CLINICAL REVIEWS

By Bill Campbell, Ph.D., Exercise and Performance Nutrition Laboratory, University of South Florida

A single scoop of Eat-Smart provides the optimal amount of protein for maximum protein synthesis after your workout.

How Much Protein Do You Need After Exercise?

Moore DR, Robinson MJ, Fry JL, et al. Ingested protein dose response of muscle and albumin protein synthesis after resistance exercise in young men. Am J Clin Nutr 2009;89:161-8.

We all know consuming protein following intense exercise is a must for optimizing protein synthesis and thus muscle growth. But how much do you really need? Until now, this practical question has not been answered, or even addressed really.

But a new study took six men who performed an intense bout of leg-based resistance exercise and, right after completing this lower-body workout, consumed one of five protein-containing beverages with 0, 5, 10, 20, or 40 grams of whole egg protein.

Muscle protein synthesis was then measured for four hours following the exercise bout to determine which amount of protein optimized protein synthesis.

It turned out that muscle protein synthesis displayed a dose response to dietary protein ingestion and was maximally stimulated at the 20-gram dose. What this means is that 20 grams was better than 5 or 10 grams of protein, and 40 grams of protein appeared to be no better than 20 grams for maximizing muscle protein synthesis.

So the take-home message here is to ingest at least 20 grams of high-quality protein following resistance exercise to maximize protein synthesis.

Calorie Restriction, Exercise, and Metabolism

When you're restricting calories, exercise becomes even more essential for optimal fat-burning results by keeping your metabolism revved.

Redman LM, Heilbronn LK, Martin CK, et al. Metabolic and behavioral compensations in response to caloric restriction: implications for the maintenance of weight loss. PLoS ONE. 2009;4(2):e4377.

Caloric restriction causes your metabolism to drop faster than the home values in Miami. Not a good thing! But is there anything you can do to help keep your metabolism revved as you cut calories to drop bodyfat? Fortunately, the answer is yes! As one recent study sheds some light on the importance of including exercise while in a calorie-restricted state.

You see, 48 overweight participants were randomized to four groups for six months:

• a control group = ingested food so they would neither lose weight nor gain weight
• a calorie-restricted group = 25% calorie restriction
• a calorie-restricted + exercise group = 12.5% calorie restriction plus 12.5% increase in energy expenditure by structured exercise
• a very low calorie diet group = ingested only 900 calories per day until 15% weight reduction followed by weight maintenance

After six months, each of these diet groups had their metabolic rates measured, and this value was compared to each group's metabolic rate before the diets began. The control group (who was sedentary and did not make any dietary changes) improved their metabolic rate by 60 calories per day. The 25% calorie restricted group and the very low calorie diet group (both of which did not add any exercise to their weight-loss plans) suppressed their metabolisms by approximately 300 and 450 calories per day, respectively.

In contrast, the calorie-restricted plus exercise group actually improved their metabolic rate by approximately 30 calories per day. Not surprisingly, this study highlights the importance of consistent exercise while dieting to prevent the negative effects of calorie restriction on metabolic rate. Yes, dieting and exercise go together for the best results all around!

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