Let that sink in for a moment.

You only get to eat animal foods. No fruits. No vegetables. But all the burgers and rib-eye steaks you can get your claws on.

Most people have one of two reactions to this. A) “Are you out of your fucking mind?” Or B) “Sign me up!”

Of all the trends that buck conventional nutrition advice, the carnivore diet may seem like the most radical one yet. It’s one thing to recommend cutting carbs (the ketogenic diet) or eating only plant foods (the vegan diet), but to suggest that animal foods are all you need to be healthy, and that vegetables can actually be detrimental to health is a giant punch in the face to everything we were taught in school and all the recent nutrition and health headlines.

After all, everyone knows that meat is dangerous, especially if you eat a lot of it… right? And that you need at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day… Or do you?

Well, Onnit investigated the carnivore diet down to the marrow, and found out what happens to your body when you consume animals and nothing else. Here’s our guide to eating meat, bones, and organs for better health. (Spoiler alert: it’s not as crazy as it sounds.)

The Carnivore Diet For Humans

Animals with big teeth and short digestive tracts are meant to eat meat. But what about people? We’re omnivores. Is an all-animal diet even possible for us?

According to Brian St. Pierre, R.D., Director of Performance Nutrition at Precision Nutrition, an education and consulting company (precisionnutrition.com), plant foods aren’t absolutely required in the human diet. “What do we actually need to live? We need protein, fat, and vitamins and minerals in certain amounts,” says St. Pierre. Animal foods—and meat, specifically—can arguably cover those needs (see “Does The Carnivore Diet Create Nutrient Deficiencies?” below). That certainly doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t eat plants, but, from a nutrition standpoint, it isn’t vital that we do, at least for short-term health.

The thing is, though, aside from some isolated tribal people in far corners of the world (such as the Inuits of arctic regions), few people have ever tried to live on animals alone. Those who have did so simply because no other sources of food were available. However, the carnivore diet (also called a zero-carb diet) has recently caught fire. And people are following it by choice!

Why? For many of the same reasons people try a ketogenic diet: weight loss, clearer thinking, fewer digestive problems, and a simple approach to eating that lets them consume foods they enjoy. It may also offer performance benefits. Though scrapping all plant foods seems like a severe step, it instantly removes nearly all of the allergens and antinutrients that some people find cause health problems and discomfort, and, as with ketogenic diets, the lack of carbs alone can offer a range of advantages.

With his appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast in late 2017, and his promotion through the website nequalsmany.com and Instagram (@shawnbaker1967), Shawn Baker is the most famous proponent of the carnivore diet. An orthopedic surgeon and lifelong drug-free athlete, Baker is in his 50s, ripped, and a physical marvel, having recently set two indoor rowing world records. He claims to have eaten only animal products—limiting himself mainly to rib-eye steaks—for more than a year, while suffering no ill health effects and watching his gains in the gym soar.

He hosts an ongoing and informal experiment, encouraging anyone who’s willing to follow the diet to record his/her experience with it, but admits that he hasn’t had his own health officially appraised since he started eating animals only. Rogan, in fact, cringed during their interview when Baker confessed that he hadn’t had any blood work done to check where his cholesterol, triglycerides, and inflammation markers rated. Fortunately, other (human) carnivores have been tested.

But before we discuss the health effects of a carnivorous lifestyle, let’s define exactly what it entails.

Carnivore Diet Food List

The carnivore diet consists of animal foods alone. As long as the constituents of your meal walked, crawled, flew, swam, or otherwise had parents, they’re fair game (no pun intended). You don’t have to follow any rules as far as food timing, macronutrient breakdowns, or portions. Simply eat when you’re hungry and until you’re full. The following are examples of approved carnivore diet foods.

Meat

Steak, burgers, and red meat in general are the main food sources for carnivore dieters. Because you’re not eating carbs—or any plant foods at all—it’s crucial that you get enough calories to keep your energy up, so fattier cuts of meat are best. Poultry and organ meats are also fine, as are processed meat products such as bacon and sausage.

Fish

Any kind is OK, but again, fattier types such as salmon and sardines are the smartest choices.

