09 Mar 2008 03:50:23 | Protica Research
Efforts to expand the limits of human strength and endurance
have kept the scientist and the athlete occupied for centuries.
The quest for another pound of muscle, or to lift next couple of
kilos has been relentlessly pursued in the gym and the
laboratory alike. As the questions and conquests became more
challenging, the answers have become more elusive and
complicated. Few concepts and conclusions have withstood the
test of time in exercise physiology. Even as we tackle the
metabolic and genetic basis of skeletal muscle response to
strength training, there are only some things that we know for
sure.
Strength is the cumulative expression of the innumerable
myofibrils orderly arranged to form the muscle. Strength
training attempts to boost these protein motors and the
biological machinery that supports them. Resistance exercises
create a biochemical environment in the body wherein the
turnover of proteins is optimized and the protein synthetic
machinery is primed for growth. All that is needed to trigger a
spurt of growth is a protein rich meal. This response occurs in
all age groups, although it is less efficient in the elderly.
According to Philips SM, Tipton KD and others, in young
individuals, the muscle is receptive to protein and amino acids
for 48 hours after a workout. The only limiting factor for the
hypertrophy of skeletal muscles during this period is the
availability of high quality proteins.
A few tricks can amplify the growth response to strength
training. The synthetic machinery has a ceiling. It can only
handle a certain amount of amino acids at a time (specifically,
six grams of protein). However, as the response lasts for two
days, Bohe` J., in a dose-response study published in Journal of
Physiology, 2003, recommended that repeated supplementation with
three to six grams of high quality protein during the 48 hours
after a workout can optimize the protein synthetic response
without topping out the protein synthetic enzyme systems.
Combining protein supplements with adequate carbohydrate (35g of
sucrose with every 6g of protein) is also helpful. The
carbohydrate acts as fuel for the muscle fibers sparing the
protein for growth.
Research into the response of untrained strength athletes has
come up with surprising results. The demand for proteins
increases in both the trained and the untrained states. However,
the relative protein requirement of an untrained athlete per kg
per day often exceeds the trained counterpart. The initial phase
of resistance training is exemplified by rapid growth and
hypertrophy of skeletal muscles, before it hits the plateau.
Another factor is the relative inefficiency of the protein
synthetic machinery in the untrained state. Well-formulated
protein supplements are thus necessary to sustain even the early
phases of resistance training.
This is not to say that the protein requirements of the trained
strength athlete are comparable to the sedentary population. By
the time the maintenance phase of resistance training is
reached, the lean body mass would have expanded exponentially.
The total quantity of proteins that are broken down and reformed
during protein turnover in a trained strength athlete is still
many times higher than normal levels. Philips SM, in his review
on Protein Requirements in Strength Athletes, states that this
requirement may be as high as 1.5 times baseline levels.
The hunt then is for a high quality protein diet that would
supply all the essential amino acids required. Considering the
various biochemical principles discussed, this protein
supplementation should be rapidly absorbable so that amino acids
delivery can be accurately timed to the post-workout period.
Rapid absorption would also enable multiple doses of the protein
supplement to be taken during this period. The protein
supplement also needs to be in small quantities (3 to 6g) to
prevent saturating protein synthesis pathways and to minimize
protein waste through excretion.
Protein supplements that meet all of these requirements, such as
Profect protein beverage by Protica Research, are used widely
across weightlifting communities. The unique constitution of
Profect enables it to provide not only all the essential amino
acids, but also the specific amino acids used in muscle fiber
synthesis. Profect promotes the synthesis of Glutathione, an
antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals. These free radicals,
produced during anaerobic workouts like resistance training,
injure the cell membranes. Short term insults like muscle
sprains to long term effects like aging and cancer have been
attributed to free radicals. Supplementing the diet with Profect
can boost the normal levels of the free radical scavenger,
Glutathione and help avert free radical damage.
Undeniably, protein reigns as the supreme building block for
strength training. The difference between you and your next
pound of muscle can oftentimes be a measurement of the type of
protein formula you use in your diet.
About Protica
Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm
with offices in Lafayette Hill and Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.
Protica manufactures capsulized foods, including Profect, a
compact, hypoallergenic, ready-to-drink protein beverage
containing zero carbohydrates and zero fat. Information on
Protica is available at www.protica.com
You can also learn about Profect at www.profect.com
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