar. I thought I would share some of it for the Blog.

In all the studies a carbohydrate-protein supplement was found to have a greater return on muscle glycogen resynthesis then the carbohydrate counterpart. In one study by J.L. Ivy, they found:
* CHO- PRO had 48% of glycogen restored(5).
* CHO had 31% of glycogen restored(5).
This was taken with muscle biopsies at 1 and 2 hours post exercise(5).
During recovery from exercise there is an increased sensitivity to insulin on muscle glucose and glycogen resynthesis(1,2,4).
The rationale for adding protein to a carbohydrate supplement has been to increase the effectiveness of the supplement raising the plasma insulin concentration(2,5). By increasing the plasma insulin levels it allows for higher glucose uptake and a higher redistribution of intercellular glucose(2).
There is a brief period of time that is most beneficial to having a protein supplement with a carbohydrate drink, that time being:
* 0-40 minutes following exercise.
Another study states that there is an initial insulin independent phase, following the 30-60 minutes post exercise, where glycogen resynthesis is the highest. After the 60 minutes time period the muscles become insulin dependent causing a slower glycogen resynthesis(3).


Bernardi, J.M., T.B. Price, and P.W. Lemon. Post exercise muscle glycogen recovery enhanced with a carbohydrate- protein supplement. Med. Sci. Sports Exercise. 38:1106-1113, 2006
Bowtwell, J.L., K. Gelly, M.L. Jackman, A. Patel, and M. Simeoni. Effectof different carbohydrate drinks on whole body carbohydrate storage after exhaustive exercise. J Appl Physiol. 88:1569-1536,2000
Hall, G.V., S.M. Shirreffs, and J.A. Calbet. Muscle glycogen resynthesis during recovery from cycle exercise: no effect of additional protein ingestion. J Appl Physiol. 88:1631-1636, 2000

Soy Milk and Protein and Children

Soy milk is nutritionally close to cow's milk, though most soy milk commercially available today is enriched with added vitamins such as vitamin B12. It naturally has about the same amount of protein (but not the same proteins) as cow milk. Natural soy milk contains little digestible calcium.
Soy milk is a good alternative for children over a year old who don't like or are allergic to cows' milk. Soy milk comes in different flavors, and it's perfectly safe to give those to your child. Soy is also a good source of protein.
Be sure to buy whole soy milk, not the low- or nonfat versions, because fat is important for brain development in children under 2 years old. Also, make sure the milk is fortified with vitamin A, vitamin D, and calcium.
You may want to make sure your child's diet contains other calcium-rich or calcium-fortified foods because soy milk contains phytates, naturally occurring substances found in whole-grain foods, legumes, and nuts that can decrease the absorption of calcium and other minerals. For example, while the label on a container of fortified soy milk may say that an 8-ounce glass contains 200 to 300 mg of calcium, the phytates can prevent your child from absorbing that full amount. Studies have found that the body absorbs only about 75 percent of the calcium from soy milk. Calcium-rich or fortified foods include broccoli, kale, lime-processed tortillas, yogurt, cheese, and calcium-fortified juices, cereals, waffles, and breakfast bars.
Because soy milk is plant-based, it doesn't have any vitamin B12, a vitamin that you get only from animal foods, including cows' milk. Pouring soy milk over a cereal fortified with vitamin B12 is enough to ensure that your child starts the day with the right amount of nutrients.
Many brands of soy milk highlight the fact that they contain isoflavones. Isoflavones are phytoestrogens, estrogen-like hormones found in plants such as whole grains, potatoes, dried beans, and apples that may lower blood cholesterol levels in adults. The phytoestrogens found in soy milk are safe for children and adults.

http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/medical/heart/ida.html
Frank M. Sacks MD, et a. (2006) Soy Protein, Isoflavones, and Cardiovascular Health. An American Heart Association Science Advisory
http://www.thedietchannel.com/Soy-Milk-Healthy-For-Children.htm

Proteins for Breakfast

We have all been told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, it jump starts your metabolism and gets you feeling full and eating less throughout the day. Yet what is the importance of adding protein to your breakfast. Focus on a blend of protein and carbohydrates at breakfast. Hearty carbohydrates will give that boost of energy to jumpstart your day. A mix of protein will be the staying power to keep your body going strong over the next three to four hours until lunch. A perfect way to get this is to have a healthy bowl of oatmeal and then have that oatmeal with a cup of 2% milk.

Protein Requirments for ATHLETES

Due to a few fellow students concern about protein requirements for people who are active here is a follow up to those questions. This article is from the ACE, the American Council of Exercise. To give a summary the article says that athletes primary fuel source is carbohydrates as we all know. Correct me if I am wrong but when you are an athlete 70% of your diet should be carbohydrates.

The article goes on to say that athletes DO NOT need more protein for competitive weight lifting saying, "The ADA does not support the notion that the protein needs of a competitive weight lifter are greater than the average individual. The official ADA position is that a well-balanced diet will provide the dietary protein a weight lifter needs."

The article did mention a person that works out at high intense aerobic such as a competitve runner, cyclist saying, "The American Dietetic Association (ADA) recommends increased protein intake only for individuals involved in intense aerobic training (greater than 70 percent VO² max). "

YET you have to take into consideration "that since average Americans, including most athletes, already consume one-and-a-half to two times the RDA, it would appear that athletes do not need to increase their protein intake."

If you want to check out the original article: http://www.acefitness.org/fitfacts/fitnessqa_display.aspx?itemid=271

Protein Calculator

This website lets you put in your weight in (kg) and then gives you a rough estimate of how much protein you should consure. Try it out, its interesting.

http://www.gazza.net.nz/2007/09/18/protein-calculator-protein-requirement/

Protein Requirments

According to the Dietary Reference Intake guidelines, women aged 19–70 need to consume 46 grams of protein per day. Men aged 19–70 need to consume 56 grams of protein per day to avoid a deficiency. The difference is due to the fact that men's bodies generally have more muscle mass than those of women.

Excess Protein Consumption

The body is unable to store protein therefore excess protein is broken down and converted into sugars or fatty acids. The liver removes nitrogen from the amino acids, so that they can be burned as fuel, and the nitrogen is incorporated into urea, the substance that is excreted by the kidneys. These organs can normally cope with any extra workload but if kidney disease occurs, a decrease in protein will often be prescribed.

Excessive protein intake may also cause the body to lose calcium, which could lead to bone loss in the long-term. However, many protein powders, for instance, come supplemented with various amounts of calcium per serving size so as to counteract the calcium-loss effect.
Some suspect excessive protein intake is linked to several problems:
Overreaction within the immune system
Liver dysfunction due to increased toxic residues
Loss of bone density, frailty of bones is due to calcium and glutamine being leached from bone and muscle tissue to balance increased acid intake from diet (blood pH is maintained at around 7.4). This effect is not present if intake of alkaline minerals (from fruits and vegetables, cereals are acidic as are proteins, fats are neutral) is high. In such cases, protein intake is anabolic to bone.

Many researchers think excessive intake of protein forces increased calcium excretion. If there is to be excessive intake of protein, it is thought that a regular intake of calcium would be able to stabilize, or even increase the uptake of calcium by the small intestine, which would be more beneficial in older women.