Nutrition
How to solve problems like excessive counting, clean eating and Paleo
Almost all diets will work at first, but the unsatisfying results and neuroticism that follow later will prove significantly more trouble than the whole thing is worth. You need to know when to follow the rules and when it's okay to break them. Here are three examples.
1 - Counting calories and macronutrients
What it's about:
A control of the amount of food you eat by counting calories and macronutrients(protein, carbs and fat).
Why it's not optimal:
Aiming for a quantitative intake of food has its place and justification. I've used and defended it myself before. But doing this to prepare for a competition or to develop a general awareness of your calorie and macronutrient intake is different than trying to stick to a predetermined set of numbers long term.
It's mentally draining and is it really healthy to go through life without being able to add up the calorie value of everything you put in your mouth? After strictly following such plans, women have contacted me about the following problem: an obsessive fear of eating without controlling their macronutrient ratio or calorie intake. This sounds like OCD, which is a mental illness - not something you should try to develop.
It can lead to downplaying food quality. If your meals consist of a chicken breast, 1.5 Oreo cookies, 107 grams of ice cream and exactly fifteen green beans, you may start to lose sight of the big picture.
Your calorie needs fluctuate from day to day. Your energy expenditure is not a fixed value. The amount of calories you use and need is not the same from day to day. And it is quite possible to lose fat if you consume more total calories than the calorie calculator (or a formula) on a website indicates for your maintenance calorie intake.
Also, it's not particularly useful to have to stick to a predetermined number of calories on a day when you've exercised harder than normal or when you have hormonal fluctuations. And losing fat doesn't mean you have to be hungry. As a side note, habitually eating too few calories to maintain a calorie deficit won't exactly have a positive effect on your metabolic rate.
And if you're a person whose workouts are constantly varying and always intense, you'll have even more of a problem. Some days you will need more food and others less, so using a calorie calculator will not be helpful, especially if it requires you to override your appetite.
In addition to exercise, there are many other variables that will affect your energy expenditure and metabolism:
- The temperature of the room you are in
- The amount of time you are on your feet
- How much sex you have
- The amount of spices in your last meal
- The duration of a cold shower
- Recent marijuana use, which could have a thermogenic effect
- Alcohol consumption, which delays your ability to burn fat
These are just a few variables that affect the amount of calories you burn and therefore need from day to day. So do you really think you'll learn anything about your body's actual needs if you train yourself to eat only by the numbers (instead of paying attention to your energy and appetite)?
In addition to this, the calorie counts themselves are also ambiguous. Even if you consume the same amount of energy every day, the number of calories listed for the food you eat in calorie tables or on the packaging can vary up to 20% up and down. So no matter how carefully you count your calories, the result could be up to 20% above or below the actual calorie count.
You can look at every label, consult all the calorie tables and weigh every bite of food and still the 2000 kcal you come up with could actually be 2400, 1600 or, if you're lucky, somewhere between the two. And yet many people who count calories and macronutrients are often fanatical about getting the numbers perfect.
A calorie is not a calorie and not all carbohydrates are the same. Let's assume that calorie tables and labels are actually accurate. Even in this case, the calories and macronutrients contained in different foods behave differently in the body. The body does not treat all calories the same and it does not treat the same macronutrients in the same way. This is true even if you compare carbohydrates to carbohydrates, proteins to proteins and fats to fats. Resistant starch is an excellent example. Just like beet sugar, resistant starch is a carbohydrate, but the two have a completely different effect on the body, especially when consumed regularly.
Similarly, fat consumed in the form of linolenic acid has a greater and more problematic impact on your waistline and metabolism than other types of fat, even if the calorie intake is the same.
This is why it doesn't make sense to lump macronutrients together in a way as if there is no difference. If you are counting macronutrients and a large portion of your carbohydrates come from foods that contain resistant starch, then you will get different results than if your carbs come primarily from high sugar junk food. No, the results won't necessarily be immediate, but your gut bacteria, your energy, your hormones, your metabolism and your appetite will know the difference... and your long-term results will be affected too.
You should also consider the thermic effect of food when counting calories but not macronutrients. The human body must expend energy to digest food. Digesting protein is the most costly in terms of calories - it costs the body more energy than digesting carbohydrates or fats. The digestion of dietary fats requires the least energy. So are all calories the same? No. Are at least all the same macronutrients the same? No.
How you can do better:
If you've never paid attention to calories or macronutrients, you should. It will show you how to compare foods and estimate calories and nutrients. Those who have never paid attention to this are often shocked when they find out that they are not getting nearly enough protein.
But at some point, you should be able to stop checking and counting and use what you've learned without having to enter everything into an app on your smartphone. Even monitoring your food intake for a few weeks should give you a pretty solid idea of the foods you eat most often. You should also have a rough idea of how much you need to feel good depending on your workouts, recovery needs, time of the month, appetite, etc
If you are doing the whole thing to lose fat, then overriding your hunger to stay below a target will do the exact opposite of what you want. If you do this long enough, you won't know what you're eating without the help of an app. No diet should make you so ignorant of your body's signals.
And remember that when it comes to hard training, consuming maximum amounts of energy requires energy again. So being too pedantic about your calorie deficit can also be counterproductive.
If you think you'll gain weight if you don't control your calories, then perhaps you need to get to the bottom of certain issues that are causing you to eat when you're not hungry. Or maybe you need to start making more quality food choices and eating meals that are more filling with fewer calories. If you can't control yourself or eat sensibly using your appetite as a tool, then you have a whole different set of problems.
You can get leaner and maintain a lower weight without pulling out your phone before every meal, but to do this you need to improve your food preferences and trust your appetite. If you're counting macronutrients and weighing out mountains of ice cream to maintain a perfectly average-looking body, realize that you can achieve the same results without the neurosis required to control every crumb you shove in your mouth.
2 - Clean eating
What it's all about:
A way of eating that emphasizes "natural" and unprocessed foods and includes fewer processed products and less refined sugar.
Why it's not optimal:
Even trying to eat clean can lead to obsessive thinking, and if you're eliminating one food after another from your diet without really knowing why, your efforts are doomed to fail. Not to mention that the oversimplified rhetoric of "eat only what's natural" is nonsense.
Many processed foods are packed with nutrients and can help dieters reach their goals, while many "natural" foods can sabotage your fat loss efforts if you eat too much of them. Quality lean breakfast meats, for example, are high in protein and make an excellent sandwich topping, despite being a processed food. Fish is another good example. You would have to eat several pounds of fatty fish to get the benefits of a few "processed" fish oil capsules. Protein powders and workout supplements are other examples of processed foods that can increase muscle growth, fat loss, performance and recovery.
