Protein, yes, but how much is too much?

June 14, 2010

Protein, yes, but how much is too much?

New mothers, weekend warriors and professional cyclists alike all know the basics -- a dose of protein after a workout can help you rebuild muscle tissue, restore energy levels and stimulate physiological gains. If these truths are so widely held, then why do we run into so many people who are overdosing on protein!?! Truth is -- most nutritionists, trainers and know-it-all-gym enthusiasts (we all know them), are giving you bad advice!

First off, your average gym-goer subscribes to what we call the three pillars of nutrition: protein=good, carbs=bad, fat=worse. As ridiculous as this sounds, it's amazing to hear the stark proclamations that your average-joe/jane makes about nutrition. Interestingly, this isn't because of lack of interest or research. In fact, many of of these people read enough fitness rags/blogs to be able to rattle off the differences between whey, milk and soy proteins on command. So why do we see so many of these same people leaving their favorite supplement retailer, shaker cup in hand, ready to guzzle 75 grams of high-grade protein into their 175 lb, 15% body fat bodies. Sound familiar? If it doesn't, good for you (or maybe you just haven't been training). If it does, then keep reading.

It is imperative (critically important, essential, please don't mess this up people) that you adjust your protein intake to your lean body mass. Over the course of a day, athletes looking to improve their body composition should intake roughly 1.5 grams of protein for every pound of lean body mass. Let's do some basic "supplement math" on our hypothetical 175 lb, 15% body fat athlete as an example:

Total Weight: 175
Lean Body Mass: 149
Daily Protein Intake: 223 grams/day

Now, here is where the debate rages. How much protein should our athlete take in one sitting? Well -- let's start simple. No one in his or her right mind would recommend that our 175 lb athlete take all 223 grams in one sitting (you can laugh now). Here's the squishy part -- the amount of protein that your body can metabolize in one sitting depends on your level of activity, body composition (already accounted for in our calculation) and genetic profile. At the end of the day, IT DEPENDS(ugh)! However, there are some general rules that, when applied within a balanced diet, have been highly successful for our athletes. Working with elite nutritionist and RSP affiliate, Mike Ferencsik, and several NFL players, we have found that you can get close to that magic number by spreading your protein intake over 8-9 meals. Though we won't get into the details of Mike's diet here, this calculation puts our hypothetical athlete at roughly 25 grams of protein per sitting. While you could (and many people do) consume much more than these recommended quantities without any ill effects, but we believe that the potential gains in muscularity do not offset the risks associated with excessive protein intake (e.g stored fat, liver problems). Remember -- you're training to become a better athlete, not just move weight around in the gym.

We hope that this helps. As we emphasize in all of our entries, HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE and USE YOUR DISCRETION. Don't let any nutritionist, coach or friend talk you into a training or supplementation program that doesn't work for you.

Check in with us next week and follow us at www.rspnutrition.com for more updates.

Be the best with Fast Fuel!

RSP Nutrition and Team Fast FuelTM to Sponsor the 2010 Randy Shannon Football Camp

June 8, 2010

RSP Nutrition and Team Fast FuelTM to Sponsor the 2010 Randy Shannon Football Camp

Coral Gables, FL – RSP Nutrition and Team Fast FuelTM will sponsor Randy Shannon’s Football Camp this June 12th - June 14th in Miami, FL. RSP staff will be on hand to educate campers on key sports nutrition issues, including hydration, pre-workout and recovery nutrition. In addition, the Fast FuelTM Street team will distribute individually packaged samples of Fast FuelTM: Speed Training Formula, branded shaker cups, tee-shirts and track bags to athletes.

The Randy Shannon Football Camp gives young football players the opportunity to receive instruction from the Miami Hurricane’s staff and other qualified coaches. The goal of the camp is to provide players with the knowledge and the most up-to-date techniques used by the Hurricanes. Campers will receive instruction on the Hurricanes’ strength and conditioning programs, along with established nutrition guidelines used by athletes.

“We are thrilled to be participating in the 2010 Randy Shannon Camp. Coach Shannon and the University of Miami football staff have really revitalized the program and are back at the top of a very competitive field in college football. A lot of the program’s current and historic success has to do with the strength and conditioning and nutrition programs at ‘The U’, so we’re excited to be a part of what they are doing”, said Director of Business Development Francesco Zampogna.

Be sure to check in with Team Fast FuelTM at the Hecht Athletic Center during registration for free giveaways and great tips on sports nutrition. Don’t miss this great opportunity!

ABOUT RSP NUTRITION

RSP Nutrition is a premium sports nutrition company that develops products for sports-specific training and athletic performance. While the majority of sports nutrition companies focus on looking good in the weight room RSP’s products are scientifically formulated for athletes seeking to enhance sports-specific movements. As such, the RSP product line is formulated for sports performance, emphasizing speed, agility, explosive power, nutrient replenishment and intensity. This philosophy has established RSP as the creator of, and premiere brand in, Sports Performance Nutrition.

Lift Before I Run? Or Run Before I Lift?

June 7th
Lift before I run? Or Run Before I Lift?

Athletes training to compete in explosive sports often ask us: how should I sequence my workouts? Should I lift before running? Or should I run before I lift? Most athletes make this decision in one of three ways: 1) completely randomly (e.g. depends on the day); 2) by direction of a sports performance coach; 3) based on personal preference (e.g. I tend to feel like garbage if I run first before lifting). Truth is -- there is no simple answer to the question. If you are a competitive athlete preparing for an upcoming season, it is vital that you train at your highest levels during both movement and weight training. Recognize that any run or lift will significantly deplete the glycogen stores in your muscles, leaving you in a fatigued state and making it difficult for you to perform in the second segment of your training session.

Timed intake of a recovery supplement can help you maintain performance throughout your workout. However, BUYER BEWARE. A number of products on the market claim to meet your needs, but are not ideally suited to the needs of explosive athletes. Remember that the nutritional supplement industry has traditionally catered to aerobic endurance athletes and bodybuilders--segments of the population with drastically different needs than yours.

A few helpful tips:

1) Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. No matter what you're doing on the field/court/ice/mat, in the weight room or at home for supplementation, hydration is the foundation.

2) Watch out for sugars and carbohydrates. This may sound basic, but a number of the most popular recovery products on the market are high in sugar and carbs because they are suited for aerobic endurance athletes such as marathoners. As an explosive athlete, you'll need to focus on building lean muscle mass and a diet too high in carbs and sugar will do a number on your plans...

3) Many products (we won't name names...) will claim to include electrolytes -- DON'T FORGET TO CHECK THE DOSAGE! A trace amount of electrolytes will do nothing to help you recover from an intense hill workout.

That's all for now. Check back with us soon at www.rspnutrition.com for more product updates.