Protein - Is there really a cause and effect relationship?

December 8, 2003

Here is my second question to the group:

There are varying opinions on how much protein one should take if

they are interested in gaining muscle.

Some say, one gm per pound of body weight, others say 1.5gms/pd, and

some say less.

My question is this: Where has it been proven definitively that

eating protein = muscle growth? For example, what if all of my

calories came from carbs? Would I not gain muscle?

This seems like an elementary question, but its really not, I don't

think.

Secondly, types of protein: Assuming protein digestion is normal (in

other words no allergic reaction to specific sources, i.e. shrimp)

all protein should be the SAME. Whether its Soy, Red Meat, Fish,

Anything. The amount per gram would vary, as well as the other

aspects of the food such as fat, but onces the digestive system

breaks it down, there is no difference. So why does it SEEM like so

many body builders insist on red meat? No, I'm not a vegetarian, so I

eat just as much meat as some people.

R. Moos

Topanga, CA

USA

December 15, 2003

Well many studies show heighted levels of muscle

protein synthesis... simply doing a search on pub med

would reveal this. And if you think about it, it

makes sense. Muscle is composed of amino acids (the

actual fiber that is) and thus amino acids are the

substrate for muscle synthesis. Thus by creating

microtears in the muscle from training you increase

the body's capacity for amino acid substrates.

Layne Norton

Eckerd College, St. Pete FL USA

--- " R. Moos " wrote:

> Here is my second question to the group:

>

> There are varying opinions on how much protein one

> should take if

> they are interested in gaining muscle.

>

> Some say, one gm per pound of body weight, others

> say 1.5gms/pd, and

> some say less.

>

> My question is this: Where has it been proven

> definitively that

> eating protein = muscle growth? For example, what

> if all of my

> calories came from carbs? Would I not gain muscle?

>

> This seems like an elementary question, but its

> really not, I don't

> think.

>

> Secondly, types of protein: Assuming protein

> digestion is normal (in

> other words no allergic reaction to specific

> sources, i.e. shrimp)

> all protein should be the SAME. Whether its Soy, Red

> Meat, Fish,

> Anything. The amount per gram would vary, as well as

> the other

> aspects of the food such as fat, but onces the

> digestive system

> breaks it down, there is no difference. So why does

> it SEEM like so

> many body builders insist on red meat? No, I'm not a

> vegetarian, so I

> eat just as much meat as some people.

>

> R. Moos

> Topanga, CA

> USA

December 15, 2003

,

Think of it this way, if you want to build a house, you need two

things, construction workers and building material, the workers

provide the energy to turn the raw materials into finished product.

Any food (carbs, fat, and protein) provides energy, although the body

prefers to use carbs and fat, and lastly protein as energy. Protein

serves as the raw material for EVERYTHING in the body, particularly

muscle. And just as you can't build a house without bricks or boards,

you can't build a body without protein.

How Much?

Athletes simply need more protein than the average couch

potato. " Exercise induced changes in amino acid metabolism suggest an

increased need for dietary amino acids (i.e. increased protein

requirement " (5)(p. 143) During and particularly after exercise

protein degradation (breakdown) exceeds protein synthesis (building).

How much protein an individual requires is dependent on the

individual (everyone's body is different) and the type of exercise

they do (distance running vs. powerlifting vs. bodybuilding vs.

tennis etc.), and the volume and intensity they perform at.

In their review of the relevant research, , Gautsch, and Layman

(5) found that while increased dietary protein intake may not directly

enhance performance measures (strength, speed, power, etc.)

individuals on higher protein diets gained more lean muscle mass

than those consumer lesser amounts.(3) This was just one cited

example, and is in agreement with other studies I have read. The

authors recommend 1.2-1.4 g/kg/day for endurance athletes and 1.4-1.8

for strength athletes.(5) Although consumption of 2.0+ g/kg/day

are " safe " (4) But again, it is highly dependent on individual

differences. If you are interested in reading more research on the

effects of dietary protein, some of the foremost researchers in this

area are (Tarnopolsky, M.A.) (Lemon, P.W.) (Tipton, S.E.) (Wolfe,

R.R.)and (Volek, J.) a search for their work on PubMed

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed?) should reveal quite a body of

work to read.

