![]() by Christopher Mohr, PhD, RD on Dec 11, 2015 Research suggests the time of day when we consume protein has a notable impact on its ability to rebuild muscle. Protein is always a hot topic. Carbs have been demonized. Fat has been on the chopping block. But protein? It earns a health halo, often connected to everything from weight loss to muscle gains. Maybe this is for good reason. After all, researchers and protein experts around the world are investigating protein’s optimal role in aging and satiety across the lifespan. Yet that doesn’t mean our diets get protein right. Researchers find we’re eating too much protein at the wrong times—and not enough at the right times. Namely, we need more high-quality protein at breakfast and less protein at dinner, the research suggests (Mamerow et al. 2014). Protein: How Much Is Enough? Nutrition experts recommend that protein accounts for 10%–35% of all the calories we eat daily (IOM 2002). How are we doing with that recommendation? A paper published in theAmerican Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that, on average, men and women up to age 70 get about 15% of total calories from protein. While that is within the 10%–35% recommendation, the author of the paper suggests boosting the minimum to 25%, “given the positive benefits of higher protein intake on satiety and other physiologic functions” (Fulgoni 2008). Examining diet in more depth exposes us to a raft of acronyms representing how much of specific nutrients the experts say we should consume. For instance, the Institute of Medicine has several DRIs (dietary reference intakes) for protein: • RDA (recommended dietary allowance) • EAR (estimated average requirement) • AI (adequate intake) All these DRIs are based on nitrogen balance studies, under conditions of energy balance (DGAC 2010; Rodriguez 2015). The most familiar of these acronyms is the RDA—which for protein is 0.8 gram per kilogram of body weight for adults 19 and older. Protein experts like Stewart Phillips, PhD, FACSM, FACN, professor at McMaster University, suggest this level can be misleading. “That level of protein—0.8 g/kg/d or the RDA—is the minimal level of protein to offset negative nitrogen balance in 98% of individuals. The RDA is really, in my opinion, the MDI—minimal dietary intake. Thus, nothing about that level should be recommended, and you’re allowed to eat much more. In fact, for older persons and athletes, there are benefits to consuming protein at levels above the RDA.” Protein Intake and Timing Recently, protein research has moved beyond investigating the optimal amount of protein to eat and has examined the optimal times to eat it. > > Nutrition researchers have found that most Western diets skew protein consumption toward the evening meal—breakfast is typically carbohydrate-rich and protein-poor, while the evening meal is often much higher in protein and calories (Mamerow et al. 2014). In keeping with this, some of the National Institutes of Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data on protein consumption in the U.S. demonstrates that men typically consume about 15 g of protein at breakfast, while women consume about 10 g (Rains et al. 2013). It’s also important to note that only about 40% of Americans actually eat breakfast. Thus, not only are many Americans consuming low-protein breakfasts, but the majority are not consuming any protein at all. And there is increasing evidence of a causal link between breakfast skipping and obesity (Ma et al. 2003). This unbalanced intake doesn’t quite give the hard-working muscles what they need, nor does it do the job of helping curb appetite throughout the day. “Unlike [with] fat or carbohydrate, the body has limited capacity to store excess dietary protein/amino acids from a single meal and use them to stimulate muscle growth at a later time,” says Douglas Paddon-Jones, PhD, professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch and a leading protein researcher. “In other words, your large salmon dinner tonight is probably not going to influence muscle growth at lunch tomorrow.” His research and that of other experts suggest it is best to distribute protein intake evenly throughout the day, starting with breakfast. “It makes perfect sense,” says Phillips. “You’ve just gone 10 hours without food [and] your muscles are catabolic. Protein at breakfast gives your muscles their first chance to rebuild after you’ve slept. It’s a good idea to aim for around 20 g of protein if you’re younger or 30–40 g if you’re older, to give your muscle its best chance to rebuild, since these doses of protein are at the top end of what your muscles need.” This balanced concept suggests that a moderate amount of high-quality protein three times per day may be better than the typical Western diet with too much protein at dinnertime and not enough at breakfast. The balanced protein distribution concept isn’t just about muscle growth and repair, though. It has the potential to affect many health outcomes, such as blood sugar control, moderate calorie intake and satiety (being full) (Leidy et al. 2015). Let’s explore the benefit of satiety. Of course, being more full may affect how much a person eats. If you eat less because you’re already feeling full, theoretically that could help with weight loss. Heather Leidy, PhD, an assistant professor at the University of Missouri, has done a lot of the work on protein and satiety. Her group recently completed a 12-week, long-term randomized controlled trial study comparing the effect of eating a normal-protein vs. a high-protein breakfast in those who had habitually skipped the morning meal (Leidy et al. 2015). This study illustrated that those who added a high-protein breakfast containing 35 g of protein every day for 12 weeks prevented gains in body fat compared with those who continued to skip breakfast. In contrast, eating a normal-protein breakfast did not prevent fat gains. In addition, only the high-protein breakfast reduced daily hunger and led to voluntary reductions of about 400 calories in daily food intake. “These data suggest that a simple dietary strategy of eating a protein-packed breakfast can improve weight management,” Leidy said.
