To Protein or Not To Protein

The supplement industry is a multi-million dollar industry and there is a reason for that. As people begin to go to the gym it seems to be intuition that we should start supplementing our diet with protein. From speaking with our friends, the internet, and other media services we all start to consider the many options. My first 8 years of weightlifting I was taking a protein supplement just because. However, as I grew and became more curious I did my own research. I looked through some of the highest rated peer-reviewed journals to get down to the answer.

Essentially, protein supplementation in high performance athletes and military trainees helps maintain a positive energy balance (calories in greater than calories lost). McAdams, et. al. in the journal Nutrients did a study on military trainees who consumed twice daily whey protein supplementation and measured several criteria. This study concluded that twice daily protein supplementation of 39 g resulted in a significant improvement in push-up performance and decrease in fat mass when compared to the placebo-controlled group.

McAdam, J. S., McGinnis, K. D., Beck, D. T., Haun, C. T., Romero, M. A., Mumford, P. W., … Sefton, J. M. (2018). Effect of Whey Protein Supplementation on Physical Performance and Body Composition in Army Initial Entry Training Soldiers. Nutrients, 10(9), 1248. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10091248

An earlier study by Pasiakos, et.al. revealed that as weight training becomes more rigorous in frequency and volume that protein supplementation helped to promote muscle hypertrophy, and to enhance muscle strength when compared to the control-group. Liao, Chun-De, et. al. presented evidence that whey protein supplementation in the frail adult helps to prevent loss of lean muscle mass. To say the least, this topic has been widely studied. Not to say that one study is perfect, nor have we come to a conclusion, but it appears that whey protein supplementation has beneficial effects on a wide range of population types.

My personal advice is to take a whey protein supplement if you can afford to take it. To choose your protein see the article “Protein Types.”

Citations:

Liao, C.-D., Lee, P.-H., Hsiao, D.-J., Huang, S.-W., Tsauo, J.-Y., Chen, H.-C., & Liou, T.-H. (2018). Effects of Protein Supplementation Combined with Exercise Intervention on Frailty Indices, Body Composition, and Physical Function in Frail Older Adults. Nutrients, 10(12), 1916. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10121916

McAdam, J. S., McGinnis, K. D., Beck, D. T., Haun, C. T., Romero, M. A., Mumford, P. W., … Sefton, J. M. (2018). Effect of Whey Protein Supplementation on Physical Performance and Body Composition in Army Initial Entry Training Soldiers. Nutrients, 10(9), 1248. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10091248

Pasiakos, S. M., McLellan, T. M., & Lieberman, H. R. (2015). The Effects of Protein Supplements on Muscle Mass, Strength, and Aerobic and Anaerobic Power in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review. Sports Medicine, 45(1), 111–131. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-014-0242-2