Protein: all the Whey
No matter where you are on your health & fitness journey, chances are you have seen people in the gym drinking a protein shake, noticed supplements promos or have even been recommended to get yourself a protein powder. So, what is all the hype about? And should you add a protein powder to your regimen?
Well, firstly it is important to understand what protein does. Protein is a macronutrient that plays various roles in the body, including aiding in muscle protein synthesis (MPS), which can assist with muscle recovery and growth. Due to this, having an adequate protein intake is important to maximise your results in the gym.
Protein comes from various food sources, however, can also be taken as a supplement, the most common source is whey protein. Whey protein is derived from milk during the cheesemaking processed, it is then able to be concentrated and isolated and made into its’ powdered, supplement form sold in stores.
Whey is a preferred protein supplement in the health and fitness industry as it is a ‘complete protein’. This means it contains all of the essential amino acids, including leucine, known to increase MPS. When training, total calorie and protein intake are accounted for, a whey protein supplement may assist in optimising your recovery and results.
Should I be taking a protein supplement and if so, does it matter what you choose?
A whey protein supplement is a great option to assist increasing protein intake and has a few benefits:
Easy to have on-the-go and is a quick protein option for after training sessions.
Is a complete and high-quality protein source that is digested rapidly.
Research has shown whey is an effective protein source to increase MPS after workouts. (When total protein and calories are sufficient).
Often has great taste and can be used in smoothies.
Is a cost-effective protein supplement choice.
Some limitations to using a whey protein supplement:
Team Ecto likes to recommend clients consume the majority of their protein from whole – food sources as these are more nutrient-dense.
Often not as satiating as whole – food protein sources.
Is a dairy derivative, which is unsuitable for vegans and some people with intolerances. (Whole foods and plant-based protein supplements may be a good alternative here.)
Some of the Team Ecto coaches favourite whey protein supplements are:
Rule 1 Whey Protein Concentrate or Isolate.
Bulk Nutrients WPI.
True Protein WP90
Dymatize iso100
Where did this information come from?
Cintineo, H. P., Arent, M. A., Antonio, J., & Arent, S. M. (2018). Effects of Protein Supplementation on Performance and Recovery in Resistance and Endurance Training. Frontiers in nutrition, 5, 83. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2018.00083
Jäger, R., Kerksick, C.M., Campbell, B.I. et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 14, 20 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-017-0177-8
Reale, E., Govindasamy-Lucey, S., Johnson, M. E., Jaeggi, J. J., Molitor, M., Lu, Y., & Lucey, J. A. (2020). Effects of the depletion of whey proteins from unconcentrated milk using microfiltration on the yield, functionality, and nutritional profile of Cheddar cheese. Journal of dairy science, 103(11), 9906–9922. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2020-18713
Norton, L. E., & Layman, D. K. (2006). Leucine regulates translation initiation of protein synthesis in skeletal muscle after exercise. The Journal of nutrition, 136(2), 533S–537S. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/136.2.533S
Wilborn, C. D., Taylor, L. W., Outlaw, J., Williams, L., Campbell, B., Foster, C. A., Smith-Ryan, A., Urbina, S., & Hayward, S. (2013). The Effects of Pre- and Post-Exercise Whey vs. Casein Protein Consumption on Body Composition and Performance Measures in Collegiate Female Athletes. Journal of sports science & medicine, 12(1), 74–79.
Are fitness trackers accurate and reliable?
Fitness trackers, we’ve all seen them and a lot of us wear them, I’m talking about Fitbits, Garmin watches, your high-tech Apple Watch or even that discreet Oura Ring. Using a fitness tracker is a great way to monitor, quantify and document your physical activity, but are these really accurate?
Of course, the accuracy of these devices is important if they are to be used as a measure to quantify physical activity. So naturally, this is a topic that has intrigued researchers, fitness professionals and device users.
Many research studies have assessed the validity and reliability of various popular fitness trackers to track metrics such as; step count, heart rate and energy expenditure. A systematic review (which assesses the results from multiple studies) reviewed 158 research publications, finding that in a laboratory setting (on a treadmill) Fitbits and Apple Watches accurately recorded step count. However, heart rate measurements were most accurate on Apple Watches and Garmin’s, with Fitbits tending to underestimate heart rate. Most interestingly, for measurement of energy expenditure, none of the devises assessed were accurate.
