Protein Supplements

@aenutrition

Ins, outs, and what it's all about.

17 posts

Many obese and overweight children do not see themselves that way, which can then make achieving a healthy lifestyle almost impossible. If a child doesn’t know they are obese or overweight, how will their parents know? A recent study was conducted and 25% of parents underestimated their child’s weight; while 27% of children underestimated their own weight. Parents stated that they notice their child seems “bigger” but they believe that their child has a glandular problem or they will outgrow their obesity. Majority of the time, that is highly unlikely to occur. Addresses a child’s weight that is dealing with being either obese or overweight is more affective when done at a younger age. Interventions for appropriate weight loss should target children directly because one of the major driving forces to lose weight comes from the child’s perception of their weight. Another effort to prevent childhood obesity should incorporate education for both the child and their parent regarding the proper identification and interpretation of actual body weight. I strongly encourage children and their parents to seek out education on obesity and overweight values for their child, given their age and weight. Without proper education and knowledge, there is going to be a continuation of obese and overweight children in the United States. Already there is a 30% increase of obese and overweight children in the United States and that statistic is continuing to grow.

schoolmealsandobesity

In the National School Lunch Program a provision that allowed students to refuse some of the food offered to them at lunch and breakfast was implemented. Reforms such as this one in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act was headed by the First Lady, Michelle Obama and signed into action by President...

Thank you for sharing this information on Michelle Obama's

schoolmealsandobesity

Reducing sodium and caloric intake, and increasing whole grains, fruits and vegetables in school lunches seems like a no brainer to me. However, as with anything, there are opponents to the National School Lunch Program reforms across the country. 96% of schools are continuing to participate in...

I think this is important to make changes slowly. It helps change the culture before implementing the concept in full force.

The Public Needs to be Educated on Protein Supplementation...Correctly

Recently on a different social media site, a person close to me posted an article talking about the dangers of protein supplementation, how dangerous milk protein is, and how people need to convert to plant based proteins.

I was incredibly disappointed at the misinformation that was provided in the article. It was obvious to me, while reading the article, the information was incredibly biased. The article was written by a man who had formerly been in body building and is an advocate for vegan diets among athletes. His arguments against protein supplements were based from a body building culture in which excessive protein consumption is encouraged, and so are periods of dehydration (to make weight). Excessive protein consumption and dehydration make for a very dangerous combination to the kidneys. Like I've said in previous blog posts, more protein is not better. However, consuming protein supplements is not going to cause organs to fail, though extreme consumption of protein may produce negative effects on organs.

The vegan author also assaults whey protein (based on his nutritional habits, not surprising). However, the reason for the popularity of whey protein is not unfounded. Whey protein contains branch chain amino acids which are essential amino acids and tend to be used the most of any proteins for energy. If these amino acids are not available then specific protein synthesis may be stopped.

The author also makes protein supplements seem completely irrelevant. Though extra protein has no performance benefit on well-nourished individuals, there is purpose to the madness, so to speak One of the purposes behind protein shakes or supplements is to most effectively utilize the 'golden hour' following exercise in which maximal synthesis of protein occurs. Protein re-synthesis is most effective immediately following exercise because exercise increases specific enzyme activity.

The author made statements in the articles such as, "Consider these questions the next time you think about buying powders made from cow secretions for proper nutrition." I understand, his opinion, however, consuming adequate amounts of essential amino acids can be tricky on a vegan diet. Plant sources are lower quality proteins and have fewer amino acids. Therefore, vegetarian and vegan athletes must take great care into ensuring they are consuming adequate amounts of all the essential amino acids.

Regardless of your stance on this particular issue, I believe it is necessary for everyone to be properly educated before allowing opinionated articles shape their beliefs on nutrition. With all the fad diets, popular 'information' out there, consumers need to base their nutrition beliefs in research and validity. Therefore, I believe education in this area is critical.

I've posted the article here, if your interested in reading it.

http://nutritionstudies.org/no-whey-man-ill-pass-on-protein-powder/

What can go wrong with Protein Supplements?

Most exercise physiologists recommend that athletes consume their protein needs with food and not necessarily supplements. Additionally, it it recommended that athletes consume most their dietary needs through food and not supplements. Why? Supplements, protein or others, are not monitored by the FDA. Because they are not monitored by the FDA, they might be mislabeled, contaminated, have more or less of the stated values of supplement, and still sold as is to the general public. This is not to say that all supplements are bad, but people as consumers should be aware. People should not rely solely on supplements for some aspect of their nutrition. All this being said, consumers should be careful and make sure to eat a balanced diet.

