Dietary Supplements vs Food - Do We Have a Winner?

What are dietary supplements?

Any food that supplements the diet and contains 'dietary ingredients', for example:

• Vitamins
• Minerals
• Amino acids
• Herbs
• Enzymes

Dietary supplements are intended to be food substitutes, they cannot match the benefits that whole foods provide.

Whole food benefits

Complex foods – contain a variety of macro- and micro-nutrients which work together to provide benefits.

Essential fibre – fibre naturally occurs in foods providing numerous benefits including digestive health, diabetes prevention and satiation (which helps with weight management).

Dietary supplements in athletes

Vitamins and minerals:

Immuno-suppression affects athletes undergoing strenuous physical activity; this compromises the immune system causing increased susceptibility to illness and infection.  Therefore, the recommended daily intake of vitamins and minerals is higher for athletes than the general population.  However, consuming a balanced diet with sufficient energy intake should account for this increased requirement and therefore healthy athletes should not need to take additional vitamins or minerals in supplement form.

Additional supplementation may be required by certain athletes:

• Athletes who are 'making weight' – those on a calorie deficit diet and therefore not consuming the quantity of food necessary to provide the required vitamins and minerals may need additional supplementation.
• Athletes with food intolerance/allergy – medical conditions may affect how the body absorbs or uses nutrients consumed and therefore supplements are required to maintain a balanced diet.

Protein:

Protein occurs naturally in foods such as meat, nuts and dairy products (milk, eggs) but it is often used as a supplement among athletes in the form of powder.  Protein is vital for preventing muscle breakdown and aiding muscle recovery and therefore intake both pre- and post-exercise is important for athletes to maintain a high performance level.

It is recommended that an individual wanting to build muscle should consume 0.7g of protein per pound of body weight per day.  For a 170lb individual this could amount to 119g of protein – the equivalent of 2 chicken breasts, 3 eggs and a 6oz steak – this not only contains a lot of other ingredients including cholesterol, fat and saturated fat, (adversely affecting body composition), but is also very expensive.  Protein is essential to aid recovery, but all athletes require a different amount of protein depending on their level of activity, intensity and goals.  Protein supplements offer a convenient, quick alternative with few added ingredients.

Furthermore, whey – the most popular protein supplement – is rapidly digested and absorbed by the body, whereas protein obtained from natural food is absorbed much more slowly.  Muscles need protein in the first 30 minutes post-workout for recovery and to prevent break down and thus whey is vital for muscle building.  As whey protein is rapidly absorbed, it will be used by the muscles quickly and therefore additional protein intake is required.  A high protein meal consisting of whole foods, 1-2 hours after exercise will provide the slow-release protein needed to fuel the muscles for hours and thus maintain lean body mass.

Future trends

Although protein is the most popular supplement in the sports industry, anti-oxidant (AOX) based supplements are predicted to grow in popularity in the coming years.  AOX are vital to protect the body from free radicals – chemicals which accumulate throughout the body.  Free radicals are produced naturally by the body through metabolism and immunity, but they are also produced via contact with cigarette smoke, radiation, pollution and endurance exercise.  An accumulation of free radicals can cause illness and infection in an individual.

Regardless of how much protein an athlete consumes, if they are constantly ill they will not be able to perform to their maximum potential and therefore they will not be able to build muscle.  AOX supplements aimed at athletes are likely to become hugely popular in the future.

This post was written by Sam Innes and is part of the Macro Man online fitness blog!

How Much Protein Should I Eat?

Why you need protein!

Protein is the ammunition you need for arming your guns. It’s built from amino acids stitched together into long chains, some of which your body can make naturally – known as ‘non-essential’ – and some of which it can’t. These are called ‘essential’ amino acids and you need to source them from food. When you chow down on a chicken breast your body breaks proteins down into their constituent amino acids, which it then uses to build everything from new muscle to organs and hair.

Are you getting enough?

In all likelihood, probably not. The current guidelines recommend you eat 0.8g of protein daily per kg of bodyweight, but that won’t get you Arnie arms. “Elite athletes eat around 2g per kg every day,” says Dr Karen Reid, a sports science nutritionist who’s worked with the Wales rugby team, and the founder of Performance Food. She recommends getting near that level for the first 12 weeks of a new workout programme. “That’s when you’re sore, when you’re breaking down muscle fibres and creating new structures.” And damage plus fuel equals growth. After 12 weeks, if your wallet requires it, you can scale back to between 1.2g and 1.6g per kilo.

