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"Protein Synthesis..."

"Protein synthesis is more important than protein amount..."

After writing about nitrogen balance, the most common assumption is that to create positive nitrogen balance, you should simply consume more protein.

I wish it was more simple. There is more to it. This article is about the ability of the body to use protien that is has injested...

If protein synthesis is low, then the protein balance drops and moves towards negative.

As a reminder, positive nitrogen balance means there is more nitrogen going into the body than what is leaving. If nitrogen balance is moving towards negative, it means there is more nitrogen leaving the body in relationship to the nitrogen going into the body. When there is protein synthesis, less nitrogen is leaving the body than what is going in from dietary protein.

This is another dimension to the study of a high protein diet. The assumption of a high protein diet is to make sure there is an abundance of protein and thus you will get all the benefits of the dietary protein.

But what is not obvious is looking at a person and understanding how much of that dietary protein is being used. This is protein synthesis.

What causes more protein synthesis?

I will go over what causes protein synthesis in no particular order.

Timing

When you consume protein has more to do with how much protein your body uses than what kind or how much protein you eat.

The degree of protein synthesis is three times greater after resistance exercise than without resistance exercise.1

Resistance exercise creates a “window” where the absorption of nutrients is very high.

Post-Workout Diet

There is a window after a resistance workout where your metabolism reacts very differently to the food you eat.

Right after a workout, there is a 1 hour window where the muscle cells are more receptive to nutrients. No matter what nutrient is available, the muscle will increase its ability to absorb it.

It is at this point where the diet has to embody what we are trying to do with a diet - support hormonal enhancement, hydrate the cells, reduce cortisol and keep insulin and glucagon within an anabolic range.

A study was done at Vanderbilt University where researchers gave two sets of subjects a post-workout meal. One group was given the meal right after the 60-minute workout. The other group was given the meal 3 hours after the 60-minute workout.

Researchers found that protein synthesis was almost 300% higher in the group given the meal right after the workout, than in the group given the meal 3 hours after the workout.

Furthermore, protein balance was positive in the group that was fed right after. For the group that was fed 3 hours later the protein balance was negative.2,3

During the post-exercise recovery period, protein synthesis was almost 25% higher and amino acid uptake almost twice as high when a carb/protein supplement was given immediately after exercise versus two hours after exercise.4

Another study showed that animals that were fed right after exercise versus 4 hours later had an increase in muscle weight by 6%. In addition, muscle enzymes responsible for fat oxidation were 70% higher and abdominal fat was 24% lower.5

Insulin and Protein Synthesis

when carbohydrates and proteins are combined after resistance exercise, the insulin spike is much higher.6

Another study showed insulin levels in blood 8 times higher when consuming a carb/protein combination after a resistance workout than protein alone.7

Insulin increases skeletal muscle blood flow.8

Defending Against Cortisol

Another factor that affects nitrogen balance or protein need is the degree of cortisol.
Cortisol will break muscle down. It will force muscle to break down in order to get the amino acids out of it.

When a person has over-trained, is lacking sleep, is sick, stressed out, etc. there is excess cortisol and there is going to be muscle loss. The protein requirement will be much greater simply because proteins in the muscle are being used as fuel.

This is a body that is in a catabolic (break down) state. It is in an overall breakdown mode. Not a build up mode which is an anabolic state.

Protein synthesis in this condition will be very low. In order to get this body into anabolic state, recuperation is required.

The person and the body will feel better with foods that are dense in protein AND are calorie dense.

Recovery, and especially sleep, is when there is the greatest protein synthesis.
This is another example of when the protein requirement will change for a person and you cannot just use a fixed guide.

When someone has adrenal fatigue, they will have too much cortisol and because of this it is best in the beginning, as they are recovering from adrenal fatigue, to consume higher amounts of protein to create a positive nitrogen balance (this means there is more protein coming in the body than what is leaving).

Weight loss in this case will occur faster if there is a higher amount of protein because it will mitigate catabolic (breaking down of the body) effects of cortisol.

For this person, eating a high protein breakfast will help them with their weight loss as well. The early morning is when you have the greatest amount of cortisol on the blood. This is what waked you up.

This person with adrenal fatigue will feel relief when he or she eats a high protein breakfast. They will be more level headed, cravings will be better, energy levels will be smoother and there will be a reduction in cravings.

Food Combining and Protein Synthesis

When a person is doing resistance exercise combining proteins and starches increase protein synthesis. Especially after a resistance workout.

However, when a person is not doing resistance workouts or any anaerobic workouts for that matter, they will assimilate more protein if they do not combine protein with starches. It can be combines with vegetables but not fruit or starches.

This is the principle of proper food combining. This is when certain foods are combined in certain ways to increase digestion, assimilation and health.

The basic and fundamental rules are that protein foods are never combined with starches (yes, like a sandwich and steak and potatoes). Fruits are always eaten alone and only in the morning. Vegetables can be eaten with either proteins or starches.

You can read about it on my page, "Proper Food Combining."