An online survey conducted by Yale during the years of 2009, 2010, and 2011 reported parents agreeing, 60%, that their children’s epidemic of obesity rests with the parents. Data was gathered from 2,454 parents of children aged 2 to 17 with an average income of $59,000, who had some college...

Thank you for sharing. I think it is important for parents to realize their actions affect their children. I don't know any parents who want to harm their kids, but little do they know, they are negatively impacting their child's health.

Beginning an Exercise Program

Consuming adequate amounts of protein is important and tricky for individuals beginning an exercise program. First off, nitrogen is used to measure the availability of protein for the body. If a person is taking in more nitrogen than they are excreting, then they have a positive nitrogen balance. If the opposite is true, then they have a negative nitrogen balance. A positive nitrogen balance indicates a person is consuming enough protein and is able to adapt to training stresses as well as maintain protein synthesis to build muscle mass. If a person has a negative nitrogen balance, they are breaking down more proteins than they are able to replace and may have negative adaptations to exercise.

This being said, when an individual begins exercising or begins a training schedule, the body goes through a period of adaptation. The first 10-12 days of an exercise program, athletes or individuals typically experience a severe negative nitrogen balance. Because of this, individuals need to be aware of the increased need for protein.

So, if anyone is planning on beginning an exercise program, they need to increase their protein intake immediately in attempt to prevent negative adaptations of training stresses and maintain high consumptions of protein for the first 12 days.

nutritionnut201

The U.S. census bureau examined the population characteristics of the Hispanic population in the U.S. in 2000. At this time, one in nine people in the United States was of Hispanic origin, imagine what the ratio will be in twenty years. Nearly 65% of all Hispanics were of Mexican origin, 9.6%...

This is important to think about and be aware of. Too many people are hold prejudices and judge people and these judgements hurt another person's well-being. It's sad.

Protein Supplements...Being smart about them.

All the articles I have been reading, say protein supplements are not beneficial in well-nourished athletes. These studies provide an accurate basis, many recreational exercisers need to be aware of. However, some individuals are not consuming enough protein for their needs and need tips on why, how much, what kinds, and when they should be consuming protein.

First off, the why. If a person is not consuming enough protein to meet their metabolic needs, they are in a negative nitrogen balance. What does this mean? A negative nitrogen balance occurs when the body is using more nitrogen than it is receiving. The end result: breakdown and tissues' inability to adapt to the stresses of exercise. This is where protein comes in. When a person consumes protein, they are consuming nitrogen. By consuming enough protein, the body is able to adapt to the stresses of exercise and rebuild muscle tissue damage.

Next: How much? The average recreational athlete needs about .8 grams of protein per kilogram of body mass per day. For endurance and strength/power athletes, it is safe to assume between 1.5-2 grams/kilogram/day.

Is there a specific kind I should consume? In theory, branch chain amino acids would provide a better source of protein and reduce an athlete's fatigue, however, studies show the type of protein makes no difference.

When is the ideal time for protein consumption? Proteins should be consumed throughout the day, however, after exercise enzymes are increasingly active within the 1st hour. In this initial hour after exercise, protein resynthesis is at its highest. This would be an ideal time to ensure protein is consumed. However this is also the ideal time to consume carbohydrates and resynthesize glycogen in the muscles. Therefore, in the hour following exercise, athletes should consume proteins AND carbohydrates. The focus of post-exercise meals should be carbohydrates and proteins with about a 4:1 or 3:1 ratio.

That's all for this topic. Hope this was informational and helpful.

schoolmealsandobesity

I never would have guessed that the history of school lunches was connected to the history of the United States military. However the seemingly two totally separate issues are very closely connected in history and in present day. During the early 1800’s school lunches were not mandatory or very...

Here's an excellent discussion on the history and issues with National School Lunch Programs

schoolmealsandobesity

Obesity in the United States of America is all the rage; but what about obesity in other countries such as China? Just as childhood obesity plagues America it is an issue in China as well. A study conducted by the Medical School of Zhejiang University found that the rates of nutritional...

This is very interesting. Thanks for sharing Kelly! I wonder if these pilot studies will impact the percentage of childhood obesity in these schools.

