Literature Review for Protein in Male Weightlifters

Question: Discuss about theLiterature Reviewfor Protein in Male Weightlifters. Answer: Background Information and Justification for Protein intake to Mass and Strength in Athletes While working with the elite male Victorian weight lifting team, I have noticed that the coach is suggesting the athletes to consume 4g/kg per day of protein so that they can build strong body mass and strength and every member if following him. But such high amount of protein is not good for the long term health of the athletes. According to Youth Sports Nutrition (2016), the adolescent athletes lack in the knowledge of protein intake and other dietary habits. They either lack in time, convenience, funds or incorrect knowledge about their diet facts which makes it complicate for them to make choices over the food. The athletes who enter into the professional world are guided either by their parents or their coaches about the exercises and food intake. But only few of them are able to provide correct advice to them. Most of them are influenced by media or advertisements and follow them which are not good for the health of the athletes. But recently, much research has been conducted to find out that the appropriate amount of protein which should be taken by the athletes. The research practices identify the specific amount of protein intake which is beneficial for the athletes. The researchers are aimed at identifying the right amount of protein which does not create skinny girls or bulked up bodies but well-bu ilt healthy athletes which are ready to perform well. The amount of protein and nutrition needs depends on the type of sport in which the athletes is involved and on individual characteristics of health (Stark, et. al., 2012). According to Tipton Ferrando (2008), Muscle mass is very important for the athletic performance and for the health and survival of the athletes. Net muscle protein balance is to be maintained at right level which is the difference between the Muscle protein synthesis and Muscle protein breakdown. The increase in Muscle protein synthesis and the decrease in Muscle protein breakdown are important for the Net muscle protein balance to increase which is necessary. The acceleration of protein is necessary which is because of timing of ingestion and co-ingestion of nutrients. It also depends on the type of nutrients. As per Caspero (2016), the male weightlifters need more energy than an average person because their body needs more nutrition to recover from the physical activities. Protein is very essential in the diet of athletes because it helps in the repairmen and strengthening of the tissues of the body. The athletes take high protein diet so that they can take a strong physique. Protein is critical for building the muscle mass but there should be a definite amount for it. Taking large amount of protein wont help the athletes in making their body toned and balanced. The overall diet of the athletes needs to be studied when the protein requirements of the athletes are determined. The athletes who consume less carbohydrates and fats consume more proteins from the diets. The athletes need to ensure that they should take adequate carbohydrates, fats and other vitamins and not just protein. Protein Recommendations for Strength Based Athletes, their Timing of Protein around Training and over the day for Muscle Gains In the view of Phillips Loon (2011), the role of protein in the body of athletes is significant. The trainers and the athletes believe that the high amounts of protein are necessary for building muscles but it depends on certain things. Everybody has different necessities and have different requirements for protein. The authors recommend that the protein intake in the range of 1.3-1.8 g per day consumed as 3 to 4 is nitrogenous meals will maximise the synthesis of muscle protein. This amount of protein depends on the status of training. The athletes who are experienced require less protein and more protein is required in the periods of intense training. For adults, the recommended protein intake is equal amount of protein across the day. This pattern of protein intake promotes the protein synthesis and also the acceleration of tissues in the body. This helps in taking the most from the training. The adolescents nowadays take extra doses of protein in order to have faster growth and development. It has been recommended that the elite adolescent adults should aim to have protein intake between 1.3- 1.8 g per body weight kilograms and this protein should be consumed in parts across the day and not at once. This protein intake can be increased after the periods of intense training and the amount can be increased up to 2.5g/ kg per day. The difference of recommendations to the adults for protein intake is not much different from this (Phillips, 2012). The timing for daily intake of protein is also important than the amount of intake of proteins. It helps in maximising the skeletal muscle response to the resistance training. When the modest amount of high quality