whey proteins

The benefits of whey protein have been known about for many years. This article will discuss how regular use as a supplement to a balanced diet can bring about positive changes in body composition. Whilst it will refer in the main to those who take regular excercise. It will review and critique the latest evidence and hopefully inform you how whey protein can as an addition to your dietry regime.

Body composition is the body’s relative amount of fat to fat-free mass. Those with optimal body composition are typically healthier, move more easily and efficiently, and in general, feel better than those with less-than-ideal body composition. Achieving a more optimal body composition goes a long way toward improving your quality of life and overall wellness.

Body composition is divided into two separate types of mass: fat-free mass -- which is comprised of all of the body’s non-fat tissues -- and body fat. Fat-free mass includes bone, water, muscle, and tissues.

If we focus on muscle mass then it is important to note that it acts as a reservoir for proteins the majority of which directly impact on your metabolic rate. So muscles burn fat for fuel and this drives your metabolic rate (Nagy et al 1996)

The main source of energy in short to medium excercise is carbohydrates as glycogen. This is replaced by lipids as excersise continues. In this later stage of prolonged effort oxidation of protein in the form of amino-acids provide between 10-15% of the toal energy provided.

Whilst it is generally accepted that 0.8 g of protein per kg of body weight is sufficient for a sedentary lifestyle, 1.5g of protein per kg of body weight has been reported by the American Diet Association as suitable for atheletes in training.

If we also consider 100% of protein is never utilised, ingesting a less quality protein can stress organs. So the evidence suggests that you should take the best available and as research shows us that a person's body fat level throughout their lifespan is influenced more so by the amount of muscle mass they have compared to their level of physical fitness the maxim 'Start as you mean to go on' surley must apply (Levadoux et al 2001).

Resistance training stimulates muscle protein synthesis which in turn gives benefits of increased strength and muscle mass hence improving body composition. Even in older adults resistance training benefited their strength, muscle size and anabolic hormone concentrations.(Fiatarone et al 1999)

Desired results in resistance training have long shown us that protein supplementation have benefited any dietary regime the athlete has followed. But are all proteins taken in the diet or as a supplement the same? It seems not, as studies show whey protein has a unique ability to boost glutathione concentrations. Glutathione, researchers are finding is the main antioxidant defence against free radical damage, pollution, toxins, infection and UV exposure.We now know iy reduces with age and there is emerging evidence to age related diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

In comparison to other protein sources whey has the unique capacity to increase glutathione production. (Lands et al 1999) showed in his study 20 g a day for 12 weeks of whey protein enhanced glutathione status in athletes. And provided a significant decrease in body fat.

Another study showed that compared to casein or carbohydrate supplementation rodents given whey displayed lower body fat levels and more muscle tissue after a 6 week training period. Whey enhanced deficiency of exercise to improve body composition.

In another study a randomised, double blind trial involving body builders undertook a supervised 10 week training programme. The whey group (1.5g/kilo body weight/day) gained fat free mass 5x greater than the comparable casein group. The American physiological society has also done trials which again support these findings (Cribb et al 2003).

Compared to carbohydrate supplementation muscle biopsies taken from controlled subjects show a comparable increase in some muscle fibres of up to 543%.

A good protein source should meet the criteria of being low in fat and cholesterol. Have an abundant supply of Branched Chain Amino Acids. Finally be composed of a mix of essential and non-essential amino acids.

So scientists devloped the PDCASS, (Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score) which is a standard used to know the quality and efficiency of protein in a particular food. The PDCAAS evaluation procedure is considered to be superior to other methods.It has has been adapted by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), the United Nations Food & Agricultural Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) as the preferred method for evaluating food protein.

It is clear that stimulating protein synthesis and breakdown are the two processes essential for muscle growth and recovery. For improvements in body composition it is vital to maximise this process. However it is clear that the dose and composition is an essential component to which whey proteins are particularly effective.

These are:

• Whey's amino acid profile is very similar to muscle.
• Whey is the most natural source of branch amino acids and provide 1/3 of the chains needed for glutamine synthesis.
• Whey is an effective source of cysteine and boosts glutathione which leads to improvements in body compostiion. Additionally cysteine ensures correct protein metabolism. 
• Unlike other protein sources whey is rapidly absorbed and provides a significant increase in blood amino concentrations to stimulate muscle protein synthesis rates.
  

The addition of whey protein to any diet has shown to have a key role in the regulation of energy metabolism and whether an individual gains or loses fat. (Zernel 2000)

Even without dieting increase in whey protein has been shown to reduce body fat and increase fat free mass. Bouthegourd (2002) has shown in animal studies that the addition of whey protein preserves lipid oxidation and rapidly delivers amino acids. This was shown to improve the efficiency of resistance training to decrease adiposity and Demling (2000) showed in a study of overweight police officer's that whey protein was the best addition to weightloss programme when combined with exercise

Update 21/11/10

"Much of the fat in processed foods is eaten in the form of emulsions such as soups, yoghurt, ice cream and mayonnaise,"" said Dr Peter Wilde from the Institute of Food Research, an institute of BBSRC. "We are unpicking the mechanisms of digestion used to break them down so we can design fats in a rational way that are digested more slowly."

In this study, they found that a normally-stable whey protein is partially broken down when it is attached to the surface of an emulsion. When a surfactant is introduced, this acts synergistically with the fat, breaking down the protein layer even more effectively. With the barrier weakened, access is improved for the enzymes and bile salts that break down fat.

Institute of Food Research (2010, August 23). Delaying fat digestion to curb appetite. ScienceDaily.

Hall (2003) showed in a recent study that whey was the most effective protein at suppressing hunger and making fat loss easier, his subjects took whey protein before a meal and where shown to have much higher levels of two important appetite controlling hormones - Cholecystokinin and Glucagon-like peptide.

On a study on obesity Luhovyy et al (2007) found that whey proteins reduced short term food intake, affect, satiation through complex peptide action and activates the food intake regulatory system.

To get the best results from the addition of whey protein as a supplement it is clear an adequate supply of essential amino acids must be taken. This has then been shown to enhance anabolic stimulus by up to 400% (Rasmussen 2000)

Whey before exercise
In a Japanese study published in the Journal of Nutrition athletes experienced significant less soreness two days post workout when they took whey protein beforehand. Therefore you could try a serving of whey protein 20-40grams with a dose of glucose 20-40grams mixed with water and taken within the hour before resistance training.

Whey during exercise.
A study from James Madison university showed that whey protein taken during exercise reduced bio chemical markers of muscle damage by 83% and increased endurance by 29% compared to gatorgrade.

Whey after exercise.
Within the muscle recovery window of 1 hour, protein is the most important post workout nutrient by consistently consuming protein then you will build muscle and gain strength faster. In an article in the Journal of Physiology subjects who ingested protein in this 1 hour muscle recovery window showed an increase in muscle size by 8% and strength by 15% compared to a cohort who were given the supplement 2 hours later.

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