Research: The Science

When it comes to getting protein in post-training, most people would agree that it is beneficial – whether it is for muscle growth or recovery. But how much is enough? For a long time, it was believed that you needed no more than ~20g of whey protein post-training. But why? And is this still the case?

Studies examining how much (and what type of) protein we should take post-training come from studies that use isotopes to measure how much ‘new’ protein we are able to make in our muscles after training – this is the whole point of training. Earlier studies showed that there was no added benefit for muscle growth beyond 20g of protein – even if you doubled the intake to 40g (1). This did spawn one myth that should be put to bed.

The myth that your body can’t handle any more than 20g of protein in one go needs to be put straight into the bin and never return.

If you consume more protein than this in one sitting, it is just used for other processes within the body. It might go to a vital organ, it can be used for energy production – it is not just wasted.

A New Protein Ceiling

This original work though showing that there is no added benefit for muscle growth beyond 20g stuck for a long time though. That was until two recent studies.

The first study again looked at 20g vs 40g. But, unlike the original study that used a leg only training session, this new study used a whole body resistance training session (2). Their theory was that, as we were using more muscle mass, we would most likely need more protein afterwards. What did they find? A 20% increase in skeletal muscle synthesis when participants took on 40g vs 20g.

So, it appears that how much protein you consume after training or competition might depend on how hard the session was and how much of the body was used. Full body session? You might need up to 40g of protein. Upper or lower body only, you maybe only need around 20g.

Training Into Old Age – More Of The Same?

A very recent study has even shown that 40g may be more beneficial post-training as we age. Unlike the study in younger adults that used tracers to measure protein synthesis after a single training study – this study in older adults wanted to look at the practical effects of consuming either 20g or 40g post training (3). Those in the group consuming 40g post-training showed significantly improved strength performance in chest, shoulder and leg press compared to a matched group that only consumed 20g. Same training – but better results. 

Something to think about as we age.

References

1 – Shing, C. M., Peake, J. M., Lim, C. L., Briskey, D., Walsh, N. P., Fortes, M. B., … & Vitetta, L. (2014). Effects of probiotics supplementation on gastrointestinal permeability, inflammation and exercise performance in the heat. European journal of applied physiology, 114(1), 93-103. 

 2 – Roberts, J. D., Suckling, C. A., Peedle, G. Y., Murphy, J. A., Dawkins, T. G., & Roberts, M. G. (2016). An exploratory investigation of endotoxin levels in novice long distance triathletes, and the effects of a multi-strain probiotic/prebiotic, antioxidant intervention. Nutrients, 8(11), 733.

3 – Suckling, C., Roberts, J., Peedle, G., Gordon, D., Marshall, H., Taylor, L., & Roberts, M. G. (2016). Probiotic Supplementation and Gastrointestinal Endotoxemia Before and After the Marathon Des Sables. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 48(5S), 249-250.

4 – Pugh, J. N., Sparks, A. S., Doran, D. A., Fleming, S. C., Langan-Evans, C., Kirk, B., … & Close, G. L. (2019). Four weeks of probiotic supplementation reduces GI symptoms during a marathon race. European journal of applied physiology, 119(7), 1491-1501.

In this episode we discuss:

– Patrick’s early career and how he found himself research in the area of GI symptoms in athletes.
– Some of his first major findings and what it means to those undertaking endurance events.
– The most common GI symptoms experienced by athletes, some of the major contributing factors, and how you can try to avoid them.
– What he wished he knew before writing his new book.

You can find Patrick on twitter @SportsRD_PhD

Catch the full episode and subscribe to our podcast here!

If you are taking any prescribed medication or have any medical conditions ALWAYS consult your doctor or pharmacist BEFORE taking vitamins or supplements. Food supplements must not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. If pregnant or lactating, ALWAYS consult your doctor before use. Or if you have any queries about any supplement ALWAYS consult a QUALIFIED medical professional.

Please click here to read our legal disclaimer on all products and advice.