Whole Eggs

You’ll need the fat in those yolks.

Dairy

Milk, cheese, yogurt, and butter all come from animals and are technically admissible, although most carnivore dieters seem to omit or at least limit them. This is usually due to people discovering the carnivore diet as an outgrowth of the ketogenic diet, in which milk and yogurt are generally not permitted due to their lactose (sugar) content. (See “What’s The Difference Between The Carnivore Diet and The Ketogenic Diet?” below.)

As one of the goals of a carnivore diet is to eliminate nutrients that your body may not be able to process optimally (see “Carnivore Diet Benefits”), you should experiment with dairy foods one at a time and in small doses to see how you handle them. You may find you feel better with none at all.

Bone Marrow

Bone broth is allowed.

Fatty Meat Products

Tallow, lard, and other fat-dense foods derived from meat are greenlit.

Note: Baker doesn’t believe that your food needs to meet USDA organic, pasture-raised or wild-caught standards. However, we do. If you choose to follow the carnivore diet, or consume animal products as a cornerstone of whatever eating philosophy you follow, we strongly suggest that they be of the best quality that you can afford. See our discussion of organic foods in our rebuttal to the documentary What The Health.

Condiments

Salt and pepper are your friends here, as salsa, horseradish, mustard, and various herbs and spices don’t technically qualify. With that said, most sugar-free condiments don’t contain substances that cause digestive problems in most folks, so we don’t see any harm in using them just because they come from plants (especially since people typically enjoy condiments in small servings). With that said, due to its fat content, meat—particularly red meat—is quite flavorful on its own, so you’ll probably find that salt, pepper, or small amounts of butter provide the taste you want without the need for further add-ons.

Supplements

None. Although products such as whey protein and creatine come from animals, there’s virtually no need to supplement with them in this case. Eating animal foods exclusively pretty much guarantees you’ll meet your daily protein needs, and relying on red meat, which is rich in creatine naturally, leaves little reason for further supplementation.

Carnivore dieters who work out do report consuming coffee or caffeine supplements for an energy boost pre-exercise (in spite of the fact that it isn’t an animal product). If you’re concerned that you’re not getting enough micronutrients from your food, a multi-vitamin/mineral supplement may be a good idea.

What’s The Difference Between The Carnivore Diet and The Ketogenic Diet?

The carnivore diet and ketogenic diet both permit protein and fat while restricting carbs, but the carnivore approach is considerably more extreme. Because you aren’t eating any plant foods at all, your carb intake is virtually zero. This isn’t to say that your body won’t have carbs in it though. As with a keto diet, the body learns to make its own carbs to fuel activity in a process called gluconeogenesis. So while the carnivore diet may also be called a “zero-carb” plan, that’s somewhat of a misnomer.

In a ketogenic diet, the emphasis is on fat. Protein is limited in order to prevent excess gluconeogenesis, which can take a person out of ketosis. In the carnivore diet, however, you’re encouraged to eat both protein and fat liberally. As a result, depending on exactly what foods you eat and how much, you may or may not achieve technical ketosis following a carnivore plan. Whether you do or don’t doesn’t matter. The only goal is feeling better and getting healthier.

Unlike with keto, there are no clear guidelines to follow for the carnivore diet regarding macros or percentages of total calories. Because the diet has never been formally studied, there is no hard science to define how to set it up optimally. But Baker and other carnivore dieters seem to agree that relying on red meat makes the diet simple to follow and takes care of every nutritional need.

Remember that your food must be sourced from animals, so the avocados and coconut oil that typically abound on a ketogenic diet have no place in the carnivore plan. On the other hand, you can eat any animal foods you like in any amount or combination you prefer.

Dairy foods containing sugar, such as milk and yogurt, are generally not found in a keto diet plan, but may be included in a carnivore one, even though they contain some carbs.

See the table below for a quick comparison you can use as a reference guide.

*The classic, medically-defined ketogenic diet calls for only five percent of calories to come from carbs, but there are many versions of the diet (including the Mod Keto Diet described HERE) that allow for more and are more appropriate for athletes and active people whose energy needs are greater.