A second systematic review published in 2022 looked a little closer, measuring percentage of error for each of the devices. These researchers found that Fitbit Charge and Fitbit Charge HR had a less than 25% mean percentage error for measuring step count. Apple Watches had a less than 10% mean percentage error for measuring heart rate. Across all devices the mean percentage error for measuring energy expenditure was greater than 30%.
All together these results show that step count appears to be fairly accurately recorded on most devices (especially Fitbits). Apple Watches seem to be a good performer for accurately measuring heart rate and most interestingly, energy expenditure is poorly estimated across all tested devices.
Some things to consider...
It is important to note, most studies would have tested these fitness devices in a controlled laboratory setting, likely on a treadmill. Laboratory and research settings do not mimic real life, however testing of the devices is done in a controlled manner. Additionally, as these are systematic reviews, the structure of each study included may differ slightly, potentially effecting results. Systematic reviews are considered a gold-standard when interpreting the current research understanding of a topic, so the above results should be interpreted accordingly.
So what does this mean? Are fitness trackers worth it?Fitness trackers remain a fantastic tool to quantify physical activity, and often even encourage it. Using a fitness tracker to determine step count appears to be an accurate measurement tool across devices. Heart rate accuracy varies across devices, though on Apple Watches and Garmin’s, appears fairly accurate. However, using a fitness tracker to quantify your energy expended during workouts or throughout the day isn’t a robust measurement tool. In light of this, changes to your personal nutrition and training regimen likely shouldn’t be made based on the predicted energy expended.
Pros of fitness trackers:
Will help you track your steps and likely heart rate accurately (depending on the device)
Can encourage physical activity.
May help you maintain consistency, which can help you achieve your health and fitness goal!
Cons of fitness trackers:
Do not accurately predict energy expended
Are programmed based on an algorithm that does not account for personal factors
Degree of accuracy is based on the device chosen.
Where did this information come from?
Fuller, D., Colwell, E., Low, J., Orychock, K., Tobin, M. A., Simango, B., ... & Taylor, N. G. (2020). Reliability and validity of commercially available wearable devices for measuring steps, energy expenditure, and heart rate: systematic review. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 8(9), e18694.
Germini, F., Noronha, N., Debono, V. B., Philip, B. A., Pete, D., Navarro, T., ... & Iorio, A. (2022). Accuracy and acceptability of wrist-wearable activity-tracking devices: systematic review of the literature. Journal of medical Internet research, 24(1), e30791.
Do I need to eat before going to the gym?
One common question we get asked as coaches is “do I have to eat before going to the gym?”, and if so, “what is the best thing to eat before my workout?”. So, lets answer these questions.
Moderate to high-intensity exercise such as resistance training relies on carbohydrate as the main fuel source. These carbohydrates come from glycogen stored in the liver and skeletal muscles, however, these stores are limited. During exercise, when glycogen stores reduce, our ability to maintain exercise intensity and strength also declines, while muscle protein breakdown increases.
Research has shown that the anabolic response (muscle growth) to resistance training depends on having adequate glycogen stores. So, maintaining high muscle glycogen levels is important to maintain; high quality exercise, enhance strength and optimise muscle recovery and growth.
The most important factor to ensure muscle glycogen stores are maximised is to have sufficient total daily carbohydrate intake (which is based on various personal factors). Though ‘topping up’ muscle glycogen by consuming carbohydrates before exercise is also recommended.
The current recommendations for carbohydrate intake prior to exercise are to consume high carbohydrate meals or snacks of 1-4g/kg of body weight, in the 1-4 hours before exercise. It is important to note that this exact amount will depend on your total daily intake, time of day and digestion factors as we are all different!
Some tips from the team:
If you are consuming a meal further away from exercise, try making that meal a little higher in carbohydrates, lower GI and with a high-quality protein source, such as a chicken, rice, and vegetable meal.
If you have to consume your pre-workout meal closer to exercise, try having smaller, high GI carbohydrate sources, such as a bagel with banana & honey. This style of meal will digest faster than a whole meal, assisting digestion and speed of carbohydrate absorption.
