Supplement Doctor's Blog

The bottom line: Even in ultraendurance events, high protein diet and a high carb diet are equally effective.

This study investigated effects of a high protein (PROT) versus a high carbohydrate (CHO) diet on performance and physiological responses during an ultraendurance climbing race at moderate altitude. On two different periods, in a randomised crossover design, ten climbers (30.0+/-0.9 years) participated in the race (duration 29 h approximately, energy expenditure 43.6+/-1.2 MJ.day (-1)) and were fed either with the PROT (30% protein content) or the CHO diet (68% carbohydrate) each providing 16.74 MJ. Mental performance was assessed by the Stroop test and we estimated maximal voluntary strength of quadriceps muscle. We quantified metabolic and hormonal circulating concentrations. Mental performance was unaffected after the two races, while muscular performance and body weight were decreased (both p<0.01) with no diet effects. Decreases were measured for IGF-I concentration and its binding protein IGFBP-3 (p<0.001), and increases for cortisol and norepinephrine (p<0.01) with no diet effects. Glucose concentration decreased (p<0.05) without diet effects, while amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, valine, and tyrosine) decreased in CHO group (p<0.001). Leptin concentration decreased (p<0.001) without diet effects, whereas total ghrelin increased in CHO group (p<0.01). Our results showed that a high PROT or high CHO intake during physical exertion at moderate altitude maintained mental performance, but did not limit muscle force reduction and body weight loss. There was decreased glucose availability, and hormonal responses indicated both catabolism and extreme energy deficiency induced by exercise with opposite responses of ghrelin and leptin. The ghrelin response was additionally indicative of macronutrient intake during the race.

Reference
Horm Metab Res. 2010 Jan;42(1):31-7. Epub 2009 Oct 9.
Influence of protein- versus carbohydrate-enriched feedings on physiological responses during an ultraendurance climbing race.
Bourrilhon C, Lepers R, Philippe M, Beers PV, Chennaoui M, Drogou C, Beauvieux MC, Burnat P, Guezennec CY, Gomez-Merino D.
Department of Physiology, IMASSA, 91223 Brétigny-sur-Orge, France. cbourrilhon@imassa.fr

 

 

Interesting that eating a high carb diet may exacerbate the inflammatory response post-exercise!

Abstract - Inflammation associated with adipose tissue is modulated by macronutrient availability. For example, glucose increases inflammation in obese but not lean individuals. Little is known about how macronutrient intake influences inflammation associated with muscle. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of macronutrient intake differences during recovery from eccentric exercise on the inflammatory response. The study was a cross-over design in which young men and women (n = 12) completed high and low carbohydrate (CHO) conditions. Both conditions consisted of six sets of ten maximal high-force eccentric contractions of the elbow flexors and extensors followed by a controlled diet for the first 8 h post-exercise. Glucose, insulin, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-6, and C-reactive protein were measured from blood samples pre-exercise, 1.5, 4, 8, and 24 h post-exercise. Perceived muscle soreness, strength loss, and serum CK activity were measured through 120 h post-exercise. Perceived soreness was elevated (P < 0.001) at all time points post-exercise in both conditions and was higher (P < 0.05) in the high compared to the low CHO condition. IL-1beta increased (P = 0.05) 24 h post-exercise in the high compared to the low CHO condition. There was a trend (P = 0.06) for IL-6 to be elevated in the high compared to the low CHO condition. We conclude that inflammation induced by high-force eccentric exercise in skeletal muscle is greater when a high CHO compared to a low CHO diet is consumed during recovery.

Eur J Appl Physiol. 2010 Apr 3. [Epub ahead of print] Enhanced inflammation with high carbohydrate intake during recovery from eccentric exercise. Depner CM, Kirwan RD, Frederickson SJ, Miles MP. Department of Health and Human Development, Montana State University, Box 173540, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA.

In the battle between milk-based protein and soy-based protein, milk wins. Whey supports muscle protein synthesis better than soy! So there!