And then there's this "if you can't pronounce it" bullshit that says you shouldn't eat something if you can't pronounce one of the ingredients. Or this "If your grandmother doesn't know it, you shouldn't eat it." But healthy and beneficial foods often have fancy names and your fluency shouldn't affect your diet. If your grandmother lived during the post-war era, she probably didn't concern herself with advanced nutrition, but simply ate what was available.
Not only do we have the ability to choose from what is available, but we can also manipulate those choices depending on our specific goals. An example: citrulline malate, which protects muscles from fatigue and helps them recover faster from an intense workout. If you didn't use it because your grandmother didn't know it, then the developments of this century would probably pass you by.
Nuts, on the other hand, are one of those unprocessed foods that people who want to eat clean really like to eat and often eat too much of. And even though nuts are very healthy in reasonable amounts, eating too much of them will not have a positive effect on your body composition. The same goes for all those natural organic sweeteners, butter from grass-fed cattle, fruit juices, dried fruits, etc.
How you can do better:
Appreciating food quality is great, but not keeping track of the calories and macronutrients your food contains is a surefire way to sabotage yourself. If you're consuming 5,000 or more "unprocessed" kcal per day, find a smarter way to satisfy your appetite.
Monitor your food intake for a while to develop a general awareness of your total calorie intake and macronutrient intake. This does not mean becoming more obsessive. It means taking advice from a nutrition calculator and eating for your goals.
If you find it easy to choose foods with high nutrient density, then you are already one step ahead. Now you should be more strategic about deciding which foods will support your performance and body composition and which will turn into a disappointing calorie bomb after just a few bites.
3 - Paleo
What it's about:
This is a way of eating clean, but avoiding anything that comes from agriculture. No rice, no oatmeal and no other grain products. There are varying degrees of strictness, ranging from no dairy to a more relaxed approach that only bans processed foods and grains.
Why it's not ideal:
This approach is primarily detrimental if you're an exerciser who regularly works out at the gym and uses high-intensity exercise. Convinced Paleo followers even have a term for people like us: "chronic exercisers." - as if regular workouts were a disease. (Are people who love books chronic readers?) You can make any behavior sound bad by calling it chronic.
But this categorization simply means that their way of eating is not optimal for people who want to build impressive muscles and a high performance body. In fact, those who train hard and follow a Paleo diet often can't recover fast enough to train regularly. Nor can they satisfy their appetite for fast-digesting, carbohydrate-rich foods using a Paleo nutritional approach. Many of them will therefore have cheat days packed with non-Paleo junk food, trapping them in a cycle of hardcore Paleo days followed by fast food binges.
The second reason that the Paleo approach can be suboptimal is that, just like "clean eating", there are numerous Paleo foods that are very high in calories and therefore easy to overeat - bacon, nuts, butter, dried fruit and coconut oil are just a few of these. And if these are eaten in excess, they will make fat loss impossible.
How you can do better:
People who work out with weights occasionally need a spike in insulin levels to reach their performance goals. A coconut and kale smoothie won't do the trick. But because insulin is portrayed as "the hormone that makes you fat," dieters try to avoid it at all costs, while simultaneously encouraging the development of their Paleo-approved man boobs.
If you're a "chronic exerciser," here's what you should do:
- First, make peace with select processed foods and supplements that serve your purposes (increased performance, satiety, anabolism, and energy). Keep in mind that foods that satiate your appetite are very different from foods that satiate the appetite of the average American who doesn't train as hard or as often as you do.
- Next, try swapping out some of your higher fat foods for starchy carbohydrates. Beans, oatmeal, rice and potatoes are examples of satiating foods that are nutrient dense and the lectins won't kill you. if you're worried about binding to the vitamins and minerals in your diet and preventing you from absorbing those nutrients, relax, because you're probably taking in more than enough nutrients. Whatever bindings should come about will not be enough to put you in a vitamin or mineral deficit. Eating enough carbohydrates to replenish your glycogen stores and give you energy to perform will likely reduce your desire to have one or more cheat days every weekend.
- Become aware of the portion sizes of things that are the most calorie dense. Hint: they are usually very high in fat like coconut oil, bacon, butter, nuts, cream, etc. - these are the things that will sabotage your fat loss efforts if you eat too much of them. And trust me, if you feel a craving for carbohydrates and override that appetite, you will be tempted to eat too much high fat calorie bombs.
So which diet is best?
How about a diet based on common sense? In a perfect world, you would eat the right amounts of delicious yet beneficial (or at least not bad) foods and use your appetite to work out when and how much you should eat. You would enjoy your meals and be as lean, fit and athletic as you want to be.
The problem is that our food preferences and eating habits have gotten out of control, which is why it's hard for most people to use common sense when it comes to nutrition. The excessive palatability of the standard Western diet has led us to develop some really bad eating habits. And dieting has become the antidote.
There is nothing inherently wrong with this. Diet comes from the Greek word diata, which simply means daily or lifestyle. So trying out a new lifestyle to improve your appetite and your health is a good thing - if you learn something from it. Dieting should make you a smarter eater - if it doesn't, then you're doing it wrong because you're not learning anything.
They say you have to learn the rules to know how to break them. So if you're dieting and you're no longer seeing results, then you should start thinking about which parts of the diet you can keep and which you should get rid of. Don't be anti-diet, but don't become a diet fanatic either. Don't lose your head. Follow the rules first. Give them an honest chance. Read a damn book on how to do it right.
There are people who use diets that have been molded by headlines and hearsay. They are the ones who make a half-hearted effort to follow the rules without knowing why. Then when they fail, they claim that dieting doesn't work. Don't become one of these people.
The most important thing to realize is that very detailed dietary guidelines are a poor cure for underlying problems such as binge eating. And if you are a binge eater, don't start dieting in the first place. Instead, keep a food diary to increase your awareness of what you eat, why you eat and when you eat. Take care of this first.
Almost every diet involves something useful (apart from a few exceptions, like the HCG diet or everything celebrities do). Use what you learn and use it for the long term.
By Dani Shugart | 12/29/15
Source: https://www.t-nation.com/diet-fat-loss/problem-with-your-stupid-diet
I recently moved from a subtropical climate to a place known for its winter sports, so you would expect that the food available would have changed significantly, right? Well, surprisingly, that hasn't really been the case. Thanks to advances in science and transportation, I can still plan a dinner party with papaya shrimp cocktails as an appetizer, grilled lamb with asparagus and butternut squash as a main course, and a coconut apricot cake for dessert - no matter what time of year and no matter what hemisphere I'm in.