protein is consumed just after the training, it enhances the response of acute protein synthesis to exercise stimulus. Many powders are available in the market which is recommended to take just after the exercises and training so that the protein diet taken in form of food can be complimented. It is believed that protein when taken in correct amount and at correct time recovers the human body and maximises the performance of the athlete. The recommended daily amount of protein maintains the nitrogen balance in the body for an adult (Petrczi, et al., 2008). The protein intake, as already discussed depends on the type of athletes, body type, body weight, total energy intake, intensity of exercises and the aim of the exercises. As per Webb (2014), greater the number of hours for training, greater the requirement of protein by the body. There are different researches which recommend different amount of protein for an athletic body. According to a general rule of thumb, a body requires 1.2 1.4 g / per kg of weight of protein across a day for endurance athletes while the amount is 1.2- 1.7 g/ per kg of body weight for power athletes. There is another research which recommends that 2g/kg of body weight is required for those athletes who have reduced their energy intake. As soon as the physical activities of an athlete increase the required amount of intake of protein increases (Jeukendrup Gleeson, 2010). A sports nutrition counsellor, Nancy Clark suggests that the different recommendations for protein intake is not based on Men or women, it is based on the body weight. The people who are active should not focus only on protein but also on other important nutrition elements. Proper combination of carbohydrate and proteins is necessary to build a repair the muscles and tissues of athletes. It is also important to consider that when proteins should be taken. When the athletes engage in the physical activities, the muscles break down. As per the study, most of the people eat only 10% to 15% of total protein in morning and around 20% in the afternoon and the remaining protein amount at dinner. The bodies do not store protein and it is more beneficial for taking even amount of protein throughout the day. As per the research, adults require 30 g of protein in 2-3 meals so that their healthy muscles can be maintained. In a study, it was found that the muscles protein synthesis was 25 per cen t higher when the protein is consumed evenly throughout the day (Burd, et al., 2009). Negative Side Effects of Excess Protein Intakes According to Delimaris (2013), Protein is an essential micronutrient which is required by the human body so that growth can be maintained. The recommended amount of protein is already discussed and recommended in different studies. High protein diets are recommended to the athletes for their muscle development but many scientists claims that the high usage or over usage of protein can cause disorders in the human body. Diet high on proteins generates acids in the fluids of body and the kidneys in the body give response to this acid excretion. The increase in the protein intake can result in the increase in urinary calcium and in the decrease in retention of calcium. The study indicated that a well-balanced diet is provided to the subjects for 2 weeks in which an experimental diet was given containing one third level of protein. It resulted in higher excretion of urinary proteins and the high levels of protein diet resulted in increased bone resorption (Paddon-Jones Rasmussen, 2009). The protein intake in higher quantity can lead to the high blood sugar levels and weight gain. It can also lead to stress on kidney and stimulates the cells of cancer. Also, if proteins are taken only through plant sources then it may create sulphur deficiency in the body and can also accelerate the age related disorders (Tipton, 2011). Taking too much of protein can cause unpleasant changes in the body. It can be like nausea or diarrhoea. Some serious problems can also occur like building up of amino acids or insulin in the blood cells. The studies show that only recommended amount of protein should be taken by the athletes for better health and wellbeing (Frazier, 2017). Excess protein intake can lead to kidney problems. It may put stress on the kidneys and high proteins can also contribute in building up stones in kidney. High level of proteins leech out calcium from the bones. When the body release acids, these acids are absorbed by calcium. So more amount of proteins reduces calcium which increases the acids in the body. More amount of protein can also lead to the heart problems if taken from the animal sources. The animal proteins can also cause cancer. It increases the incidence of cancer in Athletes. The institute of Medicine has given recommendations for the protein intake so it should be followed for health and wellbeing of the athletes (Mettler, et al., 2010). Recommendations for Protein Intake for the Athletes of Elite Male Victorian Weight Lifting Team Protein helps in maximising the strength building the muscle mass