Abstract
The balance between muscle protein synthesis (MPS) and muscle protein breakdown (MPB) is dependent on protein consumption and the accompanying hyperaminoacidemia, which stimulates a marked rise in MPS and mild suppression of MPB. In the fasting state, however, MPS declines sharply and MPB is increased slightly. Ultimately, the balance between MPS and MPB determines the net rate of muscle growth. Accretion of new muscle mass beyond that of normal growth can occur following periods of intense resistance exercise. Such muscle accretion is an often sought-after goal of athletes. There needs to be, however, an increased appreciation of the role that preservation of muscle can play in offsetting morbidities associated with the sarcopenia of aging, such as type 2 diabetes and declines in metabolic rate that can lead to fat mass accumulation followed by the onset or progression of obesity. Emerging evidence shows that consumption of different types of proteins can have different stimulatory effects on the amplitude and possibly duration that MPS is elevated after feeding; this may be particularly significant after resistance exercise. This effect may be due to differences in the fundamental amino acid composition of the protein (i.e., its amino acid score) and its rate of digestion. Milk proteins, specifically casein and whey, are the highest quality proteins and are quite different in terms of their rates of digestion and absorption. New data suggest that whey protein is better able to support MPS than is soy protein, a finding that may explain the greater ability of whey protein to support greater net muscle mass gains with resistance exercise. This review focuses on evidence showing the differences in responses of MPS, and ultimately muscle protein accretion, to consumption of milk- and soy-based supplemental protein sources in humans.

Reference
J Am Coll Nutr. 2009 Aug;28(4):343-54. The role of milk- and soy-based protein in support of muscle protein synthesis and muscle protein accretion in young and elderly persons.
Phillips SM, Tang JE, Moore DR. Exercise Metabolism Research Group, Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, CANADA. phillis@mcmaster.ca

 

A Cup-a-Joe will decrease the risk of depression
That's right! Drinking coffee (but not tea or plain caffeine) decreases the risk of depression. So drink away!

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Only a few cross-sectional studies have assessed the association between coffee, tea and caffeine and the risk of depression. Our aim was to determine the association in a population-based cohort study. DESIGN: The population-based Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study cohort was recruited between 1984 and 1989 and followed until the end of 2006. We investigated the association between the intake of coffee, tea and caffeine and depression. SETTING: Eastern Finland. SUBJECTS: Middle-aged men (n 2232). RESULTS: Altogether, forty-nine men received a discharge diagnosis of depression. We classified subjects into quartiles according to their mean daily coffee intake: non-drinkers (n 82), light drinkers (<375 ml/d, n 517), moderate drinkers (375-813 ml/d, n 1243) and heavy drinkers (>813 ml/d, n 390). Heavy drinkers had a decreased risk (RR = 0.28, 95 % CI 0.08, 0.98) for depression when compared with non-drinkers, after adjustment for age and examination years. Further adjustment for socio-economic status, alcohol consumption, smoking, maximal oxygen uptake, BMI and the energy-adjusted daily intakes of folate and PUFA did not attenuate this association (relative risk (RR) = 0.23, 95 % CI 0.06, 0.83). No associations were observed between depression and intake of tea (drinkers v. non-drinkers; RR = 1.19, 95 % CI 0.54, 2.23) or caffeine (highest quartile v. lowest quartile; RR = 0.99, 95 % CI 0.40, 2.45). CONCLUSIONS: Coffee consumption may decrease the risk of depression, whereas no association was found for tea and caffeine intake.

Reference
Public Health Nutr. 2010 Apr 1:1-6. [Epub ahead of print]
Coffee, tea and caffeine intake and the risk of severe depression in middle-aged Finnish men: the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study.
Ruusunen A, Lehto SM, Tolmunen T, Mursu J, Kaplan GA, Voutilainen S.
1Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, Kuopio Campus, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, 70211 Kuopio, Finland.

 

Organic foods typically provide greater levels of a number of important antioxidant phytochemicals (anthocyanins, flavonoids, and carotenoids). Say that 10 times really fast!

Abstract
The multi-billion dollar organic food industry is fueled by consumer perception that organic food is healthier (greater nutritional value and fewer toxic chemicals). Studies of the nutrient content in organic foods vary in results due to differences in the ground cover and maturity of the organic farming operation. Nutrient content also varies from farmer to farmer and year to year. However, reviews of multiple studies show that organic varieties do provide significantly greater levels of vitamin C, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus than non-organic varieties of the same foods. While being higher in these nutrients, they are also significantly lower in nitrates and pesticide residues. In addition, with the exception of wheat, oats, and wine, organic foods typically provide greater levels of a number of important antioxidant phytochemicals (anthocyanins, flavonoids, and carotenoids).

Although in vitro studies of organic fruits and vegetables consistently demonstrate that organic foods have greater antioxidant activity, are more potent suppressors of the mutagenic action of toxic compounds, and inhibit the proliferation of certain cancer cell lines, in vivo studies of antioxidant activity in humans have failed to demonstrate additional benefit. Clear health benefits from consuming organic dairy products have been demonstrated in regard to allergic dermatitis.

Reference
Altern Med Rev. 2010 Mar;15(1):4-12. Organic foods contain higher levels of certain nutrients, lower levels of pesticides, and may provide health benefits for the consumer. Crinnion WJ. 1982 graduate, Bastyr University; private practice treating chronic diseases caused by environmental toxic burden; conducts post-graduate seminars in environmental medicine; Professor, Chair, Environmental Medicine, Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine. E-mail: w.crinnion@scnm.edu.

