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POST EXERCISE PROTEIN INCREASES MUSCLE MASS AND STRENGTHShaklee Health Sciences e-Bulletin - June 2008
Taking Fitness to Another Level
June is a special month for men because Father’s Day is June 15th, and June 21st marks the official start of summer. In honor of fathers and summer, men’s fitness is the focus of this Health Sciences Bulletin. Indeed, everyone - and especially all men - should make a special effort to improve summertime fitness by making healthy lifestyle choices, eating a balanced diet, supplementing wisely, and of course, exercising daily. Taking advantage of these tips, adapted from the American Heart Association, can help you build a successful fitness program:
New Study Shows Post-Exercise Protein Increases Muscle Mass and Strength A new research study showing the benefits of ingesting protein after a workout for increasing muscle mass and strength was published in the May 2008 issue of Fitness Management, a publication (www.fitnessmanagement.com) for the fitness industry. Study authors Wayne L. Westcott, PhD, William F Martin, PhD, Rita La Rosa Loud, and Susan Stoddard conducted the research at the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, MA. The following is a study summary and the published manuscript will be available shortly on the Shaklee MD Resources website. Background of the Study In the last decade, significant research has been published relative to protein supplementation, recovery from exercise, and muscle development. Shaklee’s clinical research demonstrated that a protein-carbohydrate complex consumed immediately after exercise enhanced recovery from exercise when compared to consuming carbohydrate alone. More recent work has shown significantly greater gains in muscle mass and strength when protein is ingested immediately following resistance exercise. After age 35, adults may lose 3-8 percent of their muscle mass per decade. Evidence suggests that an average muscle loss of 5 pounds per decade is associated with a 3-percent per decade reduction in resting metabolism which can predispose individuals to a dramatic increase in body fat. So it makes sense that strength training programs might be an important factor in weight management. In fact, Dr. Westcott’s previous research has demonstrated the ability of previously sedentary adults to gain muscle and elevate resting metabolic rate which could result in the ability to expend an additional 100 calories per day in a 175 lb individual! Study Design This study was undertaken to examine the effects of a 23-week moderate strength training program, with and without the supplemental protein, on body composition in a group of 68 adults. Average age was 59 years and exercise frequency was 2 to 3 days per week. The exercise protocol was adapted from the American College of Sports Medicine guidelines and included standard use of 11 weight training machines with appropriate increases in exercise resistance and post-exercise stretches. Subjects also performed 20 minutes of endurance exercise. |
All participants performed the same exercise program in the research facility under close supervision. Forty-six subjects completed the 23-week program; Twenty-four participants consumed the protein drink (Cinch™ Shake, Shaklee Corp., Pleasanton, CA) following their training session and 22 did not consume the drink, nor did they receive a placebo control. The drink was prepared by mixing 1.5 servings in water and provided approximately 270 calories, 4.5g fat, 35g carbohydrate, and 24g protein. No reasons were reported for the 22 subjects that dropped out of the study.
Study Results After 23 weeks of moderate training, all 46 subjects showed significant improvements in body composition, including a 4.7 pound gain in lean muscle weight and 7.0 pound loss in fat weight Subjects ingesting the post-exercise Shake increased lean weight by 5.5 pounds and decreased fat weight by 9.0 pounds; a 14.5-pound improvement in body composition. Those not receiving the supplemental Shake increased lean weight by 3.9 pounds and decreased fat weight by 4.9 pounds; an 8.8-pound improvement in body composition. As shown in Figure 1, participants consuming the post-exercise protein shake added 1.6 pounds more lean weight and lost 4.1 pounds more fat weight than the no-supplement subjects. 
Discussion
This study confirms the impact of a fitness program for improving body composition and anthropometric measurements. Therefore, it appears that previously sedentary adults can attain significant and consistent muscle gains and fat losses over the first 6 months of a standard exercise program. Another finding was the greater body composition improvement seen in the participants who consumed the protein drink immediately after their workout. Subjects who consumed the post-exercise shake gained about 25 percent more lean weight and lost 50 percent more body fat. This observation reconfirms the finding that supplying the body with extra protein and carbohydrate following a combined strength/endurance exercise session promotes addition of lean tissue and loss of body fat. At present, it’s thought that protein ingestion post-exercise increases the rate of muscle proteins synthesis, which increases the amount of muscle over time. Practical Application This study confirms that a standard exercise program is effective for increasing lean mass and decreasing fat mass. But it’s even more interesting that consuming a post-exercise protein drink promoted favorable body composition changes (increased lean weight and decreased fat weight) associated with the standard strength/endurance exercise program. So men, take advantage of the study findings to help improve your fitness level this summer. Make strength and endurance exercise part of your regular routine, and enjoy a protein-carbohydrate shake immediately after exercise for faster recovery, to help build and maintain muscle mass, and to decrease fat mass ...and have a Happy Father’s Day! Be well. Dr. Jamie McManus MD, FAAFP Chairman, Medical Affairs, Health Sciences and Education Products Used in the Clinical Studies |
Building Bone Mass with Cinch Shakes and Vitalizer
Clinical study (Westcott et al, Journal of Exercise Physiology Online, 14: 120-133, August 2011.
