Article for BJJ Style

Hey Guys,

Last month I did an article for BJJ Style magazine which highlighted what type of protein you should use for each individual situation.

As the new issue is now available (featuring my new article on dieting mistakes for competition), I thought I would post the old one below so you can have a read!

Here you go,

Protein.

I know you’re taking it. Everyone is taking it!

As soon as we start training whether it’s in the gentle art or lifting weights, it’s the first thing we are told to increase in our diets and it’s generally the first supplement that we take.

As you probably know, protein is a fantastic macro nutrient. It is responsible for the repair and growth of tissue in the body, especially muscle. Protein allows us to recover faster from training, makes us faster and allows us to grow more muscle. This is all incredibly important for the BJJ athlete as this allows us to train more often, be more athletic and generally more dominant on the mat.

When I talk about protein in this article I am going to be talking about types of supplemental protein shakes. Good, whole, protein based foods should be present in any well thought out nutrition plan and supplements are just that. Supplements. They supplement your diet. Please make sure that you have a solid nutrition plan in place before starting to spend your hard earned cash on fancy shakes. If you’re not sure, please speak to your coach or a profession nutritionist who knows the demands of BJJ.

The problem comes when you start to look into the types of protein that are out there. There are that many companies that use that many different types, it’s really easy to get confused and feel lost in a sea of fancy sounding words and scientific explanations that mean very little to you. How do you choose what is right for your goals? Do you need a different protein for each goals? What about after or during a workout? Before bed? When the stars align?

The purpose of this article is to help shine a light on the different types of protein out there and what is best for each goal.

So as I have said there are lots and lots of different types of protein out there. The main ones we are going to look at today are.

·      Whey

·      Casein

·      Hydrolysed (also called peptide)

·      Soy

These are the main types of protein that most people use. So what do they do? Are they worth taking?

Let’s take a look.

Whey Protein

This is the most common type of protein that you will find people taking. It is easily available and can be purchased from most shops and sites. So what is ‘whey’ protein? Well whey protein is a mixture of globular proteins isolated from whey itself (whey is a liquid created as a by product from making cheese). So essentially whey protein comes from cows milk (cows milk is 20% whey protein and 80% casein protein but more on that later). When this has been removed it is often dried out making a powder. It is sometimes denatured by heating it to temperatures above 72 degrees (you will see this on the packaging). However this is also is reflected by the price going up.

This product is often labelled as whey isolate. It is normally about 20-30g of protein per 30g depending on the quality, 100 calories and 4-15g of carbohydrates.

This is a medium acting protein that digests normally in about 20-45 mins. This means that it can take up to 45 mins before it is in your blood stream (as BCAAs and other goodies) and is available for your muscles to use to repair and grow.

So what the hell does all this mean to the BJJ athlete?

Well it means that it is a good protein to be used as a meal replacement or to be taken in between meals as a snack. It is pretty versatile and can be used in many recipes and can be added to other foods to bump up the protein values.

Many people also use this in a post workout shake with some added carbs such as waxy maize or Vitargo. This is used to replenish glycogen stores in the muscle and liver (the bodies way of storing energy) and to get vital nutrients into the body while training. While this is fine and a great idea for most people, the problem is that whey isn’t that fast acting.

Remember it takes between 20-45 mins for your body to break down the whey and get it to your muscles. This means that you are now waiting an extra 30 mins on average to get those nutrients into your system. Not ideal!

There is also quite a buzz in the supplement world about whey protein being from grass fed cows. While grass fed is a great think to have in your beef (better nutrients, meat from better sources, animal being treated better) it has little to do with the quality of whey protein. Please don’t fall for this and pay extra for your whey.

Casein

Casein protein is very similar to whey in the way it is made. It is derived from the other 80% of protein that cows milk contains after the whey is removed. The difference between the two is that casein protein clots in the stomach when it reacts with stomach acid etc. While this is harmless, it makes it much slower digesting (up to several hours in some cases).

This means that casein protein is ideal to have through the day and especially before you go to bed at night. Taking casein will give your body a constant trickle of nutrients for a good few hours. This is absolutely ideal if you’re trying to move up a weight class or gain muscle. Also because of the slower digestion it will mean you stay fuller for longer. Perfect for when you’re cutting weight before that competition!

However just like whey protein, this makes it not ideal to be taken around a workout or training. We want the nutrients in the blood stream as soon as possible to allow you to grow and recover optimally.

Additionally, casein protein has a relatively low leucine content (8%) compared to whey (11%). Leucine is the amino acid responsible for the peak anabolic response to protein ingestion. Basically, leucine signals the body to stimulate protein synthesis and build muscle. Again, not ideal around a workout!

If you were going to use a casein protein, I would go with Micellar casein. This is casein that has been ultra filtered and is the best form of the protein. It is a little bit more expensive that regular milk casein but it is worth the extra couple of quid.

Hydrolysed Whey Protein

Hydrolysed whey protein is the daddy of workout proteins.

If whey protein were a car it would be a BMW where as hydrolysed whey would be a Ferrari!

Hydrolysed whey is an ultra pure from of whey protein. It has been put through a process called hydrolysis. This is where the protein is basically broken down into much small particles (this is also called peptiding by some brands). This means that the smaller protein particles are more easily digested and absorbed. So where whey protein can take between 20-45 mins for it to be in your blood stream and therefore your muscles, hydrolysed whey is in your blood stream in minutes!

This makes this protein ideal to have before, during and after training! The body easily absorbs it and it helps start recovery and growth immediately.

However this means that hydrolysed whey isn’t very good for other times of the day. It is also very expensive compared to whey protein (whey can be picked up for about £15 a KG, while hydrolysed whey is about £30 per KG). This means that it isn’t really for those on a budget or has other more pending priorities for their money. However if you have the funds available, it can make a real difference to your recovery with people reporting more energy, less soreness and better sleep while taking it.

Soy Protein

Soy protein is a protein that has been isolated from soybean. It is made from soybean meal that has been dehulled and defatted.

Soy is a plant based protein that comes from soy beans. Like whey, it is considered a complete protein and contains all the essential amino acids. While whey is rich in the branch chained amino acids, soy is rich in both arginine and glutamine. Arginine helps muscle formation. Soy has a slower absorption rate than whey, which means it takes the body longer to digest the protein. Therefore, soy is less helpful in rebuilding muscle, but extremely helpful in forming new muscle tissue. Because soy is plant based, it is a great alternative to whey protein for those dealing with diary allergies.

People who are vegetarians or vegans or people who are on a tight budget often use soy protein. Soy protein is inferior to whey and other forms of protein in numerous ways. This includes protein content, bio availability (how much of the protein your body can make use of) and digestibility. Soy protein has also been linked to thyroid problems and changes in testosterone levels due to the isoflavones found in soy.

All in all, I would stay away from soy protein if you can help it. With many other types of vegetarian whey now available, there are so many better choices out there!

There we have a brief breakdown of the popular proteins that can be used to supplement your nutrition for BJJ.

When you are purchasing your supplements make sure that you get the very best that your budget will allow. Not all supplements are created equal and if it’s cheap, it’s probably cheap for a reason! I love BJJ and I want to do it till I can’t do anything else. This means that I’m looking after my body now by putting the very best fuel into it.

You wouldn’t put cheap petrol into a super car would you?

Remember that any supplement is just the icing on the nutritional cake and not a substitute for actual food! Make sure that you first have a well thought out eating plan and let your coach, doctor or a profession nutritionist have a look before undertaking any new or different plan.

Stay Healthy,

Mike.