An Expert Provides New Rules for Protein for Athletes

Depending on which corner of the internet you’ve been wandering around lately, protein intake may be the single most important factor determining your health and athletic performance, or your over-hyped and over-ingested tastes may be driving you to an early age. It will either drive you into the graveyard. The truth clearly lies somewhere in the middle, but where exactly?

Last month, the Tannenbaum Sports Science Institute at the University of Toronto hosted meeting Research on high performance sports science. Attendees will delve into esoteric topics such as motion capture data in the NBA, artificial intelligence in professional sports, and international rules for intersex and transgender athletes, as well as hear from Professor Daniel from the University of Toronto about the current state of knowledge regarding protein for athletes. I learned a practical introduction to the topic. Mr. Moore is one of the world’s leading experts on this subject.

Moore’s talk covered a range of commonly held protein myths, misconceptions, and truths. Some of those points I’ve written about recently, most notably the question of whether high-protein diets damage the kidneys and the idea that we can only digest a certain amount of protein at a time. Some addressed the long-standing debate about what, when, why, and how much protein to consume. Here are some highlights from my talk.

Protein is not just for muscle

The basic goal of training is to trigger a cycle of recovery and adaptation in the body, making it stronger. That recovery process involves refueling, hydrating, and repairing cellular damage caused by your workout so your body can rebuild better.

We usually think of proteins in terms of repair, and for good reason. Every day, 1-2% of your body’s muscles are broken down and rebuilt. If you train hard, that number will go up. In the grand scheme of things (as muscle physiologist Luc van Loon points out), this means that you’re completely rebuilding your body every two to three months. Ingested protein provides amino acids that serve as the building blocks for repairing existing muscle and adding new muscle.

But protein also plays a role in energy and hydration. Mr. Moore is recovery drinks containing carbohydrates and protein It helps your muscles replenish glycogen (the form in which your muscles store carbohydrates) more quickly, rather than just ingesting carbohydrates after a hard workout. Similarly, there are studies showing that protein can: increase fluid retention When you become dehydrated, it is one of the causes milk It is sometimes introduced as a drink that is good for recovery. There’s even research that suggests protein can benefit your health Get used to heat training more effectively.

It is worth noting that the post-training increase in glycogen stores with protein only appears to be significant if you are consuming protein. suboptimal carbohydrates. More generally, unless you’re trying to survive on sports drinks alone, you can get the protein you need for things like hydration and heat acclimatization from any food source. However, these studies provide a useful reminder that proteins are not just inactive building blocks of muscle. Proteins play many roles in metabolism, which are important for both health and athletic performance.

Endurance athletes also need protein

The gym buddy cliché of loading up on protein powder is firmly established. Endurance athletes have little interest in building muscle, and in some cases actively dislike it. However, protein requirements may still increase. Repeated intense runs cause muscle damage, which requires extra amino acids to repair. Previous research has also shown that endurance athletes can obtain 5 to 10 percent of their energy needs by burning excess protein rather than taking it into their muscles.

Last year, Moore and his team published research In this experiment, endurance athletes completed a series of runs ranging from 5,000 km to 20,000 km over several days, then ingested a batch of amino acids tagged with a special molecular label to track their progress in the body. tracked. This method allows scientists to determine how much protein is being incorporated into the muscles and how much excess protein is being burned for fuel. By repeating your running protocol while consuming different levels of protein, you can determine how much protein your body needs to meet its muscle repair needs before you start burning excess protein for energy.

They found that, on average, runners need about 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day to maximize muscle building and repair. The average means that half of the runners have their needs met and the other half don’t. A safer limit for protein requirements for 95% of runners is 1.8 to 1.9 g/kg per day. In contrast, the RDA for protein is only 0.8 g/kg/day, and previous recommendations for endurance athletes were 1.2 to 1.4 g/kg/day.

This means that endurance athletes need more protein than the average person. But there’s an additional wrinkle. Endurance athletes require more calories overall than the average person. When you’re training hard, you’re more likely to eat enough to get all the protein you need without putting in any extra effort. A study of Dutch endurance athletes They were found to be taking in 1.5 g/kg per day, which is at least within the approximate range of Moore’s figure. Therefore, there is no need to consume too much protein.

Does more protein mean more muscle?

It’s worth comparing these numbers to the latest data on what’s needed to optimize strength and muscle growth. The best current evidence is: 2018 meta-analysis in British Journal of Sports Medicine This is a compilation of the results of 49 studies on protein supplementation and strength training.

The key result is that consuming more protein significantly increased muscle mass, up to a point. The breaking point in their analysis is 1.6 g/kg/day, beyond which protein intake does not produce large muscle mass. The data is messy, so I’m not going to take this number as the absolute final word on this subject, but it’s worth noting that this number is about the same as the estimated requirements for endurance athletes. Overall, current evidence does not support the idea that high protein intake (e.g., 3 g/kg/day) is useful.

Interesting footnote: While the relationship between protein intake and muscle mass (up to 1.6 g/kg/day) was clear, the relationship between protein intake and muscle strength was much weaker. Although there is a clear link between muscle mass and strength, strength gains also depend on neural adaptation and skill acquisition in the exercise being tested. The positive way to interpret this is that it’s possible to get much stronger without putting on much new muscle.

Whey isn’t the only way

of “Leucine trigger” hypothesis The idea is that new muscle synthesis depends in part on levels of one particular amino acid, leucine. Milk, especially whey protein derived from milk, is particularly high in leucine and other essential amino acids. From here, 2018 survey Published in Amino magazine acidare the leucine and total essential amino acid levels of different protein sources.

Whey is found to be high in leucine and more generally in essential amino acids. But it’s not the only option. Despite its low overall levels of essential amino acids, corn is surprisingly high in leucine, and there are many other reasonable options. Several studies published this year tested this idea. One study found that new muscle synthesis remained the same after consumption. corn or milk protein; another person discovered it Pea, brown rice, and canola protein blend It matched the muscle building performance of whey.

This doesn’t mean all protein sources are created equal. But it does suggest that with a little effort and care, you can get all the muscle-building power you need from a variety of protein sources.

4 rules of protein

It’s easy to get lost in the details, such as leucine levels, recommended intake, and optimal timing. Moore ended his talk with four practical pieces of advice for athletes who want to get the most out of their training.

1. Try to eat meals and snacks regularly, 3 to 5 hours apart.
2. Aim for around 0.3 g/kg of protein per day each time.
3. Focus on real food when it’s convenient.
4. Make sure to meet your overall energy and macronutrient needs for the day.