in the male weightlifters. As discussed, the protein intake amount depends on the body weight, calorie intake, training type, etc. For muscle building, may need up to 1.8 grams of protein per kg of body weight every day or .82 grams of protein for each pound of his body weight. Like, if a 200 pound weightlifter tries to increase the muscle mass then around 164 grams of protein is needed every day by him (Slater Phillips, 2011). For body building, around 25 to 30 per cent of the consumption of daily calories is required for training and to prepare for the competitions. It means that if a bodybuilder consumes 4000 calories per day then he needs to intake 250- 300 grams of proteins every day. In case of power lifting, the trainees should consume .68 to .91 gram of protein for each pound of body weight. It means that if the power lifter weighs 225 pound than the protein intake needed should be 155-205 grams per day (Coleman, 2017). These protein recommendations can be taught to the athletes and they should be made aware about the correct protein intake. First of all, the trainer is required to be convinced about the same with the proper set of proofs and documents which states the correct intake of protein for the athletes so that the over dosage could not harm their body and could not create any chances of diseases in the long run. It is very important for athletes to remain healthy. For the wellbeing and maintenance of their health, the classes could be provided to them so that they could take care of their own. They should be taught about the benefits of taking correct amount of protein and how they could themselves ensure that which is the correct amount of protein they should take. The coach has to be convinced for this first of all and then the trainees will be convinced. A regular body check-up can be scheduled for the male weightlifters so that the doctor can recommend whether the athletes are taking co rrect intake of protein or not. This could make the team more competitive and healthy for the Olympic Games. References Burd NA, Tang JE, Moore DR, Phillips SM. Exercise training and protein metabolism: influences of contraction, protein intake, and sex-based differences. Journal of Applied Physiology. 2009 May 1;106(5):1692-701. Caspero A. Protein and the Athlete How Much Do You Need? Eat Right Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2016 July. Coleman E. Daily Protein Requirements for Male Weightlifters. SF Gate. 2017 [Cited 2017 May 07]. Available from https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/daily-protein-requirements-male-weightlifters-4577.html. Delimaris I 2013. Adverse Effects Associated with Protein Intake above the Recommended Dietary Allowance for Adults. International Scholarly Research Notices. Volume 2013. 6 pages. Frazier K. Side Effects of too Much Protein in Your Diet. Love to know. 2017 [Cited 2017 May 07]. Available from https://diet.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Side_Effects_of_Too_Much_Protein_in_the_Diet. Jeukendrup A, Gleeson M. Sport nutrition: an introduction to energy production and performance. Human Kinetics; 2010. Mettler S, Mitchell N, Tipton KD. Increased protein intake reduces lean body mass loss during weight loss in athletes. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2010 Feb 1;42(2):326-7. Paddon-Jones D, Rasmussen BB. Dietary protein recommendations and the prevention of sarcopenia: Protein, amino acid metabolism and therapy. Current opinion in clinical nutrition and metabolic care. 2009 Jan;12(1):86. Petrczi A, Naughton DP, Pearce G, Bailey R, Bloodworth A, McNamee M. Nutritional supplement use by elite young UK athletes: fallacies of advice regarding efficacy. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2008 Dec 15;5(1):22. Phillips S M, Loon V. Dietary protein for athletes: from requirements to optimum adaptation. US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health; 2011. Phillips SM. Dietary protein requirements and adaptive advantages in athletes. British Journal of Nutrition. 2012 Aug 1;108(S2):S158-67. Slater G, Phillips SM. Nutrition guidelines for strength sports: sprinting, weightlifting, throwing events, and bodybuilding. Journal of sports sciences. 2011 Jan 1;29(sup1):S67-77. Stark M, Lukaszuk J, Prawitz A, Salacinski A. Protein timing and its effects on muscular hypertrophy and strength in individuals engaged in weight-training. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2012 Dec 14;9(1):54. Tipton K D, Ferrando A A. Improving muscle mass: response of muscle metabolism to exercise, nutrition and anabolic agents. The Authors Journal compilation; 2008. Tipton KD. Efficacy and consequences of very-high-protein diets for athletes and exercisers. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 2011 May 1;70(02):205-14. Youth Sports Nutrition. Get your Lab coats on: were going on a Nutritional Journey through Science and nutrients. 2016 November [cited 2017 May 07]. Available from: https://www.youthsportnutrition.co.uk/single-post/2016/11/18/Sports-Nutrition-Literature-Review.