The study took place in New York at the YMCA and the products used were Shaklee's Cinch Shakes and Vitalizer Daily Supplement Strips. The study lasted 9 months and the participants were divided into three groups – a control group, an exercise group and an exercise plus supplementation group. The control group continued to vegetate (The authors noted that only 3.5% of adults and 2.5% of older adults meet the current exercise recommendations – I didn’t realize that it was that bad!). The exercise groups participated in 2 to 3 one-hour exercise sessions each week. The exercise sessions were supervised by nationally certified fitness professionals and consisted of 25 minutes of resistance training and 25 minutes of aerobic training. The exercise plus supplementation group used Shaklee’s Vitalizer Gold (which provides 500 mg of calcium and 1,200 IU of vitamin D3) on a daily basis and drank one serving of Cinch Shake Mix following each workout. The results were quite remarkable. The control group lost muscle mass while both the exercise and exercise plus supplementation groups increased lean muscle mass. However, the increase in lean muscle mass was much greater in the group that was supplementing, and it was only in the supplementation group that the increase in lean muscle mass was statistically significant. Similarly, the control group experienced an increase in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure while both the exercise and exercise plus supplementation groups experienced a decrease in blood pressure. But here the difference between the two exercise groups was even more dramatic. The group that was just exercising experienced small and non-significant decreases in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, while the decreases in blood pressure in the exercise plus supplementation group were much larger and were highly significant. For example, the decrease in systolic blood pressure was four-fold greater in the exercise group that was supplementing than the exercise group that was not – and the corresponding differences in diastolic blood pressure were almost 3-fold. However, it was the effect of exercise and supplementation on bone density that intrigued me the most. Bone density decreased by 1% in the control group during the 9 month period. Exercise alone was able to prevent that loss in bone density. These results were not a surprise. They are consistent with over 19 published clinical studies and two meta-analyses. The intriguing result was that bone density actually increased by 1% in the exercise plus supplementation group. None of these differences reached statistical significance because of the relatively small size of the study groups and the short duration of the study, but the trend is very encouraging. |
So what is the bottom line for you? There are several take home messages from this study.
1) Once again this study shows that Shaklee products work. Shaklee’s Vitalizer and Cinch plus exercise are clearly a winning combination. 2) It is difficult for adults over age 50 to maintain muscle mass. As I have pointed out in one of my previous “Tips” newsletters exercise helps, but extra protein is needed. This study shows that just adding a serving of Cinch following each workout can make a significant difference in maintaining and even increasing lean muscle mass. For even better results I recommend Physique immediately after the workout and Cinch 30 to 90 minutes latter. 3) High blood pressure is a problem for many older Americans. Exercise helps, but the combination of exercise plus the Shaklee supplements gave a much greater reduction in blood pressure. The authors attributed this effect to the soy protein in Cinch, but I suspect that the omega-3 fatty acids in Vitalizer also made a significant contribution to the decrease in blood pressure. 4) However, it is the increase in bone density in the exercise plus supplementation group that is perhaps the most novel and important finding to come out of this study. Osteoporosis is a major problem in this country, and it is only going to get worse as the population ages. Osteoporosis leads to serious disability and even death for millions of Americans When it comes to natural approaches all of the discussion up to this point has been about how to reduce the rate of bone loss as we age. The potential for actually increasing bone density in older Americans without the use of dangerous drugs is huge! And, if this study is borne out by future studies, the needed intervention is as simple as a serious exercise program plus a relatively simple supplementation program. This is an approach that doesn’t have any worrisome side effects – only side benefits. What could be better? Cinch Shakes - a delicious and nutritious protein-rich meal with leucine to protect lean muscle mass.
Vitalizer - 80 bio-optimized nutrients clinically proven to create a foundation for a longer, healthier life.
PROVEN - Landmark Study show that long-term Shaklee supplement users have markedly better health than single-multivitamin and nonsupplement users. http://www.landmarkstudy.com/ Dr. Stephen Chaney |
