Maximizing Recovery

Lecture 18 Part II

Most of us will never get to this point... but we do get tired from training on consecutive days.

Are there supplements that can help athletes recover faster and allow them to train hard consistently without risking the development of chronic fatigue/overtraining syndrome/illness?

Intense Exercise Training

Muscle soreness, weakness, pain, signs of inflammation,

lack of energy

Depleted intramuscular energy stores, accumulation of waste products, impaired

circulation, activation of proteases by calcium, and release of lysosomal proteases that lead

to intracellular degradation.

Intense Exercise Training

Muscle Glycogen Depletion

Muscle Fiber Damage

ACTH

Cortisol

Suppresses inflammation and

accelerates breakdown of

muscle protein to amino acids

Translocation of GLUT4 to muscle cell membrane, enzymes for glycogen storage

are upregulated.

Cortisol

• Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) is released by the posterior pituitary gland in response to fiber damage.

• ACTH causes release of cortisol to help suppress inflammation and mobilize amino acids from muscle protein degradation

• Cortisol in relation to recovery:– Assists in fuel provision (amino acids via

gluconeogenesis) – May delay recuperation after intense exercise

Intense Exercise Training

Muscle Glycogen Depletion

Muscle Fiber Damage

ACTH

Cortisol

Suppresses inflammation and

triggers breakdown of muscle to aa

Carbohydrate + Protein

Stimulates an ANABOLIC environment

Protein Supplements

• Meat and Vegetable

• Other “common” proteins that are found at the GNC in power form:– Whey Protein– Casein– Egg Protein– Soy Protein – Glutamine the “Magic Protein”

Whey Protein

• Derivative of milk production

• Amino acid profile closely related to aa required by humans– Contains a surplus of essential amino acids

• Also has immune-enhancing properties– Contains high levels of cysteine, an amino

acid substrate for glutathione (an antioxidant necessary for lymphocyte proliferation)

Casein

• Similar to whey-also a derivative of milk production.

• Whey vs. casein:– Casein induces a longer elevation of plasma

amino acids (likely due to slower gastric emptying)

– Casein has been shown to inhibit whole-body protein breakdown

– Whey protein increases protein synthesis more than casein.

Egg Protein• Kool-aid and Eggs in a blender...yummy.

• Egg protein substitutes:– Egg protein powders are higher in sodium

(>300mg per serving)– A good source of essential amino acids.

Cost: $31.25, 2lbs

Soy Protein

• Contains high amounts of glutamine and arginine– Glutamine: deficiencies have been related to intense

strenuous exercise, increased infection, suppressed immunity and critical illness.

– Arginine: has a vital role in stimulating the release of growth hormone and insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1)

• Soy is low in the sulfur-containing amino acids, methionine and cysteine– Important in glutathione synthesis

Soy Cont’d

• Studies:– Soy vs. beef/meat: no differences in nitrogen

balance or net protein use– Soy vs. whey (1998 at Ohio State, 20 healthy

males involved in a heavy exercise program)• Subjects fed soy had an increase in plasma

anti-oxidants while the whey group did not.

• Soy contains isoflavones which may oppose free-radical production.

Protein Supplements

• Meat and Vegetable

• Other “common” proteins that are found at the GNC:– Whey Protein– Casein– Egg Protein– Soy Protein – Glutamine the “Magic Protein”

Glutamine

• Naturally occurring non-essential amino acid.

– Synthesized in the muscle.• Most abundant free amino acid in muscle and in

plasma– Serves as a metabolic fuel for lymphocytes,

macrophages and for cells lining the intestine.– Means of nitrogen transport between tissues

• A metabolic link between muscle and the immune system.– Immune cell function is connected to the synthesis

and release of glutamine in the muscle.

Strenuous exercise affects immune

system:

- depressed lymphocyte count, impaired function of natural killer and B cells...etc

(parts of the immune system that recognize

and destroy foreign invader cells)

                              

                                                                              

ORDER INFORMATION

Glutamine Hypothesis:

Exercise has immunosuppressive effects(marathon running is associated with more upper respiratory infections in the week or two following the event)

Glutamine is associated with immune function

Plasma glutamine levels are lowered by intense endurance exercise.

Hypothesis: additional glutamine will enhance the resistance to infection in athletes.

Evidence?

Glutamine manufactures claim:• More rapid water absorption• Improved fluid retention• Nutritional support for immune function

and prevention of infection• Stimulation of protein synthesis and

muscle tissue growth• Stimulation of muscle glycogen re-

synthesis• Reduction of muscle soreness and

improved muscle tissue repair

• Studies testing glutamine hypothesis:

ONE STUDY HAS SHOWN A POSITIVE EFFECT...

– Castell et al. looked at the effect of post-marathon glutamine supplementation on the incidence of respiratory infection in the week following the race.

• Marathon participants were given 5g of glutamine or placebo within 2 hours of finishing the race and were monitored over the next 7 days.

• Results: 20% of the athletes that consumed glutamine reported an infection vs. 50% of the athletes that consumed a placebo drink reported infection (p<0.001).

There is also a study done in rats that showed glutamine helped preserve lymphocyte proliferation after exercise (treadmill running).

• Let’s think about this from a basic science standpoint.– Does exercise decrease free glutamine

concentrations?• Prolonged moderate exercise (50-70% VO2max) is

associated with 10-30% decrease in plasma glutamine concentration.

• Intense exercise >90% VO2Max can also decrease glutamine.

(May be the window of increased susceptibility for infection in the hours following exercise.)

– Are free glutamine levels associated with immune system function?

• Preventing a fall in plasma glutamine concentrations (post-exercise dose at 0, 30, 60 and 90 minutes) did not prevent a fall in lymphocyte activity.

• Maintaining plasma glutamine by consuming a drink before during and after cycling did not prevent a fall in immune factors like leukocyte trafficking, neutrophil function, lymphocyte proliferation and natural killer cell activity.

Can glutamine supplementation increase plasma glutamine and affect factors that are enhance the immune system?

• Evidence thus far does not support the glutamine hypothesis. Maintaining plasma glutamine levels has not been CLEARLY shown to enhance immune system function although anecdotally it is prescribed widely by strength and conditioning coaches to aid in recovery.

Intense Exercise Training

Muscle Glycogen Depletion

Muscle Fiber Damage

ACTH

Cortisol

Suppresses inflammation and

triggers breakdown of muscle to aa

Carbohydrate + Protein

Stimulates an ANABOLIC environment

PERFORMANCE=?

Side-note

• Glutamate is not glutamine... Many manufacturers add glutamate to supplements because it’s cheaper than glutamine. Make sure you read the label.