Sometimes, little things can make a big difference. Today’s topic is a perfect example.
Savers know that strong muscles are crucial for healthy bones, and that muscle tissue is made of protein. So what else is new? A breakthrough study has shown that the timing of protein consumption matters tremendously in order to reap its maximum muscle-building benefits to increase bone density (and it’s not about a post-workout protein shake).
Today you’ll get all the details including how to apply this scientifically proven timing strategy within the parameters of the 80/20 pH-balanced diet. In addition, I’m sure you’ll love my handy pH-balanced recipe for a versatile, protein-rich spread that’s delicious any time of the day.
So let’s take a closer look at the fascinating topic of how muscles, bones, and protein all work together to defeat osteoporosis.
Brand New Study Proves Timing Is Everything When It Comes To Protein And Muscle Health
If you’re on the Save Our Bones Program, you are familiar with Wolff’s Law and how it factors into building bone density through muscle-strengthening exercise. The basic tenet is, the force of gravity and muscle on bone stimulates bone growth.
Clearly, for this strategy to be effective, you need to build strong muscles. What researchers at the University of Texas discovered is that the typical American diet, which emphasizes carbohydrates at breakfast and heavy protein at dinner, is not optimal for promoting muscle growth.
According to study leader Doug Paddon-Jones, “You don’t have to eat massive amounts of protein to maximize muscle synthesis, you just have to be a little more thoughtful with how you apportion it.”1 Study participants were given 90 grams of protein as part of their daily diet. One group ate approximately 30 grams for each meal; the other group consumed 10 grams of protein at breakfast, 15 at lunch, and 65 at dinner.
Participants who ate the same amount of protein at each meal showed a 25% greater protein synthesis over a 24-hour period than those who ate the majority of their protein at dinner. In other words, when protein intake was spread evenly through the day, more of the protein went to making muscle.1
This is vital information for improving bone density, because…
Strong Muscles Build Strong Bones
According to a recent study, “…muscle function is critical for the successful development of the skeleton and is likely to play an important role in mediating bone health through life.”2 This brings up an important point: the role of aging in muscle and bone deterioration.
As we age, our muscle mass decreases by about 10 percent between the ages of 25 and 50. After that, muscles shrink even more – by 45% between the age of 50 and 80. That begs the question,
Are Shrinking Muscles An Inevitable Part Of Aging?
To answer this question, we need to look at why, exactly, muscles deteriorate with age.
According to innovative new research from Sweden, after the age of 50 (when the most dramatic muscle loss occurs), motor nerve cells in the spinal cord begin to deteriorate. These nerve cells are responsible for signaling muscle fibers to contract when you’re engaging in physical activity, so when the nerves degenerate, so does the connection between them and your muscles.3
Without this connection to the motor nerve cells, the muscle cells begin to die off.3 The good news is, this degenerative process can be stopped and even reversed through simple changes in diet and lifestyle.
What You Can Do To Halt Muscle Deterioration
A study from the East Tennessee State University has shown that aerobic exercise combined with strength training is superior to aerobic exercise alone for increasing bone density.4 Half of the 43 participants – all of whom were aged 55 or older – exercised 3 times a week for 30 minutes. One group did aerobics only for the whole 30 minutes, while the other group did 15 minutes of aerobics and 15 minutes of strength training (using weights).
After 4 months, the participants who engaged in strength training as part of their routine experienced an increase in both bone density and lean muscle mass.4
So the answer to the above question – are shrinking muscles an inevitable part of aging – is a definite “no.” This is wonderful news!
Putting It All Together – Exercise And Protein Intake For Proper Muscle Synthesis
Proteins are made of a combination of amino acids. There are only 20 amino acids available, but they can be combined in a nearly infinite number of sequences…that is, if your body has access to them. Additionally, for your body to make use of the protein to build muscle, it needs to be bioavailable. This is where variety of diet, type of protein, and timing of protein intake come into play.
Consuming more than one type of protein is important for providing your body with enough amino acids. Choosing proteins that are digestible and bioavailable is equally important to prevent inflammation caused by proteins that are not digestible.
Inflammation happens because some proteins – particularly those found in soy, corn, wheat, and dairy – consist of long chains of tightly folded amino acids, making them nearly impossible for the body to break down completely. Therefore, these incompletely digested proteins don’t get utilized by the body for important tasks like building muscle tissue.
But Isn’t Protein Acidifying?
Animal protein is indeed acidifying. But there are many vegetarian options that are alkalizing, and of course, no foods are off-limits on the Save Our Bones Program. And remember that it’s not just the type of protein that’s important, but spreading it out through the day as well.
The following is a list of meatless protein options, many of which are Foundation Foods in the Save Our Bones Program.
Bioavailable Vegetarian Sources High In Protein
Eggs*
Quinoa
Pumpkin seeds
Plain yogurt (regular or Greek)
Almonds
Whey protein powder (whey is the most bioavailable form of protein, and it’s alkalizing)
Spinach
Mustard greens
Asparagus
Crimini mushrooms
Collard greens
Cauliflower
Peas
Garbanzo beans*
Lentils*
Kidney, Pinto, and Black beans*
* Acidifying
With this list, you can now easily consume vegetarian and animal protein with your meals throughout the day, and easily maintain the pH balance!
And below’s a handy recipe that provides yet another option for incorporating protein into your daily diet. It’s a pH-balanced, whey-based protein spread that is perfect for “spreading” your protein intake through the day. It’s delicious on apples, bananas, and any food that’s good with nut butter. And because it’s whey-based, it’s the most bioavailable protein your body can use to build strong muscles and increase your bone density.
This takes just minutes to prepare, and there are two delicious varieties.
Whey Better Than Any Butter
Makes 1 Serving
(You can make more and store it in a container in the refrigerator. Check the yogurt expiration date to know how long it will keep.)
Chocolate Ingredients:
1 tablespoon chocolate whey protein powder
1 tablespoon plain yogurt
1 teaspoon dark cocoa powder (optional)
1-3 tablespoons of any milk substitute such as almond milk (adjust to achieve desired consistency)
2 teaspoons slivered almonds
Vanilla Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vanilla whey protein powder
1 tablespoon plain yogurt
1-3 tablespoons of any milk substitute such as almond milk (adjust to achieve desired consistency)
1 teaspoon of mini dark chocolate chips
2 teaspoons sunflower seeds (you can substitute with your favorite alkalizing seeds)
Directions for both:
In a bowl, mix all ingredients except almonds, sunflower seeds and chocolate chips, until it forms a paste of desired consistency.
Add the nuts, seeds, or chips and mix well. Sweeten with stevia to taste if necessary.
Stay strong!
References
1Mamerow, Madonna M., et al. “Dietary Protein Distribution Positively Influences 24-h Muscle Protein Synthesis in Healthy Adults.” The Journal of Nutrition. January 29, 2014, doi: 10.3945/jn.113.185280. Web. http://jn.nutrition.org/content/early/2014/01/28/jn.113.185280.abstract
2Gross, T.S., et al. “The effect of muscle dysfuntion on bone mass and morphology.” Journal of Muculoskeletal and Neuronal Interactions. 2010 march; 10(1):25-34. Web. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20190377
3“Ageing and Human Muscle: Observations from Sweden.” Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology. Vol. 18(1),pp2-18, 1993).
4Keene, Shane. “Studying the Effects of Inspiratory Muscle Training in Patients with Obstructive Lung Diseases.” The Internet Journal of Pulmonary Medicine. 2007; Volume 7, Number 2. Pdf.