Protein facts you should know as an athlete!

The facts, the myths and the real science

Everyone has an opinion about protein and the myths about protein run rampant. That's why separating the facts from all the untrue junk will lead to better decisions about your diet and protein intake. Answer the questions below and see for yourself if you've fallen for the myths.

Fact or myth?

The official recommendations for daily protein intake are perfectly adequate for people who exercise.

Tip: The official recommendation for protein intake is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. So if you weigh 86 kilograms, you need 68 grams of protein.

The answer: Strength athletes and other athletes who care about their performance or body development need more protein than is officially recommended. So it's a myth (and a bad joke) that the official recommendations for protein intake are sufficient for hard-training athletes.

Here's the reasoning: The official recommendations regarding protein intake are too low for certain groups. These recommendations were never intended for people who are trying to increase their performance or build or maintain muscle mass. In fact, a higher protein intake could have positive effects on various health conditions including obesity, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease and muscle wasting.

The official recommendations for daily protein intake only reflect the minimum amount of protein needed to maintain nitrogen balance in healthy, moderately active people. Nitrogen balance compares the amount of nitrogen supplied to the body (in the form of protein) with the amount of nitrogen excreted from the body. Nitrogen balance is often used as a measure of protein balance because protein is 16% nitrogen.

If you consume the same amount of nitrogen that you excrete, then you have a balanced nitrogen balance. If you consume more nitrogen than you lose, it is called a positive nitrogen balance and if you excrete more nitrogen than you consume, it is called a negative nitrogen balance and you are losing protein.

Nitrogen balance studies often include an examination of urinary nitrogen levels. About 90 percent of the nitrogen in urine consists of urea and ammonia salts - the end products of protein metabolism. The remaining nitrogen. The remaining nitrogen can be explained by other nitrogen-containing compounds.

The nitrogen balance method is useful, but it has its problems: urine tests tend to underestimate nitrogen loss, dietary intake tends to be overestimated, varying hair and skin losses tend to be in error, and the response to increased protein intake varies enormously.

The real nerd stuff

1. In a review published in the International Journal of Sports Nutrition, scientists concluded that "those who perform strength training may need to consume up to 1.6-1.7 grams of protein per kilogram per day (about twice the officially recommended amount), while those who perform endurance training may need about 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram per day (about 1.5 times the current official recommendation)."
2. In another article published in the journal Nutrition & Metabolism, scientist Donald Layman argued that nutritional guidelines should be improved to reflect a new understanding of protein requirements. According to him, a growing number of studies in the past have shown that protein intake above the official recommended amount is beneficial for maintaining muscle function and mobility. A diet with increased protein intake has been shown to improve adult health when it comes to treating obesity, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease and muscle wasting.
3. A review published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary protein on body composition in weight-trained athletes maintaining a caloric deficit and to provide recommendations regarding protein intake for these athletes.
   The researchers concluded that "...the range of 2.3 to 3.1 grams of protein per kilogram of lean body mass provides the most consistent protection against lean body mass loss." In other words, for every kilogram of your body that is not fat, you should consume 2 to 3 grams of protein to maintain your lean body tissue. So if you have 80 kilos of lean body tissue, then 240 grams of protein would be optimal for you.
   
   In addition to this, the athlete's goal should also be taken into account. Leaner athletes or those whose primary goal is to maintain a maximum amount of lean body mass should aim for the upper end of this range. Even higher amounts than those recommended in this review are not uncommon in athletes. It is unlikely that a higher protein intake will have a negative impact on health - always assuming that there are no health problems that make a limited protein intake necessary.

Fact or myth?

The thermic effect of protein is the same as the thermic effect of carbohydrates and fat.

Tip: The thermic effect of food, or food-induced thermogenesis (DIT), is the amount of energy your body has to expend to digest and absorb food. Imagine a lean chicken breast (mainly protein), a bowl of rice (mainly carbohydrates and a tablespoon of butter (mainly fat). Which of these foods requires the body to work the hardest during digestion?

The answer: Of the three macronutrients, protein comes first in terms of food-induced thermogenesis. So it's a myth that they are all equal in terms of their thermogenic effect. This means that it will cost you more calories to digest and absorb protein than it will to digest and absorb fat or carbohydrates.

Here is the reasoning: Consuming protein requires consuming 20-30% of the calories that protein provides. So if you eat 200 kcal in the form of protein, 40 to 60 calories are burned during digestion. Food-induced thermogenesis is 15 to 20% for carbohydrates and 2 to 5% for fat.

Fact or myth?

Protein is more satiating than fat or carbohydrates.

