Eating Protein vs. Protecting Protein, by Jeff Olson
8 February 2010In this article, fitness professional Jeff Olson discusses the importance of protecting proteins in your body by eating certain foods that can help to counteract oxidation during intense exercise. The same lesson applies not only to competitive athletes but to any individual interested in improving overall health, wellness and fitness. Read on for more details below.
Eating protein – how much, what kind, when, etc. – is not my conversation. Protecting proteins (i.e. tissues) is my contribution for you. Ironically, the protein sources we eat have dramatic and differing impacts on how our tissues (proteins) are protected during hard core exercise. Hard exercise, in this case, is defined as 80%+ max V02 threshold. At a human performance symposium this Fall at the U.S.O.C. the two areas where people faulter are “rest/recovery” and “nutrition”.
Below is a ground breaking clinical study, in 2009, published in “Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise” (i.e. the scientific journal of the American College of Sports Medicine). This is tip of the iceberg on research surrounding advances in human performance. This study shows, quite dramatically, the importance of particular “foods” (in this case “food concentrates”) in the attenuation (blunting) of oxidized proteins (protein carbonyls). This represents a clear and apparent performance advantage. Read more in the study here.
What looks like a conversation for hard core athletes, interestingly, becomes a translational insight for all of us. Thus, these results above identify both a competitive physiological advantage for athletes and the rest of us too.
How so? When we oxidize fats, lipid peroxides are created. When we oxidize proteins, protein oxides (i.e. protein carbonyls) are created. Protein oxidation is measured by the level of “protein carbonyls” in the blood plasma. Oxidative stress comes from many sources: inflammation, stress, hard-exercise, sun, pollution, medications, poor diet, lack of sleep, toxins, etc. Thus, when oxidative stress is increases, regardless of its source, protein carbonyls increase. This means damage to your protein cells and tissues which equals compromised physiology.
The benefits and competitive advantages from food, diet and nutrition are only as good as one’s execution. Do you, yourself need help executing (i.e. food concentrates)? Learn more about how to improve your execution.
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One Response to “Eating Protein vs. Protecting Protein, by Jeff Olson”
February 10th, 2010 at 10:40 am
Great article and amazing results. So many athletes, especially endurance athletes, suffer from overtraining… thinking that more is better. The right “more” is better and in this case that’s nutrition in the forms of fruits and vegetables! Rest and recovery are a part of training! NOt to mention the often neglected mental game–but that’s an article I’ll need to submit. Thank you Jeff and Training Peaks!