20100112

Wednesday 1/13

Rest Day





Take it easy today and read about post workout recovery food from Crossfit Football.


MILK AND WHEY PROTEIN

Whole milk serves a few different functions. It is a complete meal and is an excellent post-workout drink for recovery and muscle building. It contains protein, fat, vitamins D and K, all necessary for performance and strength gains. It is an inexpensive form of supplementation; it is full muscle building properties and is ideal for trying to build mass. On top of all the good properties, milk is cheap, easy to find, and requires no preparation, so that it can be consumed immediately.

If you are lactose intolerant (actually a quite rare condition) whey protein is an ideal choice. Many forms of whey protein are lactose-free and therefore will not cause problems for those that cannot drink whole milk.

Whey Protein is a by-product of cheese manufactured from cow's milk. It has the highest biological value of any protein, meaning that it passes through the stomach quickly and is rapidly absorbed by the intestines.  For years it has been the staple of many athletes/bodybuilders' supplement program.

Why is this particular type of protein important?

The protein fraction in whey (approximately 10% of the total dry solids within whey) comprises four major protein fractions and six minor protein fractions. The major protein fractions in whey are beta-lactoglobulin, alpha-lactalbumin, bovine serum albumin, and immunoglobulins. Each of these components has important body-strengthening effects thanks to:

•    A high protein efficiency ratio
o    One study showed that milk protein elicits greater increases in branched chain amino acid concentrations in peripheral tissues as compared to soy.

•    Lactose (found in whey but not whey concentrate) which is broken down into galacto-oligosaccharides that are used by intestinal bacteria leading to better functioning of the digestive tract.

•    Calcium (a minimal component of whey protein) decreases accumulation of body fat and accelerates weight and fat loss. The proposed mechanism is thought to be that parathyroid hormone and 1,25-(OH)2-D respond to low calcium diets and promote fat storage. High-calcium diets inhibit these hormones and thus inhibit fat storage and promote increased fat breakdown and energy partitioning from fat to lean.

•   Cystine: a conditionally essential amino acid, which is the rate-limiting factor for the body's production of glutathione, an important antioxidant.

•    An excellent source of branched-chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, valine)
o    Leucine is a both a key signal molecule for initiation and an important substrate for new protein synthesis.

•    Its usage as a source of glutamine

•    In one study it was found that whey supplements may prevent blood sugar spikes after high-carbohydrate meals.

Why should you care? Simple: the body is highly sensitive to insulin after exercise and shuttles carbohydrates and proteins into muscle cells instead of fat cells. This sensitivity declines post-workout until ~2 hours at which point it reaches baseline. Furthermore, the anabolic effects of insulin are synergistic with amino acids. Given the rapid absorption of whey, it is the ideal choice for post-workout to take advantage of the insulin-amino acid synergistic effect. This means that whey protein is going to rebuild the damage and replenish the muscle that your body has been using up as you constantly CRUSH yourself with daily WODS. Proper post-workout nutrition reverses the catabolic state that your body is in after a tough workout, meaning that you more quickly start to make the necessary adaptations to the overload that you subject your body to in your quest to become fit.

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