HUN 3800 Nutrition Science Research and Ethics

Assignment 4 Literature Review Paper

Do high-protein diets have a positive effect on athletes performing high intensity activities?
Michelle A. Avila
N00933560
November 18, 2014

Introduction.Simultaneously with the development of our society evolves our feed, we have generated a lot of
different types of diets and have experimented with food to recreate the most effective method
for a specific goal. One group that has enough time in the interest of all, is the high-performance
athletes, who rely on a specific diet that contributes to muscle development, endurance and faster
recovery, based on a high-protein content. Elite athletes have utilized high-protein diets for many
years, because it is related with strength, muscle hypertrophy, weight loss and also during an
important stage of recovery from exercise and injuries. (1) There have been some studies that
attempt to define whether top athletes really require a higher intake of protein in your diet;
although some studies point out that the RDA of the population of the USA and Canada (0.8-0.9
g protein/kg/day) is enough for an athlete there are also studies that show otherwise and indicate
that because athletes seek to optimize their adaptation to training, your protein requirement is
vary from an ordinary person. (2) In this paper is going to be described why high-protein diets
have positive effects on athletes performance and muscle development and is attempted to
collect information from different researches that support the subject already mentioned. Sport
and nutrition scientists have looked for recommendations of protein intake due to the fact that
metabolic demands change during a high-intensity activity and most of them interestingly have
concluded that there is an inversely proportional relationship between caloric and protein intake,
meaning that while caloric intake is lower, the protein requirement increases, therefore protein
metabolism and amino acid oxidation increase their speed. And to add also lean mass increases
while adipose tissue reduces, allowing body building and muscle development to an improved
and maximized performance during high-intensity periods which demand more strength and
power to perform certain activities. Body metabolism have become the clue to a scientific

programmed meal plan in which athletes are subjected to reach their maximum in a sport or
activity.

What is a high-protein diet?

To introduce a definition of high-protein diet it is important to start affirming that protein is the
most important macronutrient related to the possible changes in our body composition. (3)
Proteins are mostly responsible of the alterations in muscle density and consequently in the
adipose tissue, because of its participation in the structure and metabolism related to muscle
development. That being said, a high-protein diet is every diet that includes an intake higher that
the 15% of the total caloric intake, recalling that in the official caloric molecule protein intake
occupies the 15% of the total energy intake. We can also consider a high-protein diet any diet
that is constituted by a higher amount of protein than the established by the RDA (0.8-0.9 g
protein/kg/day). According to the Position Stand by the International Society of Sports
Nutrition, intakes of 1.4-2.0 g/kg/d are needed for physically active individuals. We would
suggest that a high protein intake is anything that exceeds 2.0 g/kg/d. (2, 3) This type of diet is
in the top list of the preferences when the time comes for the athletes to polish their capacities
and make their bodies some type of machine to perform high-intensity activities. It is a matter of
balance the intake of the different nutrients depending on the priorities of your body. When we
talk about an athlete we change our perspective to a major requirement of energy in a short or
long period as well, but also we should recognize that elite athletes are controlled by experts the
ones in charge of maintaining the optimal balance in the athletes body. High protein diets are
very popular because they are instantly related to muscle growth and in most of the cases the diet
is not well-adjusted to the persons demand-expenditure relation.

High- intensity performance and the athletes demand

A high-intensity performance is defined as high level training in which are involved progressive
endurance exercises in brief periods, or it can also be define as time-efficient training method
for improving cardiorespiratory and metabolic function and, in turn, physical performance in
athletes. (4) Athletes get prepare to spend a large amount of energy in a short time, feeling the
necessity to have a faster recovery to keep performing at the same level. The energy demand is
the principal factor that is going to be considered during an athletes analysis of performance. It
is considered as a fuel that should be well administered for an optimal result during a
competition. When we talk about demand we cover all the macronutrients that are essential for
the human metabolism, but most of the times the main focus is on the intake of proteins and
carbohydrates. Proteins exercise a great role on muscle functionality, which according to some of
the researches, are going to have a higher demand on athletes during his kind of performances. It
seems logical that the expenditure is going to rise considerably during a high intensity, because
the body is going to work for an adaptation in short period of time, so it can accomplish with all
the roles that need to be covered during the activity. But how do we measure a high-intensity
performance? It is measured by the maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max), in the case of
high intensity is 85% VO2 max. Proteins provide significant aid toward the end of an endurance
event when glycogen is no longer available in the immediate store. (5) Athletes metabolism are
definitely a faster machine.