The influence of marketing

Protein supplements are consumed by many athletes and active individuals. Most of the push for protein consumption is related to advertising and claims put out by 'nutrition' stores. In theory, protein supplements should stimulate amino acid synthesis, however research is showing consistently the lack of ergogenic benefit to the consumption of protein supplements. However, if there is a protein insufficiency, protein supplements can aid muscle recovery, performance, and reduce muscle soreness. People need to be educated beyond theoretical claims and look at the facts.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24435468

ejhk1-deactivated20150424

Starvation is not meeting the daily energy requirements needed for the systems in the body to function properly. People in underdeveloped countries can be more prone to starvation due to certain factors. These factors are mainly due to the environment the people may live in. For instance many...

This is good information for building policies to protect pregnant women, children and elderly individuals

Do I need to take protein supplements?

It’s interesting to see the amount of advertising for the benefits of protein supplementation. In some instances, like beginning an exercise program or increasing the intensity of an exercise program, protein supplementation is needed. Athletes may also benefit as it may be difficult to consume appropriate amounts of protein in their high-caloric diets. However, among the general exercising population, these supplements are not needed. Multiple studies indicate there is no benefit in consuming protein supplements if ample amounts of protein are consumed in the daily diet. The US dietary guidelines suggest 10-35% of caloric dietary intake to be protein. Thinking about these numbers realistically, that isn’t an impossible amount of protein to consume. By fulfilling this dietary recommendation, any additional protein is excess and may be stored as fat for energy at later time. Therefore, protein supplements should be used correctly and in accordance with an individual’s dietary needs and activity level.

1/3 of our children in the US are overweight or obese. Childhood obesity is a serious epidemic and children younger and younger are developing more medical problems i.e. diabetes, hypertension, and hernia. Low-income communities of color have the highest rates of childhood obesity. African-Americans 35%, Latinos 40% and whites 29%. 1 in every 2 African-American/Latino girls will have diabetes during their lifetime. Small changes can make big differences. Keeping a food journal and writing down the foods you eat during the day is a proven method to promote weight loss and can help you understand your eating habits and target problem areas you may have. During the last 20 years, 23% of purchased groceries goes towards processed packaged foods which have stripped away the nutrients and fiber. With the help of parents, modeling good food behavior and exercise, they will encourage children to do the same. Along with parents modeling good behavior, there are Healthy Living classes that work with the whole family to help change their current lifestyle. Doing classes as a family brings family closer together and doesn’t single a child out on their current struggle. Overweight children become overweight adults, without change and prevention this epidemic is going to continue to blossom.

Good information on childhood obesity. Modeling is an excellent suggestion, if the entire family proceeds to tackle the issue of obesity together, it most likely will be successful.

The How-Tos and What-Fors of Protein Supplementation

As an increase in the use of protein supplementation among recreational athletes has occurred, Web MD published an article providing information regarding the correct usage of protein supplements and what consumers may be searching for.

There are three common types of protein powders: whey, soy and casein. Whey is the most common and is a complete protein and therefore, an attractive option for many consumers. As far as the use of protein supplements by recreational athletes, protein supplementation is primarily beneficial under specific circumstances.

These circumstances include:

Teenage athletes who may need more protein to supply their growing bodies.

Athletes beginning an exercise program.

Athletes increasing intensity and/or duration of their workouts.

Injured Athletes

Otherwise, some studies have indicated that protein supplements are neither helpful nor harmful to well-nourished individuals. Typically, normal protein consumption is enough to allow the body to recover and increase muscle mass from exercise. Typically, recreational athletes need between 0.5 and 0.75 grams per pound of body mass of protein every day. If that amount is not consumed in daily dietary intake, protein supplementation may be recommended.

There are still many studies being conducted on the benefits, functions, and timing of protein supplements. Future research will hopefully come to a consensus on the specifics of protein usage and exercise recovery and performance.

For the full article see below:

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/lifestyle-guide-11/protein-powder?page=1

nutritionnut201

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2716544/

This article was published in 2010 by the National Institute of Health and describes some of the major problems with acculturation among Latino People in the United States. First, it is important to note that there are close to 44 million...

Wow! This is very interesting. I wonder if the media has any influence on an increase in food insecurity. I wonder if there was a way to advertise a typical healthier American home-cooked meal, if this would make a difference compared with pizza and fast-food advertisments.

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