Think for a moment about where all the ingredients for this feast come from - and I don't mean the supermarket shelves, but the original source. Imagine that you had to gather and hunt for all these ingredients yourself. From a geographical point of view, shrimps, papayas and coconuts can be found in one climate zone, but it will be hard to find a lamb grazing under a coconut tree in the tropics. You wouldn't find asparagus, apricots or butternut squash here either, so we would have to travel to more temperate climates for these foods. And from a seasonal perspective, we would have to arrive in spring for the asparagus, late summer for the apricots and winter for the butternut squash. The dinner party just got a little complicated!
But back to reality and the fact that our supermarket shelves are filled with just about every food our taste buds could desire. We have developed extremely ingenious ways to ensure that these foods are ripe when we want them. But if you think about it rationally, even before our food became so globalized, we had almost everything we needed (well, maybe not always what your taste buds are craving). On the subtropical beach we had protein in the form of shrimp, carbohydrates in the form of papayas and fat from coconuts. Further inland, we would nourish our bodies during a cold winter with the fat and protein of lamb and carbohydrates from sources such as butternut squash.
Of course, the globalization of the food industry also has a few advantages - we can buy whatever we want, whenever we want it. From a nutritional perspective, this diversity means a variety of different vitamins and nutrients are available to us. But there are also a few potential drawbacks that raise the question of whether it might not make more sense to eat seasonally.
First of all, the variety of options can tempt us to eat too much - especially when it comes to carbohydrates. Fruit and vegetables are generally seen as healthy options, which they certainly are in reasonable quantities, but it's also possible to eat too much of something good.
In nature, you will rarely find such an abundance of carbohydrate sources lined up next to each other as in a modern supermarket. If you live in the tropics, you'll have tropical fruits like papayas, mangoes and bananas, and of course cane sugar to satisfy your sweet tooth, plus plantains and a few root vegetables for your starch intake. But if you live in a harsh, cold climate, your carbohydrates will probably come more in the form of root vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, turnips and potatoes. The only fruits that are available during the warmer seasons are things like apples, pears and strawberries.
Today, we can have all these fruits and all these starchy vegetables all year round and still assume we're eating healthy because we're not eating carbs in the form of donuts and other baked goods. But even though we may think we're eating healthy, the wide variety makes it possible for us to eat too many carbs.
But it's not just the variety that can lead to overeating. I think we've all had the experience of eating something that was sold as a banana and looked like a banana, but in reality was nothing more than a tasteless, banana-like substance. Something I would call a banana-like product that was obviously developed for human consumption.
This is just one example of how foods that are produced out of season often don't measure up to their naturally grown counterparts. They've been treated with a bunch of chemicals and grown in artificial conditions and then "frozen" for weeks or months for transportation, so by the time you get to the supermarket they've finally been chemically ripened.
It makes sense that such a banana will not taste the same as a banana that has ripened naturally under the hot Brazilian sun. The whole experience of eating one of these banana-like products doesn't satisfy me and I want something else. The logical next step is to grab some of the strawberries you bought today and if they are a little sour, you can always try one of the nectarines. Before you know it, you've consumed three or more portions of fruit when all you really wanted was a real banana.
But where should you start if you want to eat what's in season?
There are plenty of resources online that will show you what produce is in season in which region, but the easiest way to start without spending hours researching is to simply go to your local farmers market. Most of the produce you'll find here is locally sourced and therefore in season. It's worth a try - your waistline and taste buds will thank you.
By Megan Clements
Source: https://breakingmuscle.com/fuel/how-fruits-veggies-and-a-lack-of-seasons-contribute-to-overeating
Everything you need to know about protein intake and consumption, including a treatment of protein timing and improvements in protein synthesis rates.
What is it? How does it work? Why is it important?
The science of digestion and utilization has always been confusing - not just to the layperson, but to scientists as well. Some things you consume are digested perfectly and immediately and do what you want them to do. Other stuff just stays put, does nothing or - even worse - is converted into fat...or at least it seems to be. What's going on here? Why this unpredictability? And what can we do to at least ensure that the foods and supplements we eat are doing their job?
Taking into account the problems with general food consumption and digestion, it seems even harder to ensure that protein synthesis is taking place. The truth is that there are uncertainties when it comes to the bioavailability of the necessary components, but we are getting better at understanding when and how we can make it happen. To better understand the whole process, we need to go back to the beginning and look at how food gets from your mouth to your muscles.
On your marks, get set, eat!
As I'm writing this article, I'm eating a 350 gram hunk of turkey breast. No, seriously, really. That amount of turkey breast will give me almost 80 grams of protein. And even though turkey is considered one of the higher protein foods (as well as being a low fat source of meat), it only contains about 22% of its weight in protein. This means that 78% of my lunch contains nothing that I really want. Okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but I still need to break all of this down to get my protein. Even though you may be eating for other reasons, I eat this piece of meat to get a big protein boost while filling my belly (especially since it's not nearly as tasty as a family pack of Lays potato chips). If you're wondering where this is going, let me mention that it should become clear soon enough. At least I hope so... The turkey is chewed first and partially digested by enzymes in my mouth. As it makes its way to my stomach, it is further digested by these enzymes and other enzymes are activated on the way to the stomach. When the turkey reaches my stomach, the actual breakdown begins and more powerful digestive juices (acids) rush in to help out. The smaller fragments are continuously separated further as the turkey mash is transported into the digestive tract where it continues to be broken down into tradable pieces. And this is where the fun - or the not so fun part - begins. What happens next is anyone's guess (okay, I'm just kidding). Some of the stuff just stays there and waits until it's needed.
This is one of the great and not-so-great aspects of protein - but more on that a little later. The rest is converted into sugars or fats (or their components). Oh yes, some is actually excreted as waste - but unfortunately this can't potentially prevent you from getting fatter. From here, the now-digested fragments enter the bloodstream as amino acids, sugars and fats. And from here, each molecule's journey either comes to a safe end at a friendly binding site and gets a chance to penetrate the target tissue and do something useful, or it ends up in chaos and gets piled up with all the other molecules that didn't make it. Of course, the latter refers to the hoarding of molecules to make a larger, more complex substance known as either glycogen (if you're lucky) or fat (which is usually the case).
How protein gets to its destination
Let's get back to the topic of protein and try to understand what my paragraph above has to do with protein synthesis. First of all, time was never an issue in the above scenario, but if you look at the process more closely, the hope that needed molecules penetrate the target tissue is both time-dependent and demand-dependent. If these two factors don't match, then the nutrients are back on the white water ride of the bloodstream, but their fate - the unfortunate part - is now much clearer. Fortunately, the fate of protein is slightly different. Protein will remain in the digestive tract longer than most other food components before it is fully digested. This means that it has a better chance of being used. And no, even if it is not used, it will not be converted to fat (at least not without going through several different processes first) as it will eventually be absorbed and used by the body for something else. But this is where the problems of timing and quantity of protein consumption lie.
