One thing I enjoy is checking out the nutrition news of the day and diving into the research. I guess you can say I am a nerd, I love to look at the study and see what it actually tested. I decided to start a series where I dissect articles I find on online with interesting content. I will review the posts message versus a review of the research.

Last month a post caught my eye from Valet Magazine’s blog called “You Don’t Need That Protein Shake.” In the article, they report the results of a study: “makes a strong case for getting your protein from natural, whole food sources (like three eggs) instead of an isolated protein source (chugging a shake).”1 Supplements are huge business and if this is truly backed by research it would have huge implications!

Looking into the actual study cited, 10 subjects were tasked to perform resistance exercise twice; the first time were given whole eggs after exercise, the second only egg whites. The study found that the ingestion of whole eggs after exercise resulted in greater muscle protein synthesis than ingesting only egg whites.2

I agree that getting protein from whole foods is the goal. However I wanted to review two limitations of this study.

Limitation 1: Increased protein synthesis does not equate to increases in performance or lean body mass (LBM) gain.

For example: Studies have found that ingestion of whey protein after resistance exercise results in a higher protein synthesis than if you were to consume casein or soy protein.3 However, when you switch the focus from protein synthesis to the desired outcomes (either LBM or performance gain) you find different results.

One study comparing rice protein vs whey protein consumption after a resistance training program found “that rice protein supports strength changes and body composition changes similar to whey protein when consumed in high enough doses.”4 A similar study involving soy vs whey protein found “that protein supplementation (whey and soy) increased muscle protein synthesis independent of source, which contributed to the observed gains in lean mass and muscle strength as compared with carbohydrate. One study theorized that since daily dietary protein intake was high, the timing of protein supplementation immediately before and after the training may have been more important than the type of protein ingested.”5

These studies suggest that a higher protein synthesis rate isn’t as important for gains as is ensuring you are consuming enough protein, regardless of source.

Limitation 2: Egg Protein is not usually used in shakes

Most research on protein supplementation in shake form is conducted on three proteins: Casein, Whey, and Soy. Look up research on protein supplementation that utilizes powders and try to find one that uses egg protein. After about ten minutes I was only able to find one study, and it does not compare itself to other proteins.6

A more appropriate study would have been to measure eating whole eggs vs egg white vs casein vs whey protein supplementation. There have been some studies of whole foods; milk concentrate and versus whey found that consuming equal amounts of protein resulted in similar increases in muscle and strength; while consumption of yogurt protein versus whey have found to have similar muscle protein synthesis.7,8

Final Note:

In 2007 The International Society of Sports Nutrition published their recommendations on protein and exercise and said the following:

“Individuals engaging in exercise should attempt to obtain their protein requirements through whole foods. When supplements are ingested, we recommend that the protein contain both whey and casein components due to their high protein digestibility corrected amino acid score and ability to increase muscle protein accretion.”9

Therefore the article is correct, we should try to consume whole food when we can. Eggs, soy, chicken, pork, and fish are all good sources of protein that will provide similar benefits.10 However, if a shake is more convenient post workout, it would still promote the desired effect of increasing LBM and/or performance.

You Don’t Need That Protein Shake. Valet Mag. http://www.valetmag.com/living/fitness/2018/whole-food-better-than-protein-shake-010818.php. Published January 8, 2018. Accessed March 1, 2018. Vliet SV, Shy EL, Sawan SA, et al. Consumption of whole eggs promotes greater stimulation of postexercise muscle protein synthesis than consumption of isonitrogenous amounts of egg whites in young men. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2017;106(6):1401-1412. doi:10.3945/ajcn.117.159855. Tang JE, Moore DR, Kujbida GW, Tarnopolsky MA, Phillips SM. Ingestion of whey hydrolysate, casein, or soy protein isolate: effects on mixed muscle protein synthesis at rest and following resistance exercise in young men. Journal of Applied Physiology. 2009;107(3):987-992. doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00076.2009. Joy JM, Lowery RP, Wilson JM, et al. The effects of 8 weeks of whey or rice protein supplementation on body composition and exercise performance. Nutrition Journal. 2013;12(1). doi:10.1186/1475-2891-12-86. Pasiakos SM, Mclellan TM, Lieberman HR. The Effects of Protein Supplements on Muscle Mass, Strength, and Aerobic and Anaerobic Power in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review. Sports Medicine. 2014;45(1):111-131. doi:10.1007/s40279-014-0242-2. Hida A, Hasegawa Y, Mekata Y, et al. Effects of Egg White Protein Supplementation on Muscle Strength and Serum Free Amino Acid Concentrations. Nutrients. 2012;4(12):1504-1517. doi:10.3390/nu4101504. White KM, Bauer SJ, Hartz KK, Baldridge M. Changes in Body Composition with Yogurt Consumption during Resistance Training in Women. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. 2009;19(1):18-33. doi:10.1123/ijsnem.19.1.18. Mitchell C, Mcgregor R, D’Souza R, et al. Consumption of Milk Protein or Whey Protein Results in a Similar Increase in Muscle Protein Synthesis in Middle Aged Men. Nutrients. 2015;7(12):8685-8699. doi:10.3390/nu7105420. Campbell B, Kreider RB, Ziegenfuss T, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: protein and exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2007;4(1):8. doi:10.1186/1550-2783-4-8. Hoffman J, Falvo M. Protein – Which is Best? J Sports Sci Med. 2004;3(3):118-130. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3905294/#ref12.