Protein Bioavailability List

I mentioned the bioavailability of protein in my last article entitled "Cook Those Eggs."  It occurred to me, why not post a list regarding the bioavailibilty of common proteins you regularly encounter in everyday life?  It's interesting and useful diet information, that's for sure.

Protein Source BV Whey Protein Isolate Blends Whey Concentrate (Lactalbumin) Whole Egg Cow's Milk Egg White (Albumin) Fish Beef Chicken Casein (a protein from milk) Rice Soy Wheat Beans Peanuts 100-159 104 100 91 88 83 80 79 77 74 59 54 49 43

Just to explain the list slightly, those numbers represent the percentage of protein in each food that can be absorbed by the body.  The top two proteins (whey concentrate and whey isolate) are greater than 100% because they are hydrolized, or "pre-digested" to be absorbed by the body more efficiently than almost any other protein type.  There's a reason protein powder costs so much!

If you're looking for this information, I got it from an article whose Google source I will provide:

webpages.charter.net/edsouza/WLS/Proteinseminarpaper.doc

To Shake or not to Shake?

Whether you're new to the fitness scene, or a seasoned veteran in the gym, chances are you drink a protein shake at some point during your day (usually around your workout, though I've known some who decide to chug one any old time.)  If you've got a good brand of protein, I bet you love the shake, and I bet it feels great to give your body what it needs right after a tough workout.  You may have even seen some pretty good gains off of the stuff, both in the strength and looks department.  There's no doubt protein shakes are great fitness tools, and it's easy to see why so many are sold on them for daily usage.

But why stop at one?  I've known many people who decide they'd like to get bigger and stronger, and decide in order to do so they'll just stick another protein shake in their diet at some random point in their day.  And so now, they chug one protein shake after their workout, and one whenever they feel like it.  If they feel like they'd REALLYYY like some more muscle, they may even stick a third in there somewhere.  Heck, I've known some people to drink as many as 5-6 shakes a day, all in hopes to gain lean muscle mass quickly.  I don't care who you are, 5-6 shakes a day is a LOT of whey protein.  But still, what's the big deal, it'll work...right?

Eh...not so much.  Listen for a second.

What many people in the fitness world fail to realize is that whole food (actual meals, chicken, corn, beans, rice...etc...) still drastically outranks any protein shake in the nutritional department.  To start removing all those fantastic nutrients from your diet in exchange for a shake is a very bad idea, because you will start to leave yourself starved of most of the good stuff.  Your body wants whole food, and trust me it'll go a lot farther than a liquefied shake.  

Shakes just don't have the same kind of nutritional value as whole food.  Sure they've got a ton of protein, but they're lacking many essential nutrients to regular bodily function.  And you know what?  It may be confusing to hear, but in the muscle building department, protein ISN'T EVERYTHING.  You can overload your body with as much protein as you want, and your body will still only use a fraction of it.  Most of it will go right in and right out of your system, doing nothing but wasting your time and money.  Your body needs a very specific environment in order to build a lot of muscle as quickly as possible (which isn't very quick no matter what, mind you), and guess what's the easiest way to ensure you're providing this ideal bodily atmosphere?  EAT FOOD.  You need carbs, you need fat, you need natural, non-synthesized nutrients in order to help your body use all that extra protein you're giving it to its fullest potential.  I'll repeat again, if you're just drinking a ton of protein shakes, more than likely they're going in and washing right out.  

Food also has a thermic effect on the body.  This means that it requires energy to digest, where as shakes are predigested and absorb much more quickly into your system.  After a workout, this is great, because you get nutrients as fast as possible, but any other time of the day this isn't needed and is NOT an ideal scenario.  You need to work your digestive tract, and you'll burn more calories doing so anyway.  

There's also speculation about what excess protein supplementation can do to your kidneys.  Believe it or not your kidneys have to work pretty hard to filter all that junk out of the water it's dissolved in, and the more protein you take in, the more work they have to end up doing.  Will it cause kidney problems?  Probably not, especially if you're drinking enough water.  In fact I truly doubt you'll ever see any negative effects of protein shakes as long as you're not going overboard.  But ya know what?  It's something to think about, and in order to keep your kidneys healthy, and be safe rather than sorry, I'd suggest limiting your protein shake intake and increasing your water intake.  

