As you well know, a diet high in unprocessed carbs such as all vegetables and fruits, combined with plenty of protein (e.g. fish, beef, milk, chicken, etc) and unsaturated fats (e.g. avocado, fish fat, nuts of all kinds, olive oil, etc) is the best way to attain a lean physique and heck, attain health (if you care about that). Most of us are motivated by vanity.
Anyhow, eating 6 small meals a day, spaced out evenly is important as well. And the most important meal of the day is not breakfast, but is in fact what you consume pre, during, and post exercise. Whey is a great protein source during the nutrient timing period. In fact, an interesting study, just hot off the press, gives us more insight into this amazing protein. In essence, they found that whey protein consumed before a meal reduces food intake, post-meal blood glucose and insulin, and the ratio of cumulative blood glucose to insulin AUCs in a dose-dependent manner.
BACKGROUND: Dairy protein ingestion before a meal reduces food intake and, when consumed with carbohydrate, reduces blood glucose. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to describe the effect of whey protein (WP) or its hydrolysate (WPH) when consumed before a meal on food intake, pre- and postmeal satiety, and concentrations of blood glucose and insulin in healthy young adults. DESIGN: Two randomized crossover studies were conducted. WP (10-40 g) in 300 mL water was provided in experiment 1, and WP (5-40 g) and WPH (10 g) in 300 mL water were provided in experiment 2. At 30 min after consumption, the subjects were fed an ad libitum pizza meal (experiment 1) or a preset pizza meal (12 kcal/kg, experiment 2). Satiety, blood glucose, and insulin were measured at baseline and at intervals both before and after the meals. RESULTS: In experiment 1, 20-40 g WP suppressed food intake (P < 0.0001) and 10-40 g WP reduced postmeal blood glucose concentrations and the area under the curve (AUC) (P < 0.05). In experiment 2, 10-40 g WP, but not WPH, reduced postmeal blood glucose AUC and insulin AUC in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.05). The ratio of cumulative blood glucose to insulin AUCs (0-170 min) was reduced by >/=10 g WP but not by 10 g WPH. CONCLUSIONS: WP consumed before a meal reduces food intake, postmeal blood glucose and insulin, and the ratio of cumulative blood glucose to insulin AUCs in a dose-dependent manner. Intact WP, but not WPH, contributes to blood glucose control by both insulin-dependent and insulin-independent mechanisms.
Reference
Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Apr;91(4):966-75. Epub 2010 Feb 17. Effect of premeal consumption of whey protein and its hydrolysate on food intake and postmeal glycemia and insulin responses in young adults. Akhavan T, Luhovyy BL, Brown PH, Cho CE, Anderson GH.