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This article talks about how strong the mind body connection can be. You can actually worry yourself sick. ![]() by Shirley Archer, JD, MA 2016 research highlights the power of the mind and the influence of our perceptions on disease chances. Healthy people who worry about having a heart attack have a higher possibility of heart disease, independent of other risk factors, compared with those who don’t worry, according to a study in BMJ Open (2016; doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-012914). A preoccupation with having or acquiring a serious illness is an anxiety disorder. People with health anxiety, known as the “worried well,” often have symptoms similar to heart disease—such as chest discomfort, palpitations, nausea, sweating and abnormally rapid breathing. Findings were based on data analysis of over 7,000 adults during 12 years of follow-up in the Norwegian Hordaland Health Study and on statistics from a nationwide cardiovascular disease register. Researchers linked data from both sources to determine whether people with high levels of health anxiety had a higher risk of developing heart disease than those who worried less about their health. The lead study author, Line Iden Berge MD, PhD, researcher in the department of global public health and primary care at the University of Bergen in Norway, said, “People with high levels of health anxiety have about a 70 percent increased risk of ischemic heart disease, relative to persons with low levels [of anxiety], after accounting for lifestyle and other established risk factors for heart disease,” in a university news release. Study authors recommended that health anxiety be properly diagnosed and treated. The research paper is open access and available at http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/6/11/e012914.full.pdf+html. Article by AMY EISINGER
I like this article because it addresses a question you may often ask yourself when you go to the gym. Should I begin with cardio or strength training? The answer really depends on your goals. For weight loss and to gain strength it is suggested to hit the weight room first. But, practically speaking if you may avoid strength training and prefer cardio then make sure you get in your least favorite first. This insures it gets completed. Also, participating in a workout that is a combination of both is another solution. You hit the gym, and the clock is already ticking: You’ve got 45 minutes to work all of your major muscle groups—oh, and squeeze in some cardio too. But which one should come first? Sadly, there's not a cut-and-dry answer: Your priority in the gym depends on your personal goals, experts say. Someone aiming to lose weight, for instance, should take a different approach than someone training for a marathon. (The good news: No matter how you structure your workout, simply going to the gym is better than nothing!) To figure out whether you should hit the weights or the treadmill first, read the following list of common workout goals and accompanying recommendations. To Maintain General Fitness When it comes to just staying fit, it might not make a difference which comes first. In one study, two groups of men performed either strength training or cardio first for 24 weeks. At the end of the study, all of the men increased physical performance and muscular strength to about the same extent. However, in the short term, those that did cardio first had a harder time recovering. In the two days following a workout, the cardio-first group showed reduced concentrations of serum testosterone, which may be detrimental if you’re looking to gain muscle strength. But in general, “Do whatever you want—whatever you’re going to adhere to, whatever will fit into your schedule,” says Tony Musto, Ph.D., a fitness and exercise physiologist at the University of Miami. As Musto says, our ancestors' “workouts” obviously weren’t as regimented as ours are today. “They did a mix: You’d run and climb and then walk and then pick up something,” he says. To Simply Move More Similarly, if you're new to working out or just trying to be more active, do what you enjoy, and don’t be afraid to shake up the order. In Which Comes First: Cardio or Weights?, physicist Alex Hutchinson suggests mixing up the order of your workout or the type of workout you're doing on different days. He writes that muscle and endurance gains are controlled in part by the same "master switch" (a.k.a. AMP kinase). The "switch" gets set at the beginning of your workout—with whatever you do first—and can't instantly change. Since you're either setting up your body to improve endurance or to increase strength in a single session, it's a good idea to switch things up. Not sure where to start? Some of today's popular commercial routines, like P90X or Insanity, combine strength and cardio into one workout so you don't have to choose, Musto says. (You can also find similar classes a local gym.) Combining your strength and cardio training has other positive metabolic benefits too, so if you're short on time, these programs are worth looking into. To Lose Weight "Most times you will want to do strength training first,” Tamir says. Musto agrees it’s probably smarter to do your weight training first and cardio second because you may oxidize a little more fat during the cardio portion of your workout. However, he stressed this only applied to lower intensity, steady-state cardio workouts and also noted it may not make a significant difference in the long run (remember the study we mentioned above?). And good news for HIIT fans: The popular workout style has several benefits that may aid in weight loss. Only thing is you can't do it daily. Barnet suggests you keep your HIIT workouts to three times per week max on non-consectuive days (for instance, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays); and opt for cross-training—like a yoga or spin class—if you want to add more workout days. To Do More of What You LoveSorry to break the news, but if you love running and can’t stand lifting weights, it’s probably best to do strength training first and save cardio as your "reward" at the end of the workout. “A big thing people should consider is energy and interest level,” Barnet says. She suggests focusing first on what you might likely avoid if you were running short on time or what you'd skip if you were fatigued from something you enjoy doing. Love spinning? Get your strength training out of the way first, then head to the bikes knowing that "the hard part" is over. The Takeaway If you’re going for general fitness and wellness, it probably doesn’t matter which you do first. Varying the order of your workout can be a great way to break up boredom, and there aren't many negative consequences to mixing things up. But if you're hoping to lose weight, gain strength, or just need to set a priority, focus on weight training first and cardio second. Source |
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