What Kind?

To use my building analogy, its like the three little pigs, you want

to use quality material (brick vs straw). In fact, what you eat may

be MORE important than how much. The real difference comes down to

amino acid profile of the food you eat. There are 20 amino acids (the

building blocks of protein); 9 AAs are essential, you must get them

in your diet because your body CANNOT synthesize them from the

others. So it is advantageous to get the majority of you protein from

foods that have all of these essential amino acids. These foods are

termed as protein sources of high biological value. Some examples are

meats (beef, chicken and fish), eggs, and dairy products to name the

major ones. Incomplete or low BV foods such as soy, vegetables, nuts,

and seeds, while having spectacular health benefits for a number of

reasons are not as valuable when considering your protein intake. The

powerful effect of the essential amino acids was demonstrated by

Borsheim, Tipton, Wolf, & Wolfe (2) as they noted that the non-

essential amino acids are apparently not required to stimulate and

increase in protein synthesis.(1) On a side note, beside having a

poor AA profile, soy intake may cause a number of health/performance

problems for men, for an excellent article on the topic, with

references, visit http://t-mag.com/html/body_87prote.html , or

http://www.t-mag.com/nation_articles/185soy.html .

There is also a considerable amount of research on when you should

consume protein for the best performance/muscle building results. IN

an effort to not take up any more space I will summarize all three

topics.

-Quantity consumed should be based on individual differences and

demand (type, volume, and intensity) of exercise, but it should be at

minimum 1.5 g/kg/day if your active

-Consume high quality proteins (fish, chicken, eggs, yogurt, milk,

whey or casein supplement powders

-spread consumption throughout the day (each meal preferably)

-Consume a fast digesting protein ASAP after exercise (liquid whey

protein powder supplement), preferably with some amount of glucose or

sucrose to stimulate the insulin response to improve uptake

-Avoid soy like the flu, and the plague

I hope that helped get you started on the topic. References below

Roe, CSCS

La Crosse, WI

1. , J. Essential Amino Acids. Strength and Conditioning

Journal. 25(3): 48-49. 2003

2. Borsheim, E., Tipton, K.D., Wolf, S.E., and Wolfe, R.R. Essential

Amino acids and muscle protein recovery from resistance exercise.

American Journal of Physiology. 283: E648-E657. 2002

3. Fern, E.B., Bileski, R.N., and Schutz, Y. Effects of exaggerated

amino acid and protein supply in man. Experientia. 47, 168, 1991.

4. , C.R. Nutrition and the Strength Athlete. Boca Raton: CRC

Press. 2001.

5. , G.L., Gautsch, T.A., & Layman, D.K. Amino Acid and Protein

Metabolism during exercise and recovery. In: Nutrition in exercise

and Sport 3rd Ed. Wolisky, I (Ed.) New York. CRC Press. 1998

> Here is my second question to the group:

>

> There are varying opinions on how much protein one should take if

> they are interested in gaining muscle.

>

> Some say, one gm per pound of body weight, others say 1.5gms/pd, and

> some say less.

>

> My question is this: Where has it been proven definitively that

> eating protein = muscle growth? For example, what if all of my

> calories came from carbs? Would I not gain muscle?

>

> This seems like an elementary question, but its really not, I don't

> think.

>

> Secondly, types of protein: Assuming protein digestion is normal (in

> other words no allergic reaction to specific sources, i.e. shrimp)

> all protein should be the SAME. Whether its Soy, Red Meat, Fish,

> Anything. The amount per gram would vary, as well as the other

> aspects of the food such as fat, but onces the digestive system

> breaks it down, there is no difference. So why does it SEEM like so

> many body builders insist on red meat? No, I'm not a vegetarian, so I

> eat just as much meat as some people.

>

> R. Moos

> Topanga, CA

> USA

December 15, 2003