Want to grow muscle? Just take whey protein after exercise!

A study from McMaster University in Canada found that when it comes to muscle protein synthesis after exercise and while resting, soy protein is almost as effective as plain water when compared to whey protein. The researchers randomly divided 30 elderly men into three treatment groups and tested the effects of consuming 0 grams of protein, 20 grams of soy protein, or 40 grams of bulk protein at rest and after exercise. The effects were compared to older men who took either 20 grams or 40 grams of whey protein.

The results showed that there was no difference in the rate of muscle protein synthesis between consuming 20 grams of soy protein and 0 grams of protein. Ingestion of a higher dose of soy protein (40 grams) after exercise resulted in only a modest increase in muscle protein synthesis rate compared to those who did not consume protein.

In contrast, the authors' previous research data indicate that ingestion of whey protein (either 20 g or 40 g) either after exercise or at rest has a significant effect on muscle protein synthesis, with the larger dose (40 g) having a greater effect. "Soy protein isolate was relatively ineffective in stimulating muscle protein synthesis when compared with whey protein in older men," the researchers wrote.

The findings suggest that protein source and dosage are increasingly critical in preventing age-related muscle loss in aging adults who are seeking to prevent the muscle wasting effects of sarcopenia.

※Sarcopenia

Sarcopenia comes from the words "muscle" (sarx) and "loss" (loss). During the aging process, the physiological condition gradually deteriorates. In addition, the elderly suffer from multiple chronic diseases (co-morbidity conditions) and physical impairments (physical impairment) leading to immobility (disuse), which accelerates the loss of muscle mass. Generally speaking, after the age of 30, it decreases by 1-2% every year, and after the age of 60, the rate of decrease increases rapidly. In addition, sarcopenia is also a risk factor for subsequent adverse health events such as disability, falls, functional deterioration, hospitalization, and even death.

Source: Sarcopenia - Department of Family Medicine, National Taiwan University Medical School - Chen Qingyu

Even though whey protein and soy protein are both considered high quality and "fast" proteins based on their amino acid digestibility and availability, their actual digestion and muscle building potential are quite different. Whey protein has a higher proportion of leucine, which has been shown to be the main amino acid for muscle synthesis. Current research has found that a large proportion of amino acids (including leucine) in soy protein are transferred to oxidation reactions, making them unavailable for muscle protein.

This comes along with previous studies showing that the amino acids in soy protein are metabolized by gut proteins in the body. The amino acids in whey protein are broken down and used by skeletal muscle tissue, resulting in a greater rate of muscle synthesis. Worst of all, soy protein products typically contain no more than 20 grams per serving, while research suggests we need closer to 30 grams of protein per meal.

Whey protein is not only helpful for elderly people who want to maintain muscle, but for the middle-aged group, whey protein is better than soy protein in increasing muscle protein synthesis after exercise.

Source: Soy Protein About as Good as Plain Water for Muscle Building

This article is from Uncle Sam's Workshop

This article is from Uncle Sam's Workshop

Source: Sarcopenia - Department of Family Medicine, National Taiwan University Medical School - Chen Qingyu

Source: Soy Protein About as Good as Plain Water for Muscle Building