Which one is BEST? Whey? Soy? Casein?

You may already know that it's best to take a protein-rich snack after a good, hard workout. But are you getting the right kind to help you bulk up?

Protein supplement users must have heard a lot of the word 'whey', 'soy' and 'casein'. But did they know where they come or extracted from? Here's a little bit about the three most reputable protein types:

Whey

• Found in very small amounts in milk (~20%) 
• A by-product of cheese and curd manufacturing
• Contain all the essential amino acids, rich in vitamin and minrerals and has the highest BCAA content
• A fast protein- quick to enter the body and be absorbed and used for protein synthesis.

Casein

• The predominant protein in milk (~80%)
• Responsible for making curds
• A slow protein, thus causing slow release of amino acids over 3-4 hour
• Although not known to have large impact for protein synthesis, it is known to suppress protein breakdown.

Soy

• Found in soybeans (obviously).
• Does not contain as high level of BCAA as whey and casein but still contain all the essential amino acids.
• Preferred by the vegetarians.
• Considered to have intermediate effect where the concentrations in blood peak somewhat later compared to whey, but its digestion rate is much quicker than casein.

So, which one is best? The fast, the slow or the middle?
A new study from the University of Texas Medical Branch finds that the combo of the three —whey, casein and soy—right after your workout may help you get bigger than just a single type of protein alone. In the study, they used a protein blend of 25% isolated soy protein, 25% isolated whey protein and 50% casein.

Why the combo?
Because our muscle do not recover in 30 minutes. Instead, it takes up to 24-48 hours to recover after a resistance workout. As each type is absorbed at different rate during digestion, the delivery of amino acids to the muscle is extended. In other words,

"The longer you can supply the muscle with amino acids, the better it is for growth and recovery" -Mark Cope, nutrition research scientist at Solae Global

Therefore, your muscle gets to 'eat' the nutrients it needs, giving it the opportunity to 'grow' and 'get big'.

How can you get the combo without having to eat 3 different snacks?
You can always look for ready-made protein smoothies, bars and products that have a combination of whey and soy protein (read the labels).

On a tight budget?
If so, make DIY post-workout protein snack by mixing milk (that's where you'll find casein), soy and whey powders. Or simply consume chocolate milk. Research also support the performance benefits of chocolate milk as post-workout snack too!

My Protein-rich Parfait

Felt like trying other muesli brand today and decided to try Post Selects Crunchy Pecans Great Grains Cereal. It's a mix of pecans (my fav), whole grain flakes and multi grain clusters. According to the label, a serving of this cereal (3/4 cup, approximately 51 g) contain:

37 g of carbohydrate
8 g of sugar
5 g of dietary fiber
5 g of protein

..and with a total of 210 kcal per serving.

And so, I decided to make parfait tonight. A simple parfait. Just want to try it with the Greek yogurt I bought at Singapore last time (pretty hard to find it in Malaysia).

PARFAIT: French for "perfect", this is a frozen custard made with egg yolks, sugar, whipped cream, and flavoring such as fruit puree. It's usually served in a narrow, tall parfait glass.

Just FYI, this is not the traditional parfait. This is my protein rich parfait. hehe. Ingredients needed? Only yogurt and muesli.

Greek yogurt is high in protein, which helps promote fullness. A typical 6-ounce serving contains 15 to 20 grams, the amount in 2 to 3 ounces of lean meat. That makes it particularly appealing to vegetarians, who sometimes struggle to get enough of the nutrient. An identical serving of regular yogurt, on the other hand, provides just 9 grams, meaning you may feel hunger pangs sooner. (Check this article out from LA Times about Greek Yogurt)

METHOD: I start with a layer of yogurt, followed by the grains and repeated it again just one time. This is how it looks like.

VERDICT: A big thumbs up to the tangy and creamy thick texture of the yogurt! Loving the crunchy sweetness of the muesli too.

Competition Day Essential #1

The temperature of beverage is very important in determining how much athletes will drink. A beverage which is chilled and flavored, double athletes fluid intake when compared to plain unchilled water. Besides, research also revealed that water intake goes up by 40-80%, just by cooling it!

Therefore, it is essential to have at least one insulated box (a.k.a cooler or cool box or portable ice chest or chilly bin, or 'esky') to keep the beverage cool when competing in hot environment.

Why?

Cold beverages are more palatable during and after exercise, and this greater palatability will increase fluid consumption by athletes.

Did you know?
Other factors that may affect the completeness of rehydration include:
1) Ease of access to the beverage on the field or sidelines
2) A design of the beverage container that makes it easy to drink during exercise (e.g., a wide-mouth plastic bottle)
3) Whether or not there is active encouragement to drink by coaches, athletic trainers, team physicians, and parents

Though this might seem 'little', the little things are often the big things. Better not take it for granted as it will have a direct impact on the athletes.

Why You're Still Looking for the Magic Pills to Lose Weight. It Doesn't Exist!

You can stop looking now and instead, look for other alternatives to lose your weight and keep it off.

These so-called magic pills, supplements, potions or elixir that many believes can melt away body fat simply are nonexistent. That's according to a study online in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism.

Melinda M. Manore, a Professor of Nutrition in the Department of Nutrition and Exercise Sciences at Oregon State University (OSU) and past Chair of Nutrition and Food Management at OSU reviewed the evidence surrounding hundreds of weight loss supplements and pointed out that:

1) No research evidence exists that any single product results in significant weight loss.
2) Although some products may have a modest weight loss benefit, most of them were tested as part of a reduced calorie diet .
3) NO SUPPLEMENTS is going to have a big impact unless your diet and exercise is altered
4) Many products had no randomized clinical trials examining their effectiveness, and most of the research studies did not include exercise .
5) Many have detrimental health benefits

Then, what works? Changing your attitude and behavior towards food that is. Start to listen to your body again (like you did when you're small). Eat intuitively. Eat when you're hungry, stop when you're comfortably not hungry. At the same time make healthy food choices to nourish your body with the variety of nutrients it needs to function well. No cash needed. Only your readiness to change. There are evidence that support the effectiveness. You wouldn't know until you try. So, why wait? Be ready and TRANSFORM to intuitive you! And don't forget, EXERCISE too.


Related:
Trust Your Body
Tip of the Day: Sit Down, Slow Down
I Resolve to..Stop Grazing
3 Weight Loss Keys for Men


Reference:
Melinda M. Manore. Dietary Supplements for Improving Body Composition and Reducing Body Weight: Where is the evidence? International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 2012

Frothy Refreshing Strawberry Smoothie

Bored of the same-o, same-o milk shake you make everyday? Try making this one. The star ingredient in this recipe is INSTANT PUDDING. That's what makes it thick, frothy and most importantly, YUMMY! Besides, it's a healthful alternative to ones made with ice cream. This milk shake is very SIMPLE to make, with only FEW ingredients using only ONE 'tool' (which is obviously, the blender).

Here's the recipe

Ingredients (1 serving)
250 ml cold low-fat milk (I use HL since I like the flavor)
1/4 cup instant pudding (for this one, I use Happy Grass - Fruit Bean Curd Pudding Powder Strawberry Flovour
1/2 small banana (optional)
Ice cubes (optional)
Some vanilla extract (optional)

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend till smooth and frothy. Ready to drink!

Tasty and refreshing! One good option of post-workout snack to promote quick recovery too.

Nutrition Info (estimation)
225 total calories, 32 g carbohydrate, 13 g protein, 1 g fat


What's your favorite milk shake recipe?