 

Seal oil anyone? As good as fish fat, but does it taste like chicken?

Guess what? Those chubby club-footed looking Artic mammals have plenty of healthy fat in ‘em. Seal oil! As good as fish oil!

Science Says: As meat is a rich source of the omega-3 fatty acid docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) and Australians consume six times more meat than fish, investigation of the potential health benefit of DPA is warranted. The aims were to compare the effects of seal oil supplementation with fish oil, on measures of plasma lipids and blood pressure in hypertriglyceridaemic subjects. Forty-eight volunteers were recruited from the Wollongong community and were randomly allocated to one of three groups either receiving 1 g/day of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC n-3 PUFA) using one of three oils: seal oil capsules (340 mg eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), 230 mg DPA, 450 mg DHA), fish oil capsules (210 mg EPA, 30 mg DPA, 810 mg DHA) or placebo capsules (containing sunola oil) for 6 weeks. Plasma triglycerides remained unchanged in the placebo group, whilst reductions of 7 and 14% (P < 0.05) were seen in the fish oil and seal oil groups respectively. Systolic blood pressure improved by 8 and 5 mmHg with seal oil and fish oil respectively (P < 0.05). The mean arterial pressure was significantly lower after seal oil supplementation (P < 0.005) compared with the placebo group. These results indicate oil in lowering plasma triglycerides and blood pressure.

Reference
Lipids. 2009 Sep;44(9):827-35.
Comparison of seal oil to tuna oil on plasma lipid levels and blood pressure in hypertriglyceridaemic subjects.
Meyer BJ, Lane AE, Mann NJ.
School of Health Sciences, Metabolic Research Centre, Smart Foods Centre, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia. bmeyer@uow.edu.au

 

Actually, nothing is better than sex. But hey, I got you to read this article.

Has your doctor told you to lay off the coffee? Well if he or she did, then clearly they’re dummies. Coffee is one of the best drinks for you! Drink more coffee and the risk of death from heart disease goes down. And besides, that caffeine fix in the morning is better than bad sex or a good donut.

Here’s the study: Coffee contains various compounds that have recently been reported to exert beneficial health effects. However, the conclusion of its relation with mortality has not yet been reached. In this study, we aimed to investigate the associations between coffee consumption and all-cause and cause-specific mortality in Japan. We included 37,742 participants (18,287 men and 19,455 women) aged 40-64 y without a history of cancer, myocardial infarction, or stroke at baseline in our analysis, based on the Miyagi Cohort Study initiated in 1990. The outcomes were mortality due to all causes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cancer. During the 10.3 y of follow-up, 2454 participants died, including 426 due to CVD and 724 due to cancer. In women, the multivariate hazard ratios (HR) (95% CI) for all-cause mortality in participants who drank coffee never, occasionally, 1-2 cups (150-300 mL)/d, and >/=3 cups/d were 1.00, 0.88 (0.73-1.06), 0.82 (0.66-1.02), and 0.75 (0.53-1.05), respectively (P-trend = 0.04). For CVD mortality in women, the multivariate HR (95% CI) were 1.00, 0.56 (0.36-0.86), 0.48 (0.29-0.80), and 0.45 (0.20-1.03), respectively (P-trend = 0.006). Of the specific CVD diseases, there was a strong inverse association between coffee consumption and mortality due to coronary heart disease (CHD) in women (P-trend = 0.02) but not in men. Death due to cancer was not associated with coffee consumption in either men or women, except for colorectal cancer in women. Our results suggest that coffee may have favorable effects on mortality due to all causes and to CVD, especially CHD, in women.

Reference:

J Nutr. 2010 Mar 24. [Epub ahead of print]

Coffee Consumption and Mortality Due to All Causes, Cardiovascular Disease, and Cancer in Japanese Women. Sugiyama K, Kuriyama S, Akhter M, Kakizaki M, Nakaya N, Ohmori-Matsuda K, Shimazu T, Nagai M, Sugawara Y, Hozawa A, Fukao A, Tsuji I. Division of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Forensic Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.

We know creatine is safe for those with normal renal function. What about someone with one kidney and mild renal dysfunction? Mmm...inquiring minds want to know?
Well according to this recent study, short term creatine supplementation had no effect (i.e. no harm) in such an individual.

