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Thursday, November 1, 2012
The research is in: Soy-dairy blends give you the most bang for your protein buck.
“I can’t understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I’m frightened of the old ones.”
— Legendary composer John Cage
The late John Cage’s sentiment is one every bodybuilder and athlete should take to the bank when it comes to nutrition. Or take to the gym, anyway. Sports nutrition has changed drastically in the last 20 years because of research, technological advances and real-world experimentation. A lot can change over a generation. Two decades ago, nobody took creatine, arginine, beta-alanine or any of the fast-growing group of powerful herbs and food derivatives that help so many athletes gain an edge during training and performance. Bodybuilders used to choke down desiccated liver tablets. Whey was once a discarded byproduct of dairy protein. Today, it’s hard to believe that manufacturers used to throw away whey protein during the production process, but they did. Now it’s the go-to protein for athletes, and for good reason.
The time has come for another protein to become part of every bodybuilder’s muscle-building regimen.
Soy’s Potent Amino Action
A decade of hard science has now confirmed a 180-degree turn for the reputation of the once-rejected soy protein, specifically soy protein isolate. Years of misinformation and poor interpretation of data yielded a disastrously wrong conclusion about soy protein. Now the scientific verdict is in: It’s an extremely valuable protein for bodybuilders and other athletes, and can actually enhance the potency of whey when the two are mixed together.
Studies confirm that soy protein is a complete protein, unlike other vegetable proteins. PDCAAS (the Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score) is a measurement used by the world’s major health organizations to rate digestibility of protein and the protein’s ability to satisfy human amino-acid requirements. The highest possible PDCAAS score is 1.00. Isolated soy protein, casein, whey protein and egg white all have a PDCAAS score of 1.00.
Numerous studies prove that soy and whey are similar in their ability to promote lean body mass gain, but soy’s antioxidant power sets it apart during the recovery phase due to its potent effect in combating free-radical formation during intense training. This recovery-boosting effect is measured in what’s known as “critical cluster” aminos, which include naturally occurring glutamine, arginine and BCAAs. Soy protein isolate scores higher in amount of critical cluster aminos than whey, casein or egg.
GNC has one of the purest soy products on the market: 100% Soy Isolate. This protein has 315% more arginine and 111% more glutamine than whey protein. While 100% Soy Isolate is a complete protein taken by itself, it can be a perfect complement to other proteins, especially whey. Whey’s quick absorption rate and soy’s more measured digestibility make them an ideal combination for bodybuilders and other athletes.
Mix And Mass
There’s compelling evidence that adding casein to the soy-whey mix may be even better. At a recent conference, Blake Rasmussen, PhD, a professor who specializes in protein research at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, recently presented his clinical research study: “Effect of Protein Blend vs. Whey Protein Ingestion on Muscle Protein Synthesis Following Resistance Exercise.”
In this double-blind, randomized trial, 19 young, fit adult participants received ~ 20 g of the soy/dairy protein blend or whey alone one hour after a bout of high-intensity leg resistance exercise. However, they did not know which protein they were given. Each subject’s muscle protein fractional synthetic rate (otherwise known as mixed muscle protein synthesis, the processes underlying muscle building and repair) was measured multiple times over five hours. Muscle protein synthesis increased significantly in both the whey and protein-blend groups, yet remained significantly elevated three to five hours later only in the group receiving the soy/dairy protein blend. This means there was a prolonged delivery of amino acids to muscle tissue after consuming the beverage made with a soy/dairy blend compared to consuming a product made with whey alone. And, therefore, the processes underlying growth in muscle were extended for a longer period of time — a greater “anabolic window” — after resistance training.
The synergistic effects of 100% Soy Isolate when blended with whey alone or whey and casein make it a no-brainer to add soy to your protein regimen. Simply add a scoop of 100% Soy Isolate to your dairy protein and get ready for better results than you’ve ever had. Why would you want to miss out on that?
The research is in: Soy-dairy blends give you the most bang for your protein buck.
“I can’t understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I’m frightened of the old ones.”
— Legendary composer John Cage
The late John Cage’s sentiment is one every bodybuilder and athlete should take to the bank when it comes to nutrition. Or take to the gym, anyway. Sports nutrition has changed drastically in the last 20 years because of research, technological advances and real-world experimentation. A lot can change over a generation. Two decades ago, nobody took creatine, arginine, beta-alanine or any of the fast-growing group of powerful herbs and food derivatives that help so many athletes gain an edge during training and performance. Bodybuilders used to choke down desiccated liver tablets. Whey was once a discarded byproduct of dairy protein. Today, it’s hard to believe that manufacturers used to throw away whey protein during the production process, but they did. Now it’s the go-to protein for athletes, and for good reason.
The time has come for another protein to become part of every bodybuilder’s muscle-building regimen.
Soy’s Potent Amino Action
A decade of hard science has now confirmed a 180-degree turn for the reputation of the once-rejected soy protein, specifically soy protein isolate. Years of misinformation and poor interpretation of data yielded a disastrously wrong conclusion about soy protein. Now the scientific verdict is in: It’s an extremely valuable protein for bodybuilders and other athletes, and can actually enhance the potency of whey when the two are mixed together.
Studies confirm that soy protein is a complete protein, unlike other vegetable proteins. PDCAAS (the Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score) is a measurement used by the world’s major health organizations to rate digestibility of protein and the protein’s ability to satisfy human amino-acid requirements. The highest possible PDCAAS score is 1.00. Isolated soy protein, casein, whey protein and egg white all have a PDCAAS score of 1.00.
Numerous studies prove that soy and whey are similar in their ability to promote lean body mass gain, but soy’s antioxidant power sets it apart during the recovery phase due to its potent effect in combating free-radical formation during intense training. This recovery-boosting effect is measured in what’s known as “critical cluster” aminos, which include naturally occurring glutamine, arginine and BCAAs. Soy protein isolate scores higher in amount of critical cluster aminos than whey, casein or egg.
GNC has one of the purest soy products on the market: 100% Soy Isolate. This protein has 315% more arginine and 111% more glutamine than whey protein. While 100% Soy Isolate is a complete protein taken by itself, it can be a perfect complement to other proteins, especially whey. Whey’s quick absorption rate and soy’s more measured digestibility make them an ideal combination for bodybuilders and other athletes.
Mix And Mass
There’s compelling evidence that adding casein to the soy-whey mix may be even better. At a recent conference, Blake Rasmussen, PhD, a professor who specializes in protein research at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, recently presented his clinical research study: “Effect of Protein Blend vs. Whey Protein Ingestion on Muscle Protein Synthesis Following Resistance Exercise.”
In this double-blind, randomized trial, 19 young, fit adult participants received ~ 20 g of the soy/dairy protein blend or whey alone one hour after a bout of high-intensity leg resistance exercise. However, they did not know which protein they were given. Each subject’s muscle protein fractional synthetic rate (otherwise known as mixed muscle protein synthesis, the processes underlying muscle building and repair) was measured multiple times over five hours. Muscle protein synthesis increased significantly in both the whey and protein-blend groups, yet remained significantly elevated three to five hours later only in the group receiving the soy/dairy protein blend. This means there was a prolonged delivery of amino acids to muscle tissue after consuming the beverage made with a soy/dairy blend compared to consuming a product made with whey alone. And, therefore, the processes underlying growth in muscle were extended for a longer period of time — a greater “anabolic window” — after resistance training.
The synergistic effects of 100% Soy Isolate when blended with whey alone or whey and casein make it a no-brainer to add soy to your protein regimen. Simply add a scoop of 100% Soy Isolate to your dairy protein and get ready for better results than you’ve ever had. Why would you want to miss out on that?