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In This Episode We Discuss All Things Caffeine:

– Prevalence – how caffeine is one of the least used supplements.

– Dosage – what level you shouldn’t go above and how to control the dose you take. 

– Efficacy – what sports does caffeine have the most evidence for being effective? Is there a difference between male and females?

– Individual response – can be ergolytic, not always ergogenic

– Timing – when do caffeine concentrations peak? Should you take it during exercise?

If you are taking any prescribed medication or have any medical conditions ALWAYS consult your doctor or pharmacist BEFORE taking vitamins or supplements. Food supplements must not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. If pregnant or lactating, ALWAYS consult your doctor before use. Or if you have any queries about any supplement ALWAYS consult a QUALIFIED medical professional.

Please click here to read our legal disclaimer on all products and advice.

Continue reading →

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A recent article in the Strength and Conditioning Journal (1) discussed the use of a simple method to help personal training clients hit their exercise goals – a text message. Could this easy method help people keep up with their gym plan though?

The author of the article (Justin Kompf) first highlights that people’s ability to adopt and maintain an exercise program is based on two primary things;

• Do they feel confident enough in their ability to be able to do the exercise?
• Can they plan, manage, and monitor their exercise?

A Message A Day?

Signing up to a personal trainer is one thing but for most people, it is impossible to pay for a PT for more than once or twice a week. How then, can PTs help clients exercise more often? Enter the text message. SMS messaging and Whatsapp have made contacting clients quick and easy. A 2013 systematic-review of 10 studies concluded that text messages showed early promise for promoting physical activity. But, isn’t this something most PTs will be doing already? Maybe. If you are, do more than just do it as a token gesture. Make sure to consider the following 3 factors;

Content 

Do you know what sort of messages your clients want? Ask them. Then tailor your content. If the client lacks the confidence to carry out the exercise, motivational messages are the way to go. However, if they lack the organisation skills, these same motivational messages will be ineffective. In this instance, messages that serve as reminders, or provide a “plan B” in case something comes up in your client’s day, will be the better option.

Automaticity 

Clients are likely to start ignore texts that feel automated. A 2015 study (2) showed that, if people found out that the messages they received were automated, they stopped reading them.

Frequency 

Try and find the sweet spot in how often you are reaching out to them. This is completely personal and changes from person to person. For example, while 50% of participants in one study (2) felt that 3 messages a day were too many, the other half did not feel as negatively about receiving messages this often. In another study of older adults (3), 13 of the 18 participants thought that 5 messages per week are too many and the remaining 5 thought this was fine.

Other options

If personal training clients want to exercise outside of their paid sessions, it is the trainers job to guide them, help prescribe sessions that are tailored to their needs, and then give them the confidence and organisation to see these plans through. Some of the factors laid out above should then be considered before hitting the send button on a text message. Equally, the success of these messages should be reviewed. Do they evoke the behaviour change they are setting out to help.

For more information about habits and behaviour change, make sure to check out our podcast episode with Karl Morris.

References 

1 – Kompf, J. (2019). The Use of Text Messages for Exercise Behavior Change Techniques. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 41(6), 87-90.

2 – Wang JB, Cadmus-Bertram LA, Madanat H, and Ayala GX. Wearable sensor/device (fitbit one) and SMS-text messaging prompts to increase physical activity in overweight and obese adults: A randomized controlled trial. Telemed J E Health 21: 782–792, 2015.

3 – Mu¨ller MA, Khoo S, and Morris T. Text messaging for exercise promotion in older adults from an upper-middle-income country: Randomized Controlled Trial. J Med Internet Res 18: e5, 2016.

If you are taking any prescribed medication or have any medical conditions ALWAYS consult your doctor or pharmacist BEFORE taking vitamins or supplements. Food supplements must not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. If pregnant or lactating, ALWAYS consult your doctor before use. Or if you have any queries about any supplement ALWAYS consult a QUALIFIED medical professional.

Please click here to read our legal disclaimer on all products and advice.

Continue reading →

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