Based on the above analogies, it should be clear that the purer the form of protein consumed, the less degradation or breakdown is required. Therefore, instead of choking down a boring, dry, stringy hunk of turkey, it might be a better idea to consume some quickly digestible protein. At least if we do this, we can roughly estimate that absorption will take place in 30 to 45 minutes or less and we now have a known time window.
However, it should be noted that the body can only process a maximum of 10 grams of protein per hour. So extra protein could remain in your small intestine for a while if you consume too much of it. This causes two problems. The first is that if protein remains in the digestive tract for too long (several hours), it can lead to unpleasant side effects such as bloating and a bloated feeling. The second problem is that it could be further digested, transported to the liver and turned into glucose, which means that it is no longer available for building muscle tissue.
This means that it's better to eat small amounts of protein (around 30 grams or so) more frequently rather than huge amounts of protein-rich foods during a meal. In addition to this, if you consume fast-digesting protein around the time of increased need (such as your gym workout), you will see better results.
Muscle protein synthesis
All the protein that muscles need is extracted from the digestive tract into the bloodstream in the form of amino acids. These amino acids are either used on their own or combined into some form of peptide chain (several amino acids linked together) that has a specific function.
This is where there can be further problems. The exact peptide combination necessary for protein synthesis to take place means that the individual amino acids must combine and form an active bond with a specific target receptor and only then can the desired function take place. In the case of muscle protein synthesis, the hope is to first generate a need for the process of protein synthesis through an appropriate stimulus (training) and then provide the necessary combination of amino acids for the process of protein synthesis to take place. The process itself is well understood, but what exactly determines whether it can take place or not is still a bit of a mystery. Let's assume that the proteins you need have made it to the target. What if they are not in the right form? What if they are in the wrong combination? In both cases, muscle protein synthesis cannot take place. Again, timing becomes the critical link in the success rate of muscle protein synthesis.
The detailed process of muscle protein synthesis is quite complicated. There are some known issues and we know that if we can increase the activity of the MTORC1 and ATK pathways, we will get better muscle protein synthesis. Don't worry if you don't know what these shortcuts mean or how these pathways work - most people don't - but there is adequate information for those who are really interested. We also know that certain substances can cross the cell membrane, while others need to activate a different peptide to enter the cell. There are several factors that are interdependent, but we are still learning how they interact and differ. Interestingly, if you do a search to learn how muscle protein synthesis occurs at the cellular level, you'll find several different variations, but they all involve the same components.
In other words, we have some unknowns, but all in all, cytokines and growth factors are needed to start the process and bring the necessary substances across the membrane where the appropriate target receptors are ready for them. Once the passage is open, different pathways are activated and cellular reconstruction takes place. In all cases, it is a must that protein, amino acids and the activator components are available. And last but not least, supplement science will continue to try to determine what is the best combination to effectively increase muscle protein synthesis.
The importance of timing
I have mentioned timing several times throughout this paper. It is an essential component of muscle development, training, healthy eating and a number of other processes. In the case of muscle building, wouldn't it be nice to know what the best timing is for muscle protein synthesis to occur? Well, of the few things we know, this is one of them.
First of all, muscle protein synthesis takes place as a result of muscle tissue destruction, breakdown or stress. Any form of above-normal muscle contraction causes stress (by the way, so do normal muscle contractions, but to a much lesser extent). By "beyond normal" I mean training with weights vs. the activities of daily life. Secondly, training causes the muscle tissue to contract at a higher, stronger and faster rate than normal, resulting in damage to protein structures within the muscle. So now we know when muscle protein synthesis might take place. And that if we have some protein available in the muscle, it is likely to be used as part of muscle protein synthesis to repair the damaged muscle tissue. So the time around exercise - either before, during or immediately after exercise, or all three times - is a good time to make sure you have enough protein (and amino acids) in your blood.
We also know that having extra protein in your blood during the 24 hours after exercise is also beneficial, as muscle protein synthesis continues until the process is complete. And what does this mean for those who train daily? Well, you must always consume protein, be it in the form of whole foods or in the form of supplements. Don't miss the anabolic window of opportunity because you're not prepared. With so many unknowns when it comes to training, you should utilize everything you know with certainty.
Summary of Part 1
While this look at protein synthesis is neither complete nor scientifically detailed, it gives a solid overview of the process and should get you thinking about ways to improve your ability to synthesize protein and use it to increase your athletic performance and the size of your muscles. In the next section, we'll talk about some methods for increasing muscle protein synthesis and training strategies to ensure you maximize your results while minimizing all that complicated processing of food.
Muscle protein synthesis - applying theory to practice
Can we increase protein synthesis? Can we improve the use of amino acids? Muscle protein synthesis is pretty much the most important thing the human body can do for an athlete - especially a bodybuilder - or anyone who wants to improve their body development, to ensure that goals are achieved and previous best performances are surpassed. Imagine if we were able to control this process and influence the rate and frequency of muscle protein synthesis. Now, while I can't promise miracles, I can promise that if you understand some of the unique properties of this phenomenon, you will see faster results than ever before. But I want to warn you in advance - don't come crying to me complaining when your shirts get too tight around the chest and arms and people at the gym start staring at you.
If you've read the first part of this article, then you should have a layman's understanding of what it takes to get the body to process protein and use it to repair damaged muscle and build new muscle tissue. If you haven't read Part 1, then you'll still understand the second part - apart from that, this is the more fun part anyway. In Part 1, we talked about the process and claimed that there was still a lot of research needed to really understand the details. Well, we know this must be the case, because if it was easy to predict when and how protein synthesis really happens, scientists wouldn't continue to go to great lengths to try and find the best formula to make things work better and faster.
The theory
The idea of improving or enhancing the ability of muscles to synthesize protein has been an integral part of supplement research for decades. While it's only in recent years that we've been able to get a clearer picture of some of the possibilities, attempts to develop novel products have never been as extensive as they are today. Is it possible to do this? I think so, but if I'm honest, I think we'll need some time to connect all the dots. However, we already know a few things that can certainly help. So let's identify some of the key players on the field and their specific roles. Then we'll come back to the question of how to make them work together as a team.
