Supplements
Nutrition plays a very important role in the level of performance and also recovery after intense exercise. If you are serious about exercise than your nutritional needs will be greater than the average person’s. A balanced diet is important as well as supplementing with vitamins and minerals, protein powder and recovery drinks. Proper recovery also ensures more energy for your next workout.
There is some controversy over the effectiveness or the need of supplements. It is very difficult to obtain all the necessary nutrients from the food we eat.
Taking a multi-vitamin mineral supplement daily is a simple way to start. But if you weight train you will require more protein in your diet. Protein powdered shakes are a good way to obtain this extra protein. Protein from whey has the highest bioavailability of any product on the market. The problem obtaining protein from meat is that excessive heat damages it, so don’t over cook meat. Instead, soft boil, steam, poach, bake or wok in a crockpot. Consuming amounts of damaged proteins increases risk of disease as well as creating deficiencies of amino acids. Although plant sources such as soy, rice, wheat and corn contain amino acids ratios, phytochemicals and fatty acids which are healthy ability to facilitate recovery and growth after grueling workout is limited. Whey peptides, egg albumen, and tissue proteins are superior source of protein 35-40% of my diet consists of protein. This is the amount I have determined through experience to be necessary to achieve my fitness and training objectives. After determining the amount of protein I need, carbohydrates and fat are consumed in relation to my fuel demands which vary depending on how much of my training is an anaerobic (resistance training) versus aerobic (cardio).
I train six days a week employing a combination of weight training and martial arts (stretching). My weight training sessions are intense and under 1 hour, this maximizes natural growth hormone release, amplifies circulating testosterone and minimizes cortisol production.
About 60% of my protein intake comes from ion-exchange whey peptides, 20% is derived from tissue protein including water packed tuna, free range chickens, and eggs, turkey breasts. The remaining 20% comes from brown rice, raw vegetables and oats. 25% of my total protein intake is consumed post-workout. I combine in a blender, skim milk, and 5 grams of creatine ~ after preloading, 1-2 scoops protein powder (whey), yogurt, 1 banana. I also add 2 grams each of glutamine, taurine, alanine and H.M.B. for their anti-catabolic and cell-voluminizing affect. When my post exercise "window of opportunity is open" I want to utilize it, the whey peptides are engineered to be absorbed 200-300 faster than regular tissue proteins which may take 3 or 4 hours to digest.
ION-EXCHANGED WHEY PEPTIDES
Whey is a component of all milks. It is a sweet syrupy liquid, rich in lactose and a number of high quality proteins. The ion-exchange process for purifying whey was first developed in England. Ions (atoms bearing an electrical charge) attached to proteins in the whey, called ion exchanges, exchange with ions present in a surrounding solution. Ions migrate in patterns under the influence of an electrical field. The liquid ion-exchanged whey is then freeze dried.
Ultra-filtration, micro-filtration and cross-flow membrane extraction are then used to remove almost all of the lactose and fat. These techniques physically separate the proteins without the need for heat or acid, treatment. The integrity of the protein is preserved, along with anti-catabolic and immune system-enhancing properties associated with whey.
Due to its excellent amino-acid profile, solubility and digestibility whey protein rates number 1 for biological value, (a measure of how well any given protein is utilized by the body. More specifically, it is the amount of nitrogen replaceable by 100 grams of protein in the diet. The higher the "BV" the higher the nitrogen retention. The proteins with the higher BV have greater muscle building potential. Protein, vitamins, minerals and dietary nutrients provide the body with the optimum qualities sufficient to meet your biological demand. Excessive quantities of anything, including protein, fat and carbs may cause toxicity. On the other hand, an inadequate supply of aminos or fatty acids (will result in deficiency, lowered performance and possible disease).
