The importance of adequate protein is largely ignored by traditional nutritionists. However, it's now well-established that 1) higher protein/lower carbohydrate diet favorably affects body mass and composition independent of energy intake, 2) higher protein intake is associated with increased bone mineral mass, 3) exchanging protein for carbohydrate significantly reduces "bad cholesterol" and increases HDL or "good cholesterol," and 4) higher consumption of protein is inversely associated with blood pressure, i.e., protein decreases blood pressure.

In addition, it's now crystal clear that the anabolic effects of resistance exercise are amplified by protein or amino acids. A recent study at the Baylor University´s Sport Nutrition Lab examined 10 weeks of resistance training and the ingestion of supplemental protein and amino acids on muscle performance and markers of muscle anabolism. The investigators randomly assigned 19 untrained men to supplement groups containing either protein/amino acids (14 grams of whey and casein protein and 6 grams of free amino acids) or 20 grams of sugar. The supplements were ingested 1 hour before and after exercise for a total of 40 grams per day. The subjects exercised four times per week using three sets of six to eight repetitions at 85 percent to 90 percent of the one-repetition maximum. Not surprisingly, the results indicated that the ingestion of a blend of proteins and free amino acids is more effective than an isocaloric sugar supplement in improving muscle strength and mass and biomarkers of muscle anabolism (e.g., muscle IGF-1). Specifically, results showed respective increases in total body mass, fat-free mass and thigh mass of 4.35, 2.70 and 0.41 kilograms for the sugar group and increases of 7.00, 5.62 and 0.73 kilograms for the protein/amino acid group.

The bottom line is that you should take in a fair amount of protein/amino acids both before and after resistance training to maximize the anabolic effects of exercise.

 

Reference: Willoughby DS et al. Effects of resistance training and protein plus amino acid supplementation on muscle anabolism, mass, and strength. Amino Acids, 2006 Sep 20; [Epub ahead of print].

 

About Anssi Manninen

Anssi Manninen holds an MHS in sports medicine from the University of Kuopio Medical School. His numerous cutting-edge articles in MD firmly establish his reputation as a leading authority on hardcore sports nutrition. Anssi´s articles have also been published in scientific journals, including The British Journal of Sports Medicine, The Journal of International Society of Sports Nutrition, Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders, Nutrition & Metabolism, and Journal of Sports Science and Medicine. Anssi is also an associate editor for Nutrition & Metabolism, a leading scientific journal in the area of nutritional biochemistry.