The key players in muscle protein synthesis
Muscle protein synthesis is initiated by the need to rebuild damaged proteins. Although there are several mechanisms that are part of the signaling process, the most consistent call for "help" comes from cytokines. These are specific molecules that resemble hormones but initiate a different system with the intention of repairing or combating problems within a cell that have caused damage, as is the case with muscle damage.
Next, pathways such as mTOR and AKT are stimulated to start the process of protein synthesis. mTOR - which stands for Mammalian Target of Rapamyacin (which doesn't mean much to me either, so don't worry) - is the functional unit that senses nutrient and oxygen levels in cells, but also integrates the action of growth factors and amino acids. The mTOR pathway has attracted quite a bit of attention recently because its effects on muscle protein synthesis are crucial. More importantly, it can be controlled to a certain extent - especially through supplements. ATK bears its name for a reason that has nothing to do with its function, which is why we're just going to look at its function. Really, it's nothing worth going into more detail about. (No, seriously, look it up yourself and you'll see). Functionally, however, ATK is the primary signaling pathway for transcription and cell proliferation, which is protein development itself. Thus, AKT is the key factor that induces muscle protein synthesis for an increase in muscle mass and strength.
The AKT pathway thus has profound effects on training-specific adaptations. The building process begins and the overall structure and architecture of the muscle changes based on the demands placed on it. Although this is not about training adaptations, it should be noted that since you control the type of training you perform, you can also control the adaptations a muscle undergoes. So if you want to increase your muscle mass, then you need to train accordingly. And if you want to improve speed, speed-strength or even endurance, then it's up to you to choose the stimulus that makes your muscles respond the way you want them to.
Possible ways to improve processes
We have isolated some parts that are responsible for muscle protein synthesis. It would seem wise to explore ways to connect these components and increase pathway activity. We know that there are building blocks that can positively influence the process and that is where the discussion begins. However, there is a caveat: the scientific research is still incomplete in this area, so what we say today may change tomorrow. Of mainstream interest are the seemingly powerful effects of leucine on mTOR function. As yet, it is not known for certain whether leucine has a direct effect on mTOR (although many people think it does) or whether there are other factors involved. Leucine also appears to have a secondary effect via a peptide linker called elF4G, which influences muscle protein synthesis directly and not via mTOR. The fact that leucine has multiple functions begs the question of whether other amino acids also play a specific role in supporting muscle protein synthesis. My first instinct says yes, but time will answer that question. For now, supplementing with leucine can't hurt, but how much is optimal and what other combinations of amino acids might be effective is still hotly debated.
The mTOR pathway naturally occurs within the cell, where amino acids can accumulate as they can pass unhindered through the cell membrane to their target. Nevertheless, high levels of amino acids in the cell do not automatically mean that muscle protein synthesis will be optimal. Furthermore, mTOR is only one of the pathways involved in muscle protein synthesis - there are other ways to stimulate muscle protein synthesis. Many of the key players involved in muscle protein synthesis still need to enter the cell and require passage through the membrane channels. These activators bind to their target receptor RTK (Receptor Tyrosine Konase), which is located in the cell wall and opens a pathway that directly affects AKT, mTOR and other pathways by triggering PI3K (Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase) to do its job.
PI3K plays a critical role that influences many of the pathways responsible for cell proliferation, growth and function. PI3K is primarily activated by growth factors, but is controlled by signaling mechanisms known as cytokines and G-protein coupled receptors. In addition, insulin and in particular the influence of IGF-1 (Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1) also play a role in receptor activation. All in all, there are several different external factors that need to be activated for optimal muscle protein synthesis.
Are you confused? We all are. This is a complicated process that requires precise sequencing, and we don't yet know exactly which sequences might be involved. Muscle protein synthesis is also dependent on the right timing, so part of the challenge is to have all the players in place and ready to go. However, we also believe that there may be ways to enhance these sequences by consuming bioactive peptides (smaller functional units within proteins) such as growth factors and proline-rich peptides (a type of cytokine), which can be extracted from larger proteins through specialized processing. The production of the finer bioactive peptides is nothing new and has been used for decades in the production of infant formulas and products to improve immune function. But only now have these powerful ingredients begun to be considered for muscle building and sports applications.
The good news is that if you consume proteins and/or amino acids and/or bioactive peptides in combination with solid, consistent training, you could positively impact muscle protein synthesis. As science continues to study and better understand the processes and practice continues to show positive results, we can expect an explosion of both new products and research on bioactive peptides and optimizing muscle protein synthesis.
Source: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/muscle-protein-synthesis-timing-enhancement
Anabolic nutrient timing
This article looks at optimal macronutrient timing that can help athletes improve the results of their training through targeted nutrient intake. This specific timing can help athletes achieve full, optimally hydrated muscles that are overloaded with nutrients and glycogen.
Carbohydrates and insulin
When athletes consume carbohydrates at the right times, this macronutrient can help them perform at their best. Carbohydrates serve to replenish glycogen stores in the liver and muscles, while providing the body with sufficient amounts of blood sugar for immediately available energy. Carbohydrates work in conjunction with insulin.
Insulin is one of the most powerful hormones in the human body. When carbohydrates are used properly and the timing of carbohydrate intake is right, great things can happen with the carbohydrate-insulin relationship. In this context, it is important to realize that timing is everything when it comes to insulin.
If you trick your pancreas into releasing insulin at a time when insulin sensitivity is low, you create an environment in your body that is anything but beneficial. Low insulin sensitivity describes a state in which the muscles are not prepared to absorb and store glucose.
This is unfortunately a common scenario for physically inactive people who consume too many carbohydrates. If this scenario occurs regularly over a long period of time, it can result in permanent insulin resistance. When this happens, the cells of the muscles and other tissue types of the body no longer respond to the presence of insulin in the blood. This condition is associated with pathological obesity and diabetes.
An increase in muscle mass is due to a complex interaction involving muscles, liver and blood. In addition, the amount of amino acids present within muscle tissue is also an important factor.
In order to maximize muscle growth and athletic potential, an athlete must take every opportunity that allows them to direct the internal environment of the body towards anabolism (muscle building). Consuming a meal does not necessarily mean that what you want to achieve from that nutrient intake will actually happen. Eating protein, for example, does not automatically mean that the nutrients and amino acids contained in the food consumed will be used for muscle growth.
How to keep your body in an anabolic state
The core of anabolic nutrient timing is insulin and nutrient manipulation, which stimulates the pancreas to release the powerful hormone insulin. If you master this technique, you will be able to keep the body's metabolic pathways in an anabolic state.
Whey protein is the most common form of protein when it comes to protein supplements, and it also has some advantages over other forms of protein when it comes to anabolic pathways in the body. Whey protein can be used in conjunction with insulin secretion to ensure that the body maintains existing muscle mass and builds new muscle mass. Controlling the amount of insulin present in the bloodstream is key to success in anabolic nutrient timing.