Tip: Protein has an influence on CCK (cholecystokinin) and ghrelin. Protein may stimulate cholecystokinin (CCK) and reduce ghrelin levels. CCK is mainly secreted by the inner layer of the digestive tract and it has been shown that CCK acts as a signal for satiety. The satiating effect of CCK was first demonstrated when CCK was administered to rats. It reduced meal size in a dose-dependent manner. Ghrelin is primarily produced in the stomach and has appetite-stimulating effects. Ghrelin levels are relatively high before a meal and decrease after a meal.

The answer: It is a fact that protein is usually more satiating than fat or carbohydrates. When comparing protein, fat and carbohydrates, it is usually reported that protein is the most satiating and fat is the least satiating.

Here is the reasoning: Scientific research suggests that one of the primary factors involved in the satiating effects of protein is the thermic effect of food, mentioned above. Although the influence of protein on ghrelin and CCK may play a major role in the satiating effects of protein, further research is needed in these areas as the results are inconclusive. Future studies should focus on different amounts of protein, different types of protein, and short-term and long-term consumption of protein.

The real nerd stuff

1. A review published in the journal Nutrition & Metabolism reported that protein-induced thermogenesis has an important effect on satiety. "Protein plays a key role in the regulation of body weight through satiety associated with food-induced thermogenesis.
2. A study published in the journal Physiology & Behavior examined the relative satiety effects of macronutrients in lean women. On four separate occasions, the composition of an isocaloric starter was controlled in 12 lean women. The macronutrient composition had a significant effect on short-term hunger - the women were less hungry after a protein starter than after starters with a different macronutrient composition. They also ate less after the protein starter.
3. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition tested the prediction that increasing protein intake while maintaining the carbohydrate portion of the diet lowers weight due to reduced appetite and calorie intake. The study showed that when protein intake was increased from 15% of the diet to 30% of the diet (while the same amount of carbohydrate was consumed), there was a reduction in appetite and lower calorie consumption.
4. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism published a study that examined the effects of different proteins and carbohydrates on markers of appetite and appetite-regulating hormones. CCK levels were among the values measured.
   
   Calorie intake was higher after a glucose "starter" than after a lactose or protein "starter". CCK levels were higher 90 minutes after the protein appetizer compared to CKK levels after glucose and lactose consumption. The researchers concluded: "Acute appetite and energy intake were reduced after consumption of lactose, casein or whey protein compared to glucose.

A small caveat

Scientific studies sometimes get a little sloppy. For example, some studies are inconclusive when it comes to protein intake and ghrelin levels. For this reason, you need to rely on your own conclusions, your own logic and your own experience when gathering information from studies.

References

1. Blom, A.M., Lluch, A., Stafleu, A., Vinoy, S., Holst, J., Schaafsma, G., & Hendriks, H. (2006). Effect of high-protein breakfast on the postprandial ghrelin response. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 83(2), 211-220.
2. Bowen, J., Noakes, M., Trenerry, C., & Clifton, P.M. (2006).Energy intake, Ghrelin, and Cholecystokinin after Different Carbohydrate and Protein Preloads in Overweight Men. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 91(4).
3. Helms, E., Zinn, C., Rowlands, D.S., & Brown, S.R. (2014). A Systematic Review of Dietary Protein During Caloric Restriction in Resistance Trained Lean Athletes: A Case for Higher Intakes. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 24, 127-138.
4. Layman, D.K.(2009). Dietary Guidelines should reflect new understandings about adult protein needs. Nutrition & Metabolism, 6(12), Lemon, P. (1998). Effects of exercise on dietary protein requirements. International Journal of Sports Nutrition, 8(4), 426-447.
5. Lucas, M, & Heiss C.J.(2005) Protein needs of older adults engaged in resistance training: A review. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, 13(2), 223-236.
6. Moran, L.J., Luscombe-Marsh, N.D., Noakes, M., Wittert, G.A., Keogh, J.B., & Clifton, P.M. (2005). The Satiating Effect of Dietary Protein Is Unrelated to Postprandial Ghrelin. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolsim, 90(9).
7. Poppitt, S.D., McCormack, D., & Buffenstein, R. (1998).Short-term effects of macronutrient preloads on appetite and energy intake in lean women. Physiology & Behavior, 64(3), 279-285.
8. Weigle, D.S., Breen, P.A., Matthys, C.C., Callahan, H.S., Meeuws, K.E., Burden, V.R., & Purnell, J.Q. (2005). A high-protein diet induces sustained reductions in appetite, ad libitum caloric intake, and body weight despite compensatory changes in diurnal plasma leptin and ghrelin concentrations. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 82(1), 41-48.
9. Westerterp, K.R. (2004). Diet induced thermogenesis. Nutrition & Metabolism, 1, 1-5

By: Jamie Hale | 06/20/16

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/diet-fat-loss/protein-facts-you-better-know