But don’t eat too much

Upping your protein intake won’t automatically lead to muscle gain. If you’re not putting the work in at the gym then it’s wasted, and will either be burnt off as fuel or laid down as fat. That’s an expensive way to gain unwanted weight, and could be harmful in the long term. “Nitrogen from the amino acids has to be cleared,” says Reid. “That puts extra strain on your liver and kidneys, which have to filter it all out.” If you notice dark, concentrated urine, up your hydration and feast on bananas and spinach. They’re high in magnesium and potassium and help to reduce protein-associated kidney stones, according to research from the University of Granada.

 

Watch the clock

Timing your protein hits is vital to optimise your gains. Your body can’t process more than 30g of protein per serving, according to research from the University of Texas, so scoffing six steaks at dinner is a waste. “It’s not about having shedloads all at once,” say Reid. Instead, plan five or six small meals throughout the day, stagger your protein hits from morning to night.

Eat around your workout

The most important protein hit is the one after your gym session. “You want that immediate stimulus,” says Reid. “Within the 30-minute window post-workout you’re looking to optimise the repair and regeneration process.” That’s when you want rapidly-absorbed whey protein, either by chugging a shake or a pint of milk. Reid also recommends a skinny latte for a pre-gym boost: “You’ve got the caffeine kick, the protein in the milk and if you try a banana with it, a bit of carbohydrate.” Pairing your protein with carbs is good sense. After exercise your body produces the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol, which break down proteins, fats and sugars. When they’re coursing through you, you’re not building muscle. “When you get some recovery nutrition in it counters those stress hormones,” says Reid, switching your body back into repair mode and kick starting growth.

Protein for everyone

If you’re looking to pack on muscle then, obviously, you need protein to build it. But if you’re trying to lose weight then upping your intake is equally important. Your body only burns protein after it’s exhausted fat stores, so swapping carbs for meat ensures it’s your spare tyre that gets targeted for energy when you work out. What’s more, simply having muscle (which is, remember, built from protein) increases your calorie burn at rest. Plus there’s the handy fact that protein boosts satiety.

This post is from Macro Man's Main Blog!

Soy vs Whey Protein

There is so much research and opinion on this one that you will find endless articles for both sides of the argument, if you read enough of them you can form your own opinion, where you will probably get to is that there really isn’t much difference!

Continuing the Soy Vs Whey debate. . .  

Both plant-based soy protein and whey protein from dairy milk have been shown to help build and maintain lean body mass. Although not as rapidly digested and absorbed by the body as whey protein, soy protein does help support lean muscle mass.

 

For many years, a score called Biological Value was used to measure the quality of protein. Whey generally scored much higher than soy because of its unique composition. However, more current research shows a more appropriate measure of the effectiveness of different types of protein in building and maintaining muscle is called the Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS).

 

Both soy and whey have a PDCAAS score of 1.0, which is the highest score available, the same as egg whites.

 

Your body needs protein for survival. Amino acids — the building blocks of protein — are necessary for everything from immune function, metabolism and weight management to muscle repair, growth, development and performance. There’s also research that shows protein helps you feel alert, as well as more satiated for a longer period of time.  The common types of protein powders fall into two categories: animal-based protein (casein, whey and egg) and plant-based protein (hemp, rice, pea, sacha inchi, potato, etc.).

 

 

What are the differences between traditional whey protein and plant-based protein?  Whey protein is a by-product of the cheese manufacturing process and is the liquid that is left behind after milk is curdled and strained.   Since whey protein is derived from milk, lactose intolerance is one of the most common side effects from consuming whey protein.  Whey protein is a common allergen and can affect the immune system of individuals who may be allergic to it.  Whey proteins are also notorious for causing bloating which is a symptom of the body’s inability to digest it.  Symptoms related to digestive issues include abdominal pain, gas, bloating and diarrhea.  Whey protein is high in sulphur-based amino acids.  This means that whey protein is acid forming which can cause significant calcium loss and weakening of the bones known as osteoporosis.  Since over-consumption of whey protein leads to increased acidity and lowered pH of the blood, it is believed that this may give rise to various kidney disorders.

 

 

Plant-based protein, on the other hand, is a much easier digestible source of protein for humans without the side effects associated with whey protein. Plant protein is perfectly packaged along with an abundance of phytonutrients, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fibre —all critical components for optimal health and disease prevention.  Blended plant-based protein provides a full spectrum of amino acids through complementary sources and is alkaline forming in the body.

 

 

This article can be found at Macro Man's Main Blog!