Muscle protein synthesis

There are different researches that affirm that the increased portion of proteins and amino acids,
increase the protein synthesis and protein balance after an endurance and resistance activity. This
information supports the idea that athletes requirements of proteins go above the RDA
established for the general population. (6)
To add some more information, there is no tolerable upper limit for dietary protein, meaning that
everything is based on testing the persons condition. Knowing that it is clear that a higher
protein diet can supply the muscle growth, there is not a specific value of supplemental protein
that should be added to the regular intake to declare that it is going to help muscle synthesis.
An investigation proves that a per meal protein dose of 0.25gr every 4 hours stimulates muscle
protein synthesis, meaning that dosing is the clue of a high protein diet, in which protein is not
ingested in a big doses, but in small doses.(6)
Another research also states that during the early stages of intensive bodybuilding training,
proteins needs are approximately 100% greater than current recommendations. (7) This paper
analyzed the requirements of proteins in different stages of the training period, concluding that
the protein intake should be managed depending on the highs of your metabolism needs.
This is the most attractive advantage of a high-protein diet in society, the majority of the
population focuses on the muscle synthesis as an esthetic goal, but we can still find papers
against the possibility that a this kind of diet would not be harmful in a long-term period, even
though during your high-intensity performance.

Protein and Weight Loss

Many researches based on the advantages of a high-protein diet have found a significant weight
loss and a greater thermogenic effect compared to fat and carbohydrates. This macronutrient has
proved that it may be able to reduce the intake requirements of the other nutrients in which is
involved a homeostatic mechanism called Simpson and Raubenheimer. This mechanism
mentioned is a possible answer to the protein effect on the body, but in different papers it is been
mentioned that one of the major advantages that call the attention is the weight loss. We can see
the logic in the reduction of caloric intake from fats and carbohydrates that conduct to a greater
utilization of proteins as an immediate source. Elite athletes are recommended to emphasized
protein intake and to reduce another macronutrient level, in this case it has come to the
conclusion that reducing fat caloric intake would be the sacrifice an athlete should make to make
the diet work during a high intensity performance. There is a direct relation between the intensity
of the activity and the carbohydrate caloric intake; if there is a decrease in the intensity of the
activity, the carbohydrate intake should be reduced and together with a high protein intake they
contribute to a weight loss and the retention of the lean mass. (2, 6)
There are also studies that support that a hypercaloric diet in elite athletes do not contribute to
gain weight and this is because protein contribute to gains in lean body mass but not fat mass.
Thus, eating extra calories will result in a gain in body fat; however, overfeeding on protein will
also result in a gain in lean body mass perhaps due to an increase in muscle protein synthesis.
(3,8)

High-Protein diet and Recovery from injuries

The post exercise recovery in athletes is highly essential to expect a high performance. During
exercise there are many responses from the body going on, from the ones we can mention
antioxidants activity, immune cells activation and also inflammatory reactions. So how is
nutrition involved here? Well, diets should work as sources of substances like antioxidants and
vitamins, like C (immune response) to regulate normal levels and balance of the intake and
expenditure of those. Oxidative stress attempt to trigger all this reactions in situations of
immediate response like high-intensity performances. Injuries surge during an activity or after an
activity if the recovery is not done appropriately. Dietary strategies intent to treat muscle
soreness and prevent damage; proteins role begin when the body adapts to a high-protein intake
after workout and reacts reducing proteins catabolism and therefore increasing its synthesis,
being this a mechanism to protect maintain muscle work after a workout. (9)

Protein-rich foods and its functionality

As it was suggested previously high intensity exercise needs to go hand by hand with the
nutrition part of the program. It is important to measure the different adaptations that have to be
done according to the exercise plan of the athlete. The main characteristic proper from the
protein-rich foods is the content of the essential amino acids, the ones that constitute part of the
metabolism that produces energy in the muscle tissue, highlighting leucine. Between some of the
high-protein foods we can find meat, milk and eggs, and these are particularly the main foods
used in the different researches of high-protein feeding, being the reason the fact that are
associated with an increasing synthesis of the muscle proteins. (9, 10, 11) The protein-rich foods

mentioned before are able to be digested fast after a workout, increasing the levels of leucine in
the blood plasma.

Table1.- Postexercise Protein Synthesis Guideline: Protein-rich food (9)

Conclusion and Application to Dietetic Practice

Analyzing the results of different researches, it is true to say that proteins are macronutrients
essentials in an elite athletes diet, because it can be proved that a high performance rely on an
appropriate intake of proteins. Even though the RDA already established can perfectly cover an
athletes requirement, it may not contribute to get to an optimal performance and allow metabolic
adaptation during high-intensity activities. Based on an evidence to develop a best conditioning
during metabolic changes in this type of activities, it has been proved that the dosage of protein
should be managed better in a large number of meals in short periods of time. High-protein diets
do have advantages on elite athletes who constantly are expending a large quantity of energy a
need a faster muscle recovery. A diet should always be controlled and programmed in based of a
specific metabolism, and also it is effective to keep track of the performance and development of
the athlete during the changes of the intensity during trainings. An important aspect to remember
is that a high-protein diet contributes to the lean mass growth, which is one of the most important
goals of elite athletes and also to weight loss due to the high functionality of the proteins during
training.
Dietitians are exposed to the popularization of a high-protein intake, a reliable information is
always important to the evaluation of a person. An elite athlete should not be considered as a
regular athlete who practices a sport, but to know that the energy expenditure most of the times
cannot be compared to the others. Proteins are essential in diets and for a dietitian that intends to
specialize in sports, this must be a mandatory update to find the best way to balance diet.

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