Insulin is released into the bloodstream by the pancreas when the food you eat stimulates the release of this hormone. Insulin is not secreted in significant amounts in response to every food. It is primarily secreted in response to carbohydrate-rich foods, with foods with a higher glycemic index causing a higher insulin secretion than foods with a low glycemic index.
Insulin helps the body replenish glycogen stores by actively transporting nutrients into muscle cells via the sodium-potassium pump located on the surface of muscle tissue cells. In this way, insulin helps to keep the body in an anabolic state while preventing catabolic breakdown of muscle tissue.
However, it is important to understand that the presence of insulin not only promotes muscle cell anabolism, but also general cell anabolism. As a result, if the muscle cells are not ready to take up nutrients because their glycogen stores are completely full or the physiological environment is not right, the fat cells are always open to storing energy in the form of body fat.
There are two important aspects when talking about manipulating insulin secretion. The first aspect is the correct timing of consumption of high-glycemic carbohydrates, which stimulate insulin secretion. The second aspect is the addition of protein to carbohydrates during the beneficial physiological window.
Protein consumption provides the body with the right building material for optimal muscle growth and recovery. When muscle stores have been depleted by exhaustive resistance training, muscle cells are in desperate need of amino acids.
When insulin levels in the blood are high, insulin will transport the protein into the muscle cells. Insulin has the ability to transport protein and carbohydrates into muscle tissue, but eating protein alone will not stimulate significant insulin release.
If you follow the guidelines of anabolic nutrient timing, this will increase the amount of protein you consume with your post-workout meals. Additionally, it is important to note that some proteins have a higher biological value than others and therefore not all proteins are created equal.
Whey protein provides the bloodstream with a quick boost of amino acids needed immediately after training. Scientific research shows that whey protein is used to provide energy when insulin levels in the blood are low, which is obviously not the desired state. The amino acid profile of whey protein has a high proportion of glyconeogenic amino acids, which can easily be used for energy.
This may make whey protein seem like a poor protein choice at first glance, but these same amino acids are also crucial for stimulating protein synthesis, which is necessary for muscle growth and repair. The difference between using the supplied protein as an energy source or for protein synthesis is the correct manipulation of insulin levels in the blood.
The supply of protein with carbohydrates after training
To ensure that the protein supplied is used correctly and anabolism is promoted, it should be used when insulin levels in the blood are as high as possible. When insulin is present in large quantities, the levels of precursors that enable gluconeogenesis are drastically reduced.
Eating high-glycemic carbohydrates at the right time in combination with protein creates the optimal anabolic environment. Simply consuming protein is no guarantee that the amino acids supplied will be used to repair muscle tissue, and consuming carbohydrates alone is no guarantee that these carbohydrates will replenish glycogen stores and provide energy.
Athletes need to consume their carbohydrates after exercise to keep blood insulin levels rising quickly while the metabolic pathway supports anabolism.
Low blood glucose levels and low insulin levels cause a release of catabolic hormones, which is not a desirable scenario for athletes. The post-workout window will allow for replenishment of glycogen stores and blood glucose levels if utilized properly. It is during this crucial period that recharging with nutrients has the highest priority from a physiological perspective.
To make the most of this valuable moment, you should consume a portion of simple carbohydrates. These carbohydrates should be consumed in liquid form to facilitate digestion. You should consume around 0.5 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight immediately after training, which corresponds to around 40 grams of carbohydrates for an 80 kilogram athlete.
If you are trying to increase insulin levels in the blood, you should preferably use juice that has a high sucrose to fructose ratio. Grape juice and orange juice are examples of liquid carbohydrate sources that fit this description. Instead of juice, you can also use maltodextrin, dextrose, Vitargo or a mixture of these carbohydrate sources. The carbohydrates contained in these juices and carbohydrate products cause a rapid and significant rise in blood sugar levels. Sports drinks such as Gatorade, which contain more than 10% sucrose and maltodextrin, will also effectively raise blood sugar levels.
Anabolic nutrient timing consists of two steps. The first step is completed when blood glucose levels and insulin levels have been raised by consuming the carbohydrate drink described above. When insulin levels reach their maximum value, it is the turn of the protein, which represents the second step.
Adding protein to the carbohydrate drink supplies the muscles with amino acids, taking advantage of the insulin boost. Adding whey protein, which is a very easily and quickly digested protein, to the carbohydrate drink creates an optimal anabolic environment. This combination provides muscles that are exhausted and depleted by training with a highly effective nutrient mixture consisting of glucose and amino acids.
In addition, this combination causes an increase in insulin levels in the blood, resulting in maximum uptake of glucose and protein. The glucose is transported into the muscle cells and stored there in the form of glycogen, which is the energy store of the muscle cells.
The protein stimulates protein synthesis in the mitochondria of the muscle cells. The mitochondria are the so-called power plants of the cells, which provide the energy for all human activity. The more mitochondria a cell has, the more endurance it will have. Resistance training increases the number of mitochondria in the muscle cells.
As a cumulative result of the liquid mixture of carbohydrate and protein, exercise-induced muscle catabolism is halted and muscle anabolism is increased. This liquid protein-carbohydrate drink is the first of the four meals that should be consumed after training in order to achieve maximum muscle building and the best possible recovery.
The second meal after training
The second post-workout meal should be consumed approximately 30 minutes after the initial liquid mixture of carbohydrates and protein. This second meal should be low in fat to minimize gastric retention time and contain easily absorbed carbohydrates combined with a low-fat protein source.
The second post-workout meal is similar to the first in terms of macronutrient composition, but the food choices are slightly different. At this time, the best sources of carbohydrates are foods such as potatoes, white rice, cooked oatmeal or pasta.
Unlike the first meal, which consists of a protein-carbohydrate drink, the second meal should be a solid meal. The second meal could be grilled chicken or grilled fish with rice or lean meat with pasta. This meal ensures that the amino acids from the whey protein consumed during the first meal are used for muscle anabolism and not for restoring blood sugar levels.
The second meal after training should not be too large. Scientific research shows that cellular anabolic mechanisms are maintained for up to three hours after intense resistance training. You should feel satiated but not overly full after the second meal.
By this time you will have had a drink immediately after training and a small meal 30 minutes later. Of course, you have to give the nutrients a chance to pass through your stomach. The meals mentioned above are deliberately kept small but rich in nutrients in order to avoid too long a stomach retention time and thus delayed digestion. After these two meals, you still have another two and a half hours to use the post-workout anabolic window to your advantage.
