Are you suffering from protein deficiency?

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With all of the emphasis on carbohydrates over the years concerning recommended diets for endurance athletes, the answer is probably, YES! Obviously, it is very important to eat plenty of carbs, but not at the expense of adequate protein intake. Protein deficiencies are too common amongst endurance athletes and have a devastating effect on performance and health. Some of the symptoms to look for are slow muscular recovery from workouts and lower than normal strength. However, fatigue, lethargy, anemia, and other more severe conditions can develope as a result of ongoing protein deficiencies.

In this first part of a two part series, I will examine some myths about protein and what levels you should try to maintain in your diet. As you read this article remember that (protein is required for all aspects of repair and buidling muscle tissue.)

Myth #1 - "Only bodybuilders need hi-protein diets". The truth is that the protein requirements of endurance athletes and bodybuilders are very similar. It is only the way in which the body uses the protein that is different. Bodybuilders need protein to actually build more muscle tissue. Endurance athletes on the other hand need protein to repair existing muscle tissue that is undergoing constant breakdown from day to day training.

Myth #2 - "Eating a high protein diet will cause unwanted weight gain and muscle growth". The truth is that the type of training you engage in will determine whether you "bulk" up or not. High volumes of endurance training do not tend to produce muscle bulk, regardless of protein intake- Whereas relatively low volumes of strength training will. Either way, protein is going to be required to service the muscle tissue.

By now you are probably wondering just how much protein is enough for your needs. Well, I believe a good rule to follow is 1/2 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day. This means that if you weigh 150 pounds, it is going to take about 75 grams of protein each day to keep up with your body's needs and avoid "protein canibalization", when your body burns muscle tissue to meet its needs. During base training or strength training when you do want to add some lean muscle mass, you will need to increase protein intake to about 3/4 gram per pound of bodywieght.

This means that you will want to forget the 65-70% carbohydrate diet that is still being pushed by "experts" as an ideal diet for endurance athletes. A more realistic ratio that will meet your body's needs is closer to 50% carbohydrates, 40% protein and 10% fat.

Adjusting your diet to include more protein will pay big dividends in your performance and especially recovery. It will also help keep you from getting hungary every two hours. Try it for 60 days and judge the results for yourself.

Research confirms it

In case you were wondering what kind of documentation there is to support my ideas about protein requirements, you're in luck. In 1992 Richard Kreider, Ph.D. presented his findings on protein needs of endurance athletes to the American College of Sports Medicine. His research indicated that athletes do break down muscle tissue during intense endurance training. furthermore, he demonstrated that replacing the protein had a positive effect on fatigue, moodiness and the immune system. Kreider, who is director of the Wellness Institute and Research Center at Old Dominion University in Norfolk Virginia, studied the effects of hard training on protein breakdown, mood disturbances and immune status in college swimmers. Since the research was funded by a company that sells amino acids, the protein source used in the research was a group of 3 amino acids called "Branched Chain" or BCAA's.

After a month of training, the swimmers who had used the protein supplement experienced less muscle breakdown than the placebo group. By measuring nitrogen waste levels, which is a by product of muscle tissue breakdown, the research showed that the levels were 37% lower in the swimmers who used a protein supplement compared to those who took a placebo. Additionally, the swimmers who used the protein experienced less mood swings and improved immune response.

John Ivy, Ph.D. of the University of Texas at Austin also did a study which examined protein given after endurance exercise. His test involved cyclists doing a 2 hour time trial, then immediately after the time trial, each cyclist was given one of three mixtures; Carbohydrates, protein or a combination of the two. Blood samples and muscle biopsies revealed that the carbohydrate-protein combination produced muscle glycogen 38% faster than the carbohydrate alone. Protein only produced glycogen at the slowest rate.

These studies and other research demonstrates that endurance athletes in heavy training need about 50% more protein than recreational athletes. Specifically, this translates to .54 grams of protein per pound of body weight. So if you weigh 165 pounds, multiply that times .54 and you come up with 89.1 grams of protein as your daily requirement. This is more than twice the USRDA for adults and is probably quite a bit more than you are accustomed to eating. Also keep in mind that this amount of protein is only for maintaining the muscle mass you currently have. If you want to add muscle, in the off season for instance, you will need to increase your protein intake to .75 grams per pound of body weight to get the most out of your strength training.

Now that you know you are suffering from a protein deficiency in your diet, what are you going to do about it? You basically have two options; You can start using protein supplements or change your diet.