And finally, DON'T BE AFRAID TO EAT.  It all comes down to the most effective meal (nutritionally) for the calories you're consuming.  Guess what, if you're trying to get a few more quality calories in, protein shakes are NOT the answer.  Sure they'll give you a ton of protein, but again, that protein will do diddly squat without other nutrients to support it.  Enjoy real food.  Try new recipes every day.  Give your body what it really needs.  Protein supplements are just that...SUPPLEMENTS...meant to be taken only when it is more convenient to do so (like right after a workout at the gym, where I doubt you have an entire kitchen setup to make a nice healthy meal right after that last set.)  Would I replace my post-workout shake with a real meal if I could?  You bet your bottom I would!  It'd probably do me a lot more good than some shake, no matter how delicious that shake is.  In fact, let me put this is bold:

TO SEE MUSCLE GAINS, YOU DO NOT NEED PROTEIN SHAKES.  YOU CAN GET BETTER GAINS OFF OF REAL FOOD THAN YOU COULD WITH ANY SHAKE ON THE MARKET.  

Here's my recommendation:  Drink 1-2 shakes a day, max.  Drink one after your workout, as this is the time your body needs it most.  If you leave your body starved after working it to the breaking point, you're completely screwing yourself over for any sort of gain.  The second shake you can drink when you want, but I'd suggest it in the morning, when your body is crying for food after not eating all night.  I have whey protein powder in my oatmeal, but hey, close enough.  Those two times are generally the most effective for protein absorption   If you can have a real meal instead though, do it.  Just make sure you're getting all your required nutrients.

Shakes are meant for convenience.  They are not an excuse to be lazy nutritionally.  Cook your food, plan your meals, design them to fit your caloric and macro nutrient needs.  Put some work into it!  You'll see better results in the long run, I guarantee.  

Keep eating, love those whole foods, and as always, good luck!

Food Worship #4: Natural Peanut Butter

I love peanut butter, and I'm willing to bet most of you do as well.  The good news is that the natural stuff is actually very healthy for you in small quantities.  In fact if you're looking to keep your heart healthy, put on some muscle, or even lose some body fat, natural peanut butter can definitely help you out.

What's so great about "natural" peanut butter?  Well, normal peanut butter may be a delicious gift from heaven, however it's filled to the brim with chemicals that will help to keep the peanut oil and the peanut paste from separating.  These include hydrogenated oils as well as high fructose corn syrup.  Those ingredients spell trouble, because in reality they mean something much more sinister: TRANS FAT. That nasty fat will surely fight your heart in every way possible, and will most likely contribute to a soft middle as well.

But wait, on the nutrition label it says there's zero trans fat for peanut butter, is it lying?

Not exactly, but that label may be a little misleading.  See, in reality, the FDA doesn't require trans fat to be posted on the label if it contains less than .5g of the stuff.  So it's there, it's just very minuscule.  But good ol' skippy definitely does NOT have 0 trans fat.  And while a tiny little bit such as this may not seem to mean too much, over a whole jar's worth it can add up (although I hope most of you don't eat an entire jar in one serving).

Natural peanut butter however doesn't have trans fat, because if you compare ingredients, you'll see that a good brand of natural peanut butter (I suggest either Teddy Bear or Smucker's natural) has "roasted peanuts" as the only ingredient.  No added sugars, no hydrogenated oils, only healthy fats and proteins.  Because it doesn't have these extra additives, the peanut oil in natural peanut butter will separate out over time.  Simply stir before using, or flip the jar when you're putting it away so the oil can absorb back up into the ground peanuts.

So how can natural peanut butter improve your diet?  I'll list a few ways, and give you an excuse to have a spoonful today:

Healthy Fats- Natural peanut butter is loaded with healthy, poly and mono unsaturated fats which will do you all sorts of good. They'll increase cardiovascular health if consumed in decent quantities in your diet, and will help to raise your HDL or "good" cholesterol.