The third and fourth post-workout meal
After eating the second post-workout meal, you should wait about an hour to eat the third of four meals. If you feel that a solid meal at this point would put too much strain on your digestive tract, you can also eat another portion of whey protein and a small baked potato or something similar.
You can be creative with your choice of carbohydrates as long as you make sure that the third meal remains a small meal. You now have one and a half hours left to eat your fourth and final anabolic meal. When it comes to the timing of the fourth meal, you should rely entirely on your gut feeling, but you should definitely consume this meal within the last half hour of the anabolic time window.
You should therefore eat four small meals within the 3-hour time window after training. The initial liquid meal and the three solid meals should each contain 40 grams of protein and 20 to 30 grams of carbohydrates. The use of anabolic nutrient timing enables a continuous flow of amino acids, which specifically promotes muscle anabolism. Anabolic nutrient timing is an excellent tool that is sure to help any athlete make progress.
Soy protein: myths and real benefits
If word of mouth and some scientific studies are to be believed, soy-based foods have estrogen-like properties that slow down anabolic and growth processes in bodybuilders. Unfortunately, the problem with information is that there are two types of information: Information and misinformation.
This article will look at the pros and cons of soy-based foods and consult scientific studies and expert information to clarify whether soy is a bodybuilder's friend or foe.
Often new trends in the fitness industry are based on a distortion of the facts. For example, you can find a positive aspect and interpret it in such a way that it becomes something good. A good example of this would be obesity, which is known to have a negative impact on general wellbeing. However, one could also argue that being overweight is an effective protection against osteoporosis. The same distortion of facts can also be observed with soy.
Opponents of soy protein claim that plant estrogens, also known as phytoestrogens, lower testosterone levels and link this to soy bringing out the feminine characteristics in men by increasing estrogen levels.
It is very likely that many of these cynics are not steroid-free bodybuilders, which is funny because excess testosterone (or other anabolic steroids) has been shown in studies to be responsible for the emergence of feminine traits in men.
Furthermore, it is modern myth at best that soy-based foods, or any foods for that matter, have estrogenic properties associated with feminine characteristics or hormonal changes.
The support for this magical food source that this article will provide is scientifically, logically and rationally based and some readers may be surprised at how good soy foods can be in reality.
The following sections present the unbiased view from both sides, which is unusual in that most articles and even scientific reviews will only focus on support for their claims.
Myth 1: Soy suppresses testosterone production
Some studies have shown that the consumption of soy products may be associated with a reduction in testosterone levels. However, there are also a number of studies that show no changes in testosterone levels when eating soy products. Here is a small selection of studies on the topic:
One study (1), which observed the strong association of soy protein consumption with a reduced risk of prostate cancer through modulation of serum hormones, did observe a slight reduction in testosterone levels, but this slight reduction was not associated with feminine changes or negative health consequences.
Another study (2) also concluded that soy has benefits in protecting against prostate disease and heart disease. The idea that the slight reduction in testosterone levels could make men less masculine or less muscular did not occur to anyone here.
One study (3) did observe a link between soy consumption and reduced testosterone levels, but the authors of the study concluded that this relationship was only of minor significance. In a follow-up study by the same research team (4), no changes in testosterone levels were observed when soy products were consumed.
A closer look at the studies that observed a slight reduction in testosterone levels shows that this reduction was classified as a correlation. This does not mean that the result is based on causation, only that there is a relationship, but the logic underlying this relationship is not yet fully understood.
In other words, this means that these lower testosterone levels could just as well have another cause, such as a diet that included less saturated fat and more fiber. It is well known that diets low in fat and/or high in fiber are associated with lower testosterone levels.
For a bodybuilder who consumes a variety of different protein sources such as lean red meat, dairy and poultry in moderate amounts in conjunction with intense training, the minor testosterone-lowering properties of soy would most likely be offset while still benefiting from the positive effects on the prostate and other health benefits.
Another factor to consider when looking at claims of suppression of testosterone production is the methodology of the supporting study. In some of these studies, the subjects consumed only soy products or at least used very high amounts of soy products to isolate the effects of soy.
In the real world, most people would not eat soy products exclusively, so the results of these studies are not really transferable to the real world.
So there are some problems with the claim that soy protein reduces testosterone levels:
- A skewed and biased view to make meat or dairy protein a better sell.
- Studies that show the opposite are ignored
- Insignificant results are extrapolated to support an irrelevant claim
- A distortion of the facts and a one-sided focus on hormonal changes while ignoring all health-promoting aspects.
Myth 2: Soy protein does not support muscle growth
A study conducted on pigs suggested that eating soy protein induced protein breakdown. However, other studies show otherwise. Here is a brief overview of some studies:
A study conducted with rats (5) was able to show that soy protein prevented protein breakdown. However, a human study (6), which showed that there were no significant differences in strength, hypertrophy, muscle cross-sectional area or muscle creatine levels when comparing the consumption of meat protein with soy protein in combination with resistance training, is probably more significant.
It may be hard to believe, but there is actually an anti-soy article that cites this exact study and claims that there is a 30% increase in muscle cross-sectional area when eating meat protein compared to soy protein. It is not clear where this claim comes from, as the authors of the study in the full text version showed both graphically and statistically that there were no significant differences in muscle cross-sectional area and concluded that the key factor in regulating muscle strength and hypertrophy is adequate protein intake regardless of the protein source (6). This example shows once again that one should not blindly rely on cited studies.
Another human study (7), which compared whey protein and soy protein in conjunction with resistance training, also concluded that protein supplementation increases muscle strength and muscle mass regardless of the protein source used.
A study (8) that looked at the effects of a whey and soy protein supplemented diet in mice concluded that both protein sources had positive effects on antioxidant status and resulted in better body composition.
Another study (9) showed that low-fat milk resulted in greater muscle growth compared to soy protein, although it was also shown that both milk and soy protein resulted in a positive protein balance.
Of course, low-fat milk is an excellent source of protein that should have its place in any diet, but the same is true for soy protein. A study (10) comparing whey protein and soy protein bars and their impact on lean body mass in college athletes in a weight training class concluded that both protein sources led to greater gains in lean body mass, but only soy protein was observed to have a significant positive antioxidant function, while whey protein was not nearly as effective in counteracting exercise-induced oxidative stress.
It's worth remembering that when it comes to gains in the gym, it's not necessarily the training itself that promotes growth - training sessions stimulate growth, while nutrients determine how effective the response to that stimulus is. Thus, you could achieve better and faster recovery with the help of soy protein, which would mean you can see better gains in the gym.