It currently is unknown whether creatine supplementation is safe for people with or at risk of kidney disease. We report on the short-term effects of creatine supplementation on kidney function in a young man with a single kidney and mildly decreased glomerular filtration rate (GFR). A 20-year-old man who had undergone unilateral nephrectomy and presented with mildly decreased GFR without kidney damage underwent a trial with 35 days of creatine supplementation (20 g/d for 5 days followed by 5 g/d for the next 30 days) and had his kidney function monitored. After the intervention, (51)Cr-EDTA clearance (pre, 81.6 mL/min/1.73 m(2); post, 82.0 mL/min/1.73 m(2)), proteinuria (protein excretion: pre, 130 mg/d; post, 120 mg/d), and electrolyte levels were unchanged. Albuminuria, serum urea level, and estimated creatinine clearance were decreased (pre, 4.6 mg/d; post, 2.9 mg/d; pre, 37 mg/d; post, 28 mg/dL; and pre, 88 mL/min/1.73 m(2); post, 71 mL/min/1.73 m(2), respectively), whereas serum creatinine level was slightly increased (pre, 1.03 mg/dL; post, 1.27 mg/dL), falsely suggesting kidney function impairment. This prospective report suggests that short-term creatine supplementation may not affect kidney function in an individual with a single kidney, mild decreased GFR, and ingesting a high-protein diet (ie, 2.8 g/kg/d). This finding

Reference
Am J Kidney Dis. 2010 Mar;55(3):e7-9. Epub 2010 Jan 8.
Effect of short-term high-dose creatine supplementation on measured GFR in a young man with a single kidney. Gualano B, Ferreira DC, Sapienza MT, Seguro AC, Lancha AH Jr.
Laboratory of Nutrition and Metabolism Applied to Exercise, School of Physical Education and Sport, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. gualano@usp.br

 

Whey protein great for reducing post-meal glucose and insulin and reducing food intake!

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.

 

Besides the fact that creatine enhances muscle protein gains, improves exercise performance, aids cognitive function, protects against brain trauma, and helps performance under heat stress, let's add the fact that it may also "contribute to an increased exercise performance mediated by increased ability to cope with training-induced increases in oxidative stress." Pretty cool for a molecule found naturally in meat.

BACKGROUND: Creatine is a key intermediate in energy metabolism and supplementation of creatine has been used for increasing muscle mass, strength and endurance. Creatine supplementation has also been reported to trigger the skeletal muscle expression of insulin like growth factor I, to increase the fat-free mass and improve cognition in elderly, and more explorative approaches like transcriptomics has revealed additional information. The aim of the present study was to reveal additional insight into the biochemical effects of creatine supplementation at the protein and metabolite level by integrating the explorative techniques, proteomics and NMR metabonomics, in a systems biology approach. METHODS: Differentiated mouse myotube cultures (C2C12) were exposed to 5 mM creatine monohydrate (CMH) for 24 hours. For proteomics studies, lysed myotubes were analyzed in single 2-DGE gels where the first dimension of protein separation was pI 5-8 and second dimension was a 12.5% Criterion gel. Differentially expressed protein spots of significance were excised from the gel, desalted and identified by peptide mass fingerprinting using MALDI-TOF MS. For NMR metabonomic studies, chloroform/methanol extractions of the myotubes were subjected to one-dimensional 1H NMR spectroscopy and the intracellular oxidative status of myotubes was assessed by intracellular DCFH2 oxidation after 24 h pre-incubation with CMH. RESULTS: The identified differentially expressed proteins included vimentin, malate dehydrogenase, peroxiredoxin, thioredoxin dependent peroxide reductase, and 75 kDa and 78 kDa glucose regulated protein precursors. After CMH exposure, up-regulated proteomic spots correlated positively with the NMR signals from creatine, while down-regulated proteomic spots were negatively correlated with these NMR signals. The identified differentially regulated proteins were related to energy metabolism, glucose regulated stress, cellular structure and the antioxidative defence system. The suggested improvement of the antioxidative defence was confirmed by a reduced intracellular DCFH2 oxidation with increasing concentrations of CMH in the 24 h pre-incubation medium. CONCLUSIONS: The explorative approach of this study combined with the determination of a decreased intracellular DCFH2 oxidation revealed an additional stimulation of cellular antioxidative mechanisms when myotubes were exposed to CMH. This may contribute to an increased exercise performance mediated by increased ability to cope with training-induced increases in oxidative stress.

REFERENCE
J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2010 Feb 4;7(1):9.
Creatine-induced activation of antioxidative defence in myotube cultures revealed by explorative NMR-based metabonomics and proteomics.
Young JF, Larsen LB, Malmendal A, Nielsen NC, Straadt IK, Oksbjerg N, Bertram HC.
Department of Food Science, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Aarhus, Denmark. JetteF.Young@agrsci.dk.