These fats will also give you clean, usable energy throughout your day, which is why I'd definitely suggest having a tablespoon or two of natural peanut butter for breakfast on a slice of whole wheat toast.

Finally, these fats will help you to absorb what are called "fat soluble vitamins."  These essential vitamins are wasted and unusable by your body if they are not absorbed into a good source of unsaturated fat.  Examples of fat soluble vitamins are vitamins A, D, E, and K.

Protein/Bulking- While natural peanut butter does contain around 6g of protein per serving, considering that one serving has around 190-200 calories it doesn't end up being that protein dense.  What peanut butter is EXTREMELY good for though is those looking to bulk up, and pack on some muscle mass.  Because peanut butter is very calorie dense, it can assist hard-gainers to finally be in a caloric excess for the day so that they might use some of those extra quality calories to build some new muscle (note that muscle building required WORK, and existing in a caloric excess without working out is definitely NOT recommended.)

Fiber- Natural peanut butter has a good amount of fiber that will keep your digestive system healthy and will help to metabolize other food by slowing digestion.  This can help people to maintain or lose weight, and will also help them to feel fuller, longer.  Natural Peanut butter is very satiating.


Extended Feed Time- My personal favorite usage of natural peanut butter is to keep my muscles fed while I sleep.  After I lift, my muscles will be repairing themselves all the rest of that day and through the night, and they need raw food material in order to build those muscles up bigger and stronger than they were before.  I take a tablespoon of natural peanut butter before I go to bed to ensure that the healthy fats in peanut butter will slow down nutrient absorption into my muscles so they can be "drip fed" all night while I sleep, and won't ever enter a catabolic state.

It's a cheat meal, that's not a cheat meal!- Peanut butter tastes freakin' amazing! Sure the natural stuff may not be quite as sweet, but I guarantee that if you give it a couple tries, you'll learn to appreciate its rich, nutty flavor and its amazingly smooth texture.  It feels like you're eating dessert when really you're consuming a very healthy meal.  Remember to keep it in controlled quantities, but enjoy those quantities to their fullest extent.

It's cheap!- For all those great nutrients and healthy fats, natural peanut butter is pretty darn cheap.  Pick some up today, don't worry it won't break your food budget.

So there you go, I just gave you six great reasons to eat some peanut butter.  Do you need any more?  I bet you didn't need more than one....ha.  Seriously though, go out and pick some up, and try a little for breakfast, or as a between meal or pre-bedtime snack.  Natural peanut butter is an amazing diet tool and consuming it will result in a healthier, happier you.

Creamy or Chunky, it doesn't matter, I like either one.

Good Luck!

Performance Weekly #1: Whey vs Casein Protein

So, being a gym rat myself, I've decided to post at least one (it'll probably end up being way more than that) performance/strength/muscle building article per week.  I have always been a huge supporter of any sort of exercise, and believe it can do wonders for absolutely anybody.  Ten minutes a day out walking your dog is better than another ten minutes on the couch.  That will always be true.

I for one though, like to push it hard.  Being an Olympic style weightlifter, I am in the gym for at least an hour a day, sometimes twice a day, squatting, snatching, clean and jerking (you know, that sport you maybe have accidentally flipped to one day while the Olympics were on?)  pressing, and in general pushing my muscles to the absolute limit day in and day out.  And many of you are right there with me, whether you be a runner, biker, bodybuilder, swimmer, maybe even a Polo player (though I think the horse does most of the work there.)  You all work your muscles hard, sweat harder, and sleep soundly at night.

