Round 2 of super geeky exercise physiology studies for ya! If you missed part 1, be sure to check it out HERE.
So what do any of these studies mean in real lift? Good question and glad you asked.
Here are a few take aways Any food around your training session is better than nothing! Heck, even chocolate milk is better than nothing and a candy bar preexercise did not decrease performance! Now I think there are a few better choices, but you get the idea that proper timing of training nutrition is important.
Nutrition Recommendations for Exercise
- If you have eaten within about 2 hours or so, no preexercise beverage is needed
- If not, about 30 grams protein and 30-60 grams carbs preexercise is a good place to start
- One scoop of whey protein powder and 1 scoop of Biotest Surge works well
- Consume within about 30 minutes preexercise (again listen to your body
and your goal is to train and feel fine and not yack!) - Water during weight training session
- If you are doing endurance work that is longer than an hour, ingest a dilute carb beverage such as Gatorade
- Post training, same beverage as preexercise (30g pro with 30-60 grams carbs)
- Eat your normal meal within about 1-1.5 hours.
- Note---this is just a GENERAL guideline and is by no means absolute--just a good starting point
On to the studies!
Conclusion: “The nutrition countermeasure was not effective in offsetting lower limb muscle volume or strength loss, and actually promoted thigh muscle volume loss. The concurrent aerobic and resistance exercise protocol was effective at preventing thigh muscle volume loss, and thigh and calf muscle strength loss. While the exercise protocol offset approximately 75% of the calf muscle volume loss, modification of this regimen is needed.”
Conclusion: “Although consuming milk during the run affected whole-body leucine kinetics, the benefits of such a practice for athletes remain unclear. Additional studies are needed to determine whether protein supplementation during exercise can optimize protein utilization during recovery.”
International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: protein and exercise.
Conclusion: “The seven points related to the intake of protein for healthy, exercising individuals constitute the position stand of the Society. They have been approved by the Research Committee of the Society.”
Conclusion: “It is concluded that the increased protein content of BCOAD (branched-chain oxoacid dehydrogenase complex) kinase may be involved in the mechanism for reduced BCOADa (branched-chain oxoacid dehydrogenase complex activation) after exercise training in human skeletal muscle. These data also highlight differences in models used to study the regulation of skeletal muscle BCAA (Branched Chain Amino Acids) metabolism, since exercise training was previously reported to increase BCOADa (branched-chain oxoacid dehydrogenase complex activation) during exercise and decrease BCOAD (branched-chain oxoacid dehydrogenase complex) kinase content in rats (Fujii H, Shimomura Y, Murakami T, Nakai N, Sato T, Suzuki M, Harris RA. Biochem Mol Biol Int 44: 1211-1216, 1998).”
Effects of a supplementation during exercise and recovery
Conclusion: “The protein hydrolysate treatment induced adaptations that may promote a decrease in fatigue during exercises, potentially explained by changes in parameters used to represent oxidative damage and antioxidant status at rest and changes in lactate metabolism.”
Conclusion: “The results suggest that endurance exercise at moderate intensity enhances proteolysis in working muscles, and a single oral intake of 2 g of BCAA (branched-chain amino acids) with Arg (arginine) at onset of exercise effectively suppresses exercise-induced skeletal muscle proteolysis.”
Postexercise whole-body protein turnover response to three levels of protein intake.
Conclusion: “Findings from the study show that variations in protein intake can alter plasma amino acid levels and modulate rates of WBPTO (whole-body protein turnover) after exercise. Additionally, a lower protein intake was associated with decreased rates of WBPTO (whole-body protein turnover) after exercise."