Is soy superior to other protein sources in terms of muscle building? Of course not. Studies show that whey protein and casein protein are best absorbed by the human body and give the best results, whereas soy protein as a plant protein is not digested and absorbed as well and has certain deficiencies in some amino acids.
However, when soy protein is combined with whey protein or casein, the lack of certain essential amino acids is no longer a problem (11). My point is that the inclusion of soy protein as a protein source in the diet can be an enrichment.
The benefits of soy protein
For the purpose of this discussion, I will use soy milk as an exemplary reference food for soy products and milk as an exemplary reference food for animal protein sources. This is an important comparison that is relevant to the concept of this article.
Over the last few years, milk has always been highlighted as an excellent food. The media kept mentioning that milk is good for your body, that milk is good for your bones and that milk will make you big and strong. I am in no way suggesting that whey protein and casein are not good sources of protein or that milk is not good in moderation. I am using the two foods mentioned above as an analogy, with soy symbolically representing those who support soy and milk representing those who are against soy products.
As an aside, it should be noted that even Arnold Schwarzenegger is convinced that a vegetarian can build big muscles and become a bodybuilding champion. This vegetarian is none other than Bill Pearl. A funny anecdote is Arnold's answer in the movie Pumping Iron to the question of whether he drinks milk: "No, I don't drink milk. Milk is for babies. When you grow up, you have to drink beer."
A good source of protein for bodybuilders
Soy milk contains a good amount of protein, which is around 7 grams per cup. If you look at the nutritional composition of soy products, in most cases you will find a wonderful macronutrient profile consisting mainly of protein, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats and fiber.
Additionally, there are different brands of soy milk that contain varying amounts of carbohydrates, fat, calories and fiber. Scientific research has shown that the brands with less carbohydrates and more fiber have a lower glycemic index and a lower insulin index.
Low glycemic index & insulin index and the fat-burning properties of soy
Many people know that low-fat milk has a low glycemic index, but not many people know that low-fat milk has a high insulin index. In other words, this means that milk causes insulin levels to rise, even though blood sugar levels remain within the normal range. At this point, let us briefly recall that insulin is an effective inhibitor of fat oxidation. Soy milk, on the other hand, has been shown to have both a low glycemic index and a low insulin index (12), allowing soy milk to stay in fat loss mode for longer.
In addition to this, there are studies showing that soy protein consumption is associated with an improvement in markers of fat oxidation. It has even been shown that soy protein leads to a greater reduction in body fat percentage and blood glucose levels than casein or whey protein (13, 14).
Antioxidant capacity and healthy fats:
Soy milk and other soy products contain isoflavones, which have positive effects on reducing the risk of prostate cancer and heart disease and may lower cholesterol levels. In addition to this, soy milk also contains alpha-lipoic acid. Some soy milk products contain up to 300 mg of alpha-lipoic acid, whereas milk only provides around 20 mg of alpha-lipoic acid per serving. Scientific studies show that alpha-lipoic acid helps fight free radicals and oxidative stress.
Summary
If you ask me, soy milk (and of course other soy products) sounds like a bodybuilder's friend based on its benefits and nutritional value:
- Low sodium and high potassium, making soy a good food for contest prep. Interestingly, soy milk has an almost perfect ratio of these two electrolytes.
- Low calorie content, which is in the range of fat-free milk.
- Low glycemic index and low insulin index, which means you stay in a fat-burning state for longer with low insulin levels and higher glucagon levels.
- High protein content, which is important for bodybuilders.
- Promotes cardiovascular health, which can only be beneficial in a world where bodybuilding is often associated with poor health, not without reason, due to the use of numerous unhealthy performance enhancing pharmaceuticals.
The key to success is to use everything in moderation, which ultimately leads to balance. Of course, whey protein and casein are among the best sources of protein and lean meats and dairy products also have many benefits, which is why you should consume all of these protein sources on a regular basis. However, the real point of this article was to understand that soy protein also has a number of benefits and can therefore be a good regular addition to a bodybuilder's diet. So the next time you hear in the gym that soy protein is supposed to hinder gains, know that a varied diet that includes soy protein and soy products is something good for your body and health, while still allowing you to win bodybuilding competitions.
Sources:
- Dillingham et al (2005). Soy protein isolates of varying isoflavone content exert minor effects on serum reproductive hormones in healthy young men, Journal of Nutrition, 135(3), 584-591.
- Gardner-Thorpe et al (2003). Dietary supplements of soya flour lower serum testosterone concentrations and improve markers of oxidative stress in men, European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 57(1), 100-106
- Nagata et al (2000). Inverse association of soy product intake with serum androgen and estrogen concentrations in Japanese men, Nutrition and Cancer, 36(1), 14-18.
- Nagata et al (2001). Effect of Soymilk Consumption on Serum Estrogen and Androgen Concentrations in Japanese Men, Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, and Prevention, 10(3), 179-184.
- Nikawa et al (2002). Effects of a Soy Protein Diet on Exercise-Induced Muscle Protein Catabolism in Rats, Nutrition, 18(6), 490-495.
- Haub et al (2002). Effect of Protein Source on Resistive-Training-Induced Changes in Body Composition and Muscle Size in Older Men, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 76(3), 511-517.
- Candow et al (2006). Effect of Whey and Soy Protein Supplementation Combined With Resistance Training in Young Adults, International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 16(3), 233-244.
- Elia et al (2006). Effect of Soy- And Whey Protein-Isolate Supplemented Diet on the Redox Parameters of Trained Mice, European Journal of Nutrition, 45(5), 259-266.
- Wilkinson et al (2007). Consumption of Fluid Skim Milk Promotes Greater Muscle Protein Accretion After Resistance Exercise Than Does Consumption of an Isonitrogenous and isoenergetic Soy-Protein Beverage, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 85(4), 1031-1040.
- Brown et al (2004). Soy Versus Whey Protein Bars: Effects on Exercise Training Impact on Lean Body Mass and Antioxidant Status, Nutrition Journal, 3, 22.
- Margen et al (1991). University of California, Berkley: The Wellness Encyclopedia. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, MA.
- Manore & Thompson. (2000). Sport Nutrition for Health and Performance. Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL.
- Morifuji et al (2006). Dietary Soya Protein Intake and Exercise Training Have an Additive Effect on Skeletal Muscle Fatty Acid Oxidation Enzyme Activities and mRNA Levels in Rats, British Journal of Nutrition, 96(3), 469-475.
- Nagasawa et al (2002). Effects of Soy Protein Diet on Expression of Adipose Genes and Plasma Adiponectin, Hormone and Metabolic Research, 34(11-12), 635-639.