We all know the concept of working out.  You go to the gym, lift a few weights, and get stronger, right?  Well there's a lot more to it than that, but in general, yes.  However, if your goal is to get stronger, faster, you could be drastically hampering your progress if you're not supplementing your body correctly.  See, when you lift weights until exhaustion (when you feel the burn), what you're actually doing is forcing your muscles to work in an anaerobic state.  This means they're running off lactic acid instead of oxygen.  This chemical process works, however lactic acid is destructive to your muscles, and begins to break them down.  After your workout, your muscles use available sources of protein, carbohydrates, and various other nutrients to begin rebuilding the damaged fibers, and this time will try to build them a little bigger and denser than they were before, in an attempt to avoid such destruction.

However to do all this, you need supplementation.  One of the most common supplements on the market today to help with your strength goals is the humble protein shake, which you've probably seen in the form of Whey Protein Powder.

Whey is a staple in the fitness industry.  Those that don't know much about lifting still seem to know that they can buy a cheap tub of Whey protein at Walmart, mix some with water, drink it after their workout, and believe they have done their bodies a favor.  And they have!  But when you drink one of these shakes, what are you actually giving your body?  Why is Whey protein so helpful?  Well first things first.  Whey protein itself is a by-product of cheese production.  It is an extremely dense protein source, packed with all sorts of delicious nutrients, amino-acids, and other things your body needs when it's crying for food right after a workout.  Most protein you'll buy at the store is flavored (I like chocolate), and has a lot of other vitamins and related supplements that are beneficial to building muscle pre-mixed into it.  There's also a good source of simple carbohydrates, which will spike your insulin right after a workout, encouraging your body to absorb the protein AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.  These carbs will also help refuel your muscle glycogen levels.  So in all, if you're one who does any sort of physical fitness activity, I would suggest incorporating whey protein into your post workout nutrition.  You'll be building lean muscle mass that will help you feel stronger, perform better, and will actually increase your metabolism to help burn off unwanted fat.  You'll be a lean, mean, performace machine.  A win-win situation for sure!

Side Note:  After a workout is pretty much the only time you want to voluntarily spike your insulin levels.  

So that's all fine and dandy, and now we have a great protein source to rebuild muscles after our intense gym session.  But we've got another problem.  If quick, powerful muscle gains are desired, we've got to realize that the body doesn't only rebuild muscle right after our workout.  Oh no, our body is constantly working on those destroyed muscle fibers, and it takes it's sweet time.  In fact it's most favorite time to work is at night, when we're asleep.  After two hours of deep sleep, our body begins to release Human Growth Hormone (HGH) to build those tired muscles back up to use the next morning.  But there's the problem.  What aren't we doing at night, which our body NEEDS us to do in order to have the raw materials necessary to build muscle back up?  EATING!!!!  We're practically starving ourselves all night!  That's not a good formula for muscle growth.  If only there was a quick, easy way to circumvent this problem.

Enter Casein Protein.  Unlike Whey, which is not optimal for night time growth because of it's extremely fast absorption rate, Casein absorbs into your muscles slowly, essentially feeding them all night long. Casein protein is often found in dairy products as well.  Basically, it is a slow acting alternative to Whey, so when taken right before bed it feeds your body all night as it slowly used by your body.  You can buy tubs of Casein protein powder, just like whey, but if you're not quite as serious about muscle building I would suggest trying this simple alternative:  Before bed, take a tablespoon of natural peanut butter (the fats in peanut butter have the same effect of slowing nutrient absorption) along with half a cup of cottage cheese, a food rich in Casein Protein.  Take these less than half an hour before you hit the hay, and watch your muscles grow. 

Another side note:  Just as whey protein is optimal before bed because it absorbs too fast, Casein isn't optimal post workout because it absorbs too slowly.  After your workout you want to cram nutrients into your muscles at light speed.

If you want to know more about the subtleties of both these protein sources, I suggest reading some articles over at www.bodybuilding.com.  They've got some top notch experts who write fitness related articles every day, and they've got all the science behind it.  I'm just trying to keep up with them =].

Last side note:  If desired, the absorption of Whey protein powder can be slowed by mixing it with non-skim milk, or almond milk, or with a tablespoon or two of PB due to the same nutrient slowing effects of the fat in either the milk or PB.

So now you know about Protein.  Get out there, lift hard, and feed your body right.