Protein supplements

Protein supplements come in all shapes and sizes, from amino acid tablets to generic protein powder to so called "metabolic optimizers" and so on. My suggestion is to get a generic protein powder consisting of milk and egg protein solids or a soy based protein. However, remember that the vegetable protein powder will not provide a "complete protein" source unless one or more amino acid has been added. Either way you go, a generic protein powder, preferably in bulk form, will give you the most bang for your buck. Above all, this gives you a very convenient source of protein. These are the least expensive and have an amino acid profile similar to what we find in regular foods.

Victory Nutrition Comment: This article does not suggest whey protein which we feel is a mistake. Whey protein may be the best protein choice due to the high amino acid profile, especially glutamine which is critical post workout.

Special note for vegetarians: If you are unwilling to eat meat and or dairy products, a good quality protein supplement is a necessity. A soy protein powder for meals and a BCAA capsule for immediately after workouts would be ideal. The reason being that it is almost impossible for you to get adequate proteins from combinations of rice and beans. Besides, vegetarian protein sources are relatively low in mineral content and lack complete amino acid profiles.

Change your diet

By dividing your body weight by 2, you will know roughly how many grams of protein you need on a daily basis. By reading labels and becoming familiar with protein rich foods, you should be able to keep a fairly accurate mental tally of your protein intake for the day. For some, writing what you eat in a diary may be better for judging your daily protein intake. The best overall approach is to eat a balanced combination of carbohydrates and protein at each meal and snack.

#2. BCAA's and Amino Acids

A quick word study tells us that protein comes from the Greek word meaning "of prime importance" and like carbohydrates and fats, is composed of atoms of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. In addition, proteins contain nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorous and iron. These molecules are linked in various forms by peptide bonds to form amino acids. It is these amino acids which are your body's "building blocks" for building and repairing muscle tissue as well as numerous other essential biological and physiological functions.

There are 20 different amino acids which are required by the body, 9 of which are classified as essential because they cannot be synthesized by the body and must be derived from external food sources. Two other aminos are synthesized by your body from two of the essential amino acids. The remaining 9 amino acids are classified as non essential because they can be manufactured in the body.

All proteins can be identified as either complete or incomplete. only if all nine essential amino acids are present in the proper quantity and correct ratio, to maintain nitrogen balance and allow for tissue growth and repair, is it a complete protein. Complete proteins are derived from animal sources such as eggs, milk, meat, fish and poultry. Whereas vegetable protein sources are usually considered incomplete because they lack at least 1 essential amino acid. This is why vegetarians must combine various vegetarian protein sources to get a complete profile of the 9 essential amino acids. However, it is extremely difficult to arrive at the ideal ratios and quantities when doing so.

BCAA's

Among the 9 essential amino acids are the three amino acids leucine, isoleucine, and valine which are known as "branched chain amino acids" or BCAA for short. Up to 75% of the your body's muscle tissue is composed of these three amino acids which are also directly involved in the tissue repair process. However, if the BCAA's are ingested without the other 6 essential amino acids in the right amounts, they're ability to function properly is significantly impaired. BCAA formulas are also one of the most expensive amino acid supplements on the market. However, the following common foods contain at least 2 grams* of BCAA's;

3 ounces of tuna (fresh grilled or canned packed in water)
3 ounces of extra lean beef (grilled filet mignon etc.)
3 ounces of cooked light or dark meat chicken
1 cup of nonfat or low fat yogurt (plain or fruit flavored)
1 cup of cooked kidney beans or lentils
1 cup cooked rice mixed with 1 cup of cooked black beans

*Studies show that at least 2 grams of your daily protein intake should be from the BCAA group.

Free form amino acids

Some amino acid supplements are offered in free form, which means that all 20 amino acids are present. this type of protein supplement is also expensive but does offer the vegetarian or semi-vegetarian a viable source of protein. However, free form amino acids in large quantities or taken too frequently can create unwanted stress on your liver and kidneys. This occurs because only a few of the 20 amino acids are in high demand and the excess aminos must be disposed through the liver and kidneys, which act like filters for eliminating toxins and excess nutrients.

Specific amino acids

Amino acid products are also offered in specific or individual formulas. If you really know what you're doing, you can put these to good use. Two examples of specific amino acids are L-Carnitine used to improve fat burning activity and L-Tryptophan as a natural sedative. Many other amino acids have similar performance and therapeutic applications, but some very thorough and careful study should be undertaken before getting involved this type of supplementation.

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