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References

Biolo, G., Tipton, K.D., Klein, S., et al., “An abundant supply of amino acids enhances the metabolic effect of exercise on muscle protein,” American Journal of Physiology, 273: E122-E119, 1997.
Levenhagen, D.K., Carr, C., Carlson M.G., et al., “Postexercise protein intake enhances whole whole-body and leg protein accretion in humans,” Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 34: 828-837, 2002.
Levenhagen, D.K., Gresham, J.D., Carlson, M.G., et al., “Postexercise nutrient intake timing in humans is critical to recovery of leg glucose and protein homeostasis,” American Journal of Physiology, 280: E982-E993,2001.
Okamura, K., Doi, T., Hamada, K., et al., “Effect of amino acid and glucose administration during postexercise recovery on protein kinetics in dogs,” American Journal of Physiology,” 272: E1023-E1030, 1997.
Suzuki, M., Doi, T., Lee, S.J. et al., “Effect of meal timing after resistance exercise on hind limb muscle mass and fat accumulation in trained rats,” Am J Clin Nutr, 45:401-409, 1999.
Spiller, G.A., Jensen, C.D., Pattison, T.S. et al., “Effect of protein dose on serum glucose and insulin response to sugars,” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 46: 474-481,1987.
Zawadski, K.M., Yaspelkis, B.B., III, and Ivy, J.L., “Carbohydrate-protein complex increases the rate of muscle glycogen storage after exercise,” Journal of Applied Physiology, 72: 1854-1859, 1992.
Laakso, M., Edelman, S.V., Brechtel, G., and Baron, A.D., :Decreased effect of insulin to stimulate skeletal muscle blood flow in obese man: a novel mechanism for insulin resistance,” Journal of Clinical Investigation, 85: 1844-1852, 1990.

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Over the past 10 years I have been losing weight and putting it back on just about every three months.

I finally took a much needed step and hired Yegyan to help me stop the yo-yo diet cycle. After 30 days I lost 11 LBS and was able to get back into my favorite pair of jeans. After 60 days I lost a total of 16 LBS. After 120 days, the weight is still off, my skin looks much better, and I actually have energy at 2pm in the afternoon! Lol

People always ask me what’s different and it really boils down to the education that I received from Yegyan. He put facts behind his food & nutrient recommendations so that I began to WANT to eat healthier foods instead of just forcing myself.

It’s been a lifestyle change and I couldn’t be happier to have officially said goodbye to the old (overweight) Nick.

Yegyan, thank you for all of your hard work and for our new friendship.

Nick Unsworth

I hired Yegyan to help me with general health and energy. I wasn't so interested in weight loss.

But I endedup losing 14 pounds in two months. And this was also during Christmas!

I hardly have any sugar cravings (and I was a sugarholic. I mean fast food dessert breakfast lunch and dinner), and have deeper sleep than I ever remember and more energy throughout the whole day.

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I CAN FIT IN MY JEANS – haven’t worn them for about 8 years!

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I spoke to you about 3 weeks ago, and I wanted to thank you again for responding to my last e-mail so promptly, and giving me some feedback on what I've been doing. I really appreciate it.

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There was a change today.... 4.5 lbs loss to be exact. :)

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...At 57 I don't feel I have both feet in the grave yet. Above all I don't want to become what I see lots of my friends starting to turn into wizened old men!

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Nevin

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Thank you so much for all of your help and the knowledge that you are giving me. What a difference a diet can make in your life.

I think once you get the knowledge on how food affects your body, the easier it is to change the way you eat. Knowledge it half the battle.

So many people eat the wrong way because they have been given bad information. There are a lot of people on diets that are really not eating the right way or eating the right things. They seem to gain the weight right back the minute they stop the diet. They feel hungry all of the time and get tempted constantly by the things they can't eat.

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Feb 2 2009

Follow up ….

Ye Gyan, I am now down to 128lbs from 156lbs!! You're great!! I can now wear anything I want!! I feel so much better at this weight! Wait until you see me. We need to take another after picture!
Jan 20 2010

C. DeHaan. Oregon

Jan 21, 2010...
My sister gave me your web sight she really praises you. She said I could ask you what I could do about my cholestrol.

I am 62 5'2 and I weight 135 lb my numbers are 246 Chol/146 tri/43 HDL LDL 176 The doctor wants to put me on medication I dont want to do that.

I have just started taking Guggal (2) 300mg, Beta-Glucan (1) 250 mg,Niacin 2 100 mg drinking (2) tablespoons of chlorophyll in water, eating oatmeal and drinking oat bran 2 tablespoons and garlic is this going to work do I need to do more. I do this everyday and I am walking at the gym They are giving me 30 days to get it down. I have thought about adding red yeast rice.

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11Feb 2010...
Yegyan I did not know if I should tell you this but I am. It has only been a few weeks and the changes in on the out side of me are turning 35 year olds heads. YES I have got 35 year old men after me.

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At 48 years old, I had spent the better part of 25 years running, working out, eating healthy food, and taking care of my body. Being somewhat of an exercise junkie, I was certain I had all the answers.

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Yegyan’s approach to diet, exercise and overall health and well-being are unlike anyone else’s. I have read countless books on diet and exercise. I have had personal trainers and diet coaches.

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I listened to what you had to say about exercising and now can understand what I am doing wrong.

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Before I met Yegyan, I had been working out at the gym, but struggled to lose 10 pounds over a period of many months.

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L.Sanders