Every person will differ in their pre-exercise nutrition requirements, consult your coach, try a few things and find what works best for you
The teams’ favourite pre – workout meals and snacks:
Dan – Cream of rice, or if close to his workout, a coffee and a Gatorade.
Kat – Jam on crumpets or cereal and a banana.
Josh – Lean BBQ beef mince, rice and a banana.
AJ – A big bowl of cereal.
Katie – A poke bowls, usually a few hours before as a whole meal.
Scott – Jam sandwiches!
Montana – A smoothie and cereal.
Where did this information come from?
Morton R, McGlory C, Phillips S. Nutritional interventions to augment resistance training-induced skeletal muscle hypertrophy. Frontiers in Physiology 2015;6. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2015.00245.
Rose, A. J., & Richter, E. A. (2009). Regulatory mechanisms of skeletal muscle protein turnover during exercise. Journal of applied physiology, 106(5), 1702-1711.
Mata, F., Valenzuela, P. L., Gimenez, J., Tur, C., Ferreria, D., Domínguez, R., Sanchez-Oliver, A. J., & Martínez Sanz, J. M. (2019). Carbohydrate Availability and Physical Performance: Physiological Overview and Practical Recommendations. Nutrients, 11(5), 1084. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11051084
Kerksick, C. M., Arent, S., Schoenfeld, B. J., Stout, J. R., Campbell, B., Wilborn, C. D., ... & Antonio, J. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: nutrient timing. Journal of the international society of sports nutrition, 14(1), 33.
Do I have to lift heavy in a certain repetition range to gain more muscle?
Hypertrophy (muscle growth) is one of the most common goals and reasons people lift weights. Though there is so much information, and even some guidelines out there on how to best achieve this. Sometimes it can be all too confusing, there’s one guy in the telling you to train every single set to failure, a PT suggesting that 3 sets of 8-12 reps is the ONLY way and then a fitness influencer promoting 15-20 reps for women. So, what really is the best repetition range and intensity to use for hypertrophy goals?
Put simply, it depends. Resistance training (lifting weights in the gym) has many variables that can be manipulated to achieve the desired goal. For simplicity, in this article we are going to focus on the variables; intensity (measured by % of 1RM) & total volume as measured by repetitions performed and number of sets.
So, what is the best repetition range, number of sets and intensity for muscle growth?
Based on the current research knowledge The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 1−3 sets of 8−12 repetitions for each exercise at an intensity of 70−85% of 1RM for beginner and novice lifters. For more advanced lifters, 3−6 sets of 1−12 repetitions at a <70% of 1RM intensity is suggested as optimal. This is the basic recommendation that remains an excellent and effective strategy for muscle growth, however it is not the only way.
More recent research has shown that a broader range of training intensities and volumes are effective for hypertrophy outcomes. For example, various research studies have sound that low training loads of between 30-60% of 1RM result in similar hypertrophy outcomes as training with higher loads of >60% 1RM when training to failure.
Studies also show that training to muscle failure isn’t always necessary. In fact, research has shown that significant muscle growth can occur when training is performed with 3-4 reps in reserve (ie. you could perform 3-4 more reps of the set before muscle failure occurs).
The majority of research fairly unanimously concludes that total volume (repetitions performed x sets completed), combined with load used (intensity) are the most important factors to optimise muscle growth. Though these may be manipulated in various ways and still be effective for hypertrophy.
Conclusions
Using an 8-12 rep range at 70-85% of 1RM for beginners and a broader 1-12 reps <70% 1RM for more advanced lifters is an effective volume for muscle growth.
Training at low vs. higher loads exerts similar hypertrophy outcomes when training to failure.
Training to failure is effective for muscle growth, however, isn’t the only way. Training with 3-4 reps in reserve is also effective for muscle growth.
Where did this information come from?
Krzysztofik, M., Wilk, M., Wojdała, G., & Gołaś, A. (2019). Maximizing Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review of Advanced Resistance Training Techniques and Methods. International journal of environmental research and public health, 16(24), 4897. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16244897
American College of Sports Medicine (2009). American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 41(3), 687–708. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181915670