There is no doubt that maintaining protein synthesis rates is a major problem for a high-volume/high-intensity endurance athlete (one of the reasons why anabolic steroid use is prevalent in pro cyclists). Metabolically speaking, these athletes spend much of their day in a major catabolic state. Therefore I think it is vital that these athletes be well on the positive side of nitrogen balance (closer to 2g/kg) to ensure that the massive daily calorie expenditure doesn't negatively impact lean muscle mass. However, too much protein (above 2g/kg) can be a problem for endurance athletes since it can change the acid/base balance of the body - decreasing the ability to sustain high intensity activity, or it may replace much needed carbohydrates in the diet [Eric Noreen, MS, PhD candidate. University of Western Ontario, ON, Canada].

Whole Foods vs. Supplemental Protein

Athletes and nutritionists have been arguing for years about whether or not protein supplements are necessary. Nutritionists argue that protein needs can be met by whole food sources. They also say that supplemental protein powders offer no advantages. I don't necessarily agree with the nutritionists on this point.

Clearly, it is more "fun" to eat a 16-ounce filet mignon than a can of protein. But protein supplements can offer significant advantages over whole food sources.

Variety and Convenience

Most athletes and nutritionists will certainly agree that protein intake should come from a variety of sources. Different protein sources have different amino acid, vitamin and mineral profiles. The consumption of a limited variety of any macronutrient (protein, carbohydrates, or fats) or micronutrient (vitamins or minerals) can lead to nutritional deficiencies. So how does one prevent deficiency? Eat variety! Mainstays of the diet should be protein sources like lean beef, eggs, low fat cheese, milk, fish, and chicken.

But, typically athletes choose protein sources that are convenient and require minimal preparation (there goes the chicken, beef and eggs). In this scenario, because the protein sources are limited, the athlete doesn't eat enough of them. After all what 200-lb. guy wants to eat three whole containers of cottage cheese just to meet his 180-g protein requirement for the day.

In addition, food protein sources chosen for convenience may be missing certain amino acids necessary for growth and repair. If this happens, although the grams of protein eaten may seem to be adequate, there can be serious deficiencies in the diet. Specific amino acid deficiencies from a limited variety can impair normal function. An illustration of the complexity and importance of protein and amino acid transport in the body is illustrated in Figure 2. This figure also illustrates the complexity of protein metabolism.

Protein supplements often contain very high quality protein that requires no meal planning short of remembering to grab your protein packet or protein bar on the way out the door. In addition, since these protein powders are often fortified with vitamins and minerals (two other components of a balanced diet that many athletes are lacking), they may provide an easy source of other nutrients necessary for optimal nutrition and growth.



Protein Supplements and Cost

What about costs? Nutritionists have claimed that protein supplements are very expensive relative to their protein content and that whole food sources are cheaper. Not so.

As you can see, protein supplements, while slightly more expensive in some cases, are not substantially more expensive than whole food sources when compared per 40g of protein. Most supplemental protein powders that offer around 40g of protein, 24g of carbohydrate and 3g of fat are substantially cheaper (and certainly more nutritious) than the fast food meals that some individuals would choose over cooking 1/2 lb. of chicken or preparing a dozen egg whites. In addition, since many food sources contain other macronutrients, (carbohydrates and fats) if an individual is interested in increasing protein intake with a minimal increase in calories from other macronutrients, fat and carbohydrate-free protein powders are ideal.

Protein and Digestibility

Finally, another advantage of supplemental protein sources is that they are manufactured to be digested faster than whole protein sources. In addition to rapid digestion, a very high percentage of good protein powders are completely digested and absorbed due to the amino acid profiles of the supplements and the lack of lactose or fat. Today many supplemental proteins are also partially hydrolyzed (broken down) when processed. Therefore they require less natural GI processing before absorption.

Protein Quality

Protein quality is measured in many different ways. Two of the most common are biological value (BV) and the protein digestibility corrected amino acids score (PDCAAS).

The BV score gives us an indication of how much of the protein eaten remains in the body (the rest is excreted via sweat, urine, feces). Since the BV score is measured relative to a high quality "test protein" (usually egg protein), the test protein is given a BV of 100. A BV score of 70% or greater is usually considered good quality protein.

The PDCAAS measures the individual amino acids in the protein. A deficiency in only one amino acid may cause dramatic negative consequences. Therefore, this measure of protein quality examines the essential amino acid content of the protein in question and compares it against the human requirement for essential amino acids. Since a protein is only as good as it's weakest link, the amino acid that is lowest in the protein source then is termed the limiting amino acid.

Wheat protein is known to be a poor quality protein due to the fact that its limiting essential amino acid is lysine. Since the lysine content of wheat protein is only 8mg/1g protein while the human requirement for lysine is 19mg/1g protein, this protein source only provides 42% (8 divided by 19) of the necessary lysine for growth and repair.

Animal products score better on both the BV and PCDAAS scales. This is why animal proteins are typically the proteins of choice for athletes. Other protein sources like beans, grains, and peanuts can be eaten but are usually insufficient to provide the body with the amino acids necessary for growth.

Due to the high quality protein in animal sources, researchers have examined whether animal protein is better for getting stronger, gaining mass and losing fat than vegetarian protein. From these studies it has been concluded that an omnivorous diet containing protein from several sources including various meats, eggs, and dairy is superior to a vegetarian diet containing no meat and only a small amount of dairy and eggs.



Quality Proteins

25% of users get gas and bloating from cheap whey protein concentrate caused by the naturally occurring lactose. Whey protein concentrate can range from 35% protein to 80% protein. The lower the protein % (quality), the higher the lactose content. However, with high quality whey (like isolate, which is lactose free), these digestive nuisances greatly diminish. Also, any company that lists the percentages of each ingredient rather than a non-specific listing of the ingredients is probably a bit more honest about what they are giving you. Finally, if you ask, any good company will provide you with a certificate of analysis (COA) from the manufacturer of the protein itself telling you what the ingredients are [Alex Rogers. Proteinfactory.com Owner, NJ, USA].

Vegetarian and Muscle?

Since meat is a good source of high quality protein, vitamins, and minerals, it's no surprise that most athletes and gym rats eat a lot of meat. However many dietitians and vegetarian groups have taken a very anti-meat stance. While some of their ideas can't be totally dismissed, their blanket statements against meat consumption are misguided. Of course fatty meats can lead to blood lipid problems and other health dangers. But the consumption of lean meat seems to have many benefits, especially for weight trainers.

Dr. Wayne W. Campbell, a nutrition, exercise, and metabolism researcher from the University of Arkansas, has consistently shown that lacto-ovo vegetarian eating (dairy and eggs are allowed) can interfere with the positive body composition changes seen in meat-eating older weight trainers [Campbell et al. 1995a, 1995b, 1999]. In his studies, subjects were given between 0.8g of protein/kg/day and 1.6g of protein/kg/day. Regardless of the protein intake, vegetarians did not improve to the same degree that meat-eating trainees did. From all the data, it is clear that the addition of meat protein to a vegetarian diet can increase the gains in muscle and losses in fat seen with weight training. Since vegetarian proteins (besides egg and dairy) may be deficient in certain essential amino acids, this may prevent muscle gain even when the total calculated protein intake seems adequate.

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