Carnivore Diet Benefits

Eating meat, meat, and more meat may sound like a nightmare to your doctor, but it has some strong advantages backed both anecdotally and by research.

1. Weight Loss

On an all-meat diet? Most people’s first reaction is that you’d get fat, but that’s highly unlikely. As with the ketogenic diet, failing to take in carbs keeps your blood sugar low at all times. You don’t get insulin spikes, so your body has no reason to store incoming calories as body fat. Additionally, the limitations on what you can eat make it almost impossible to get a calorie surplus without a concerted effort.

Ryan Munsey, a performance coach with a degree in food science and human nutrition (ryanmunsey.com), has been on a ketogenic diet for years. Last fall, he experimented with the carnivore diet for 35 days. “I wasn’t trying to lose weight,” he says, “but I went from 188 to 183 pounds in the first week.” Despite the weight loss and the severely restricted food list, Munsey says he never felt the least bit hungry—probably because protein and fat are highly satiating nutrients. To put weight back on, Munsey found that he had to discipline himself to eat two to four pounds of meat daily. “It wasn’t like I was stuffing myself, but it did feel weird at first to eat so much meat.”

If you’re the type who absent-mindedly noshes on nuts, pretzels, or other snack foods, taking in hundreds of calories without even noticing, the carnivore diet can help keep you in check. “You have to be truly hungry to eat,” says Munsey. It may be easy to throw handfuls of popcorn down your gullet, but you can’t accidentally eat a hamburger or cook a steak. You’ll get in the habit of eating only when you need to, and taking in just enough to keep you satisfied. “You learn the difference between physiological hunger and mindless eating,” says Munsey.

Also, though it wasn’t his goal, Munsey’s body stayed in a low level of ketosis throughout the five-week diet (he tested ketone levels to know for sure). “Most people in the keto camp would say if you eat more than a pound of meat a day you’re not going to be in ketosis,” says Munsey. “But I ate up to four pounds a day and I was.”

2. Better Heart Health

First of all, as we explained in our defense of coconut oil last summer, there’s still no clear link between the consumption of saturated fat and heart disease. There is also a solid pile of evidence that saturated fat can potentially improve heart health. Munsey himself found that to be the case.

A few months before starting his carnivore diet experiment, Munsey’s blood work revealed that his total cholesterol was 180mg/dL, his HDL level (frequently called the “good” cholesterol) was 57, and his LDL (the so-called “bad” cholesterol) was 123. All good scores. After 35 days of carnivore dieting, he had his numbers checked again.

His total cholesterol climbed to 241mg/dL. While many doctors consider anything over 200 to be too high, part of the reason was the increase in his HDL—it went up 10 points. His LDL went to 162, but his VLDL levels—considered a major marker for heart disease risk—were measured at 12, which is extremely low.

The Mayo Clinic says your cholesterol ratio is a better risk predictor than total cholesterol or LDL. To find it, you divide your total cholesterol number by your HDL score. That gives Munsey a ratio of 3.6 to 1. As 3.4 is considered optimal, he’s in a very healthy range.

Another thing about cholesterol: even though higher LDL numbers are seen as risky, the type of LDL particles you have shuttling through your arteries is most important. If they’re small and dense, they’re considered more dangerous than if they’re bigger and “fluffier.” Therefore, two people with the same LDL value could be at very different levels of risk.

According to the Cooper Institute, a good way to determine what kind of LDL particles you have is to find your ratio of triglycerides to HDL cholesterol. The lower the ratio, the less the risk. Munsey’s triglycerides came in at 59mg/dL, making his triglyceride-to-HDL ratio less than 1, which is exceptional.

Of course, Munsey followed the diet for a very short time, so it’s impossible to predict what would happen to his body long-term, but it should ease your fears about the dangers of meat for the cardiovascular system. Five weeks of eating cow parts didn’t give him a heart attack. In fact, it seemed to reduce his chances of having one. (For more on what he ate specifically, see “Does The Carnivore Diet Create Nutrient Deficiencies?”).

If you don’t believe us, or Munsey, see his official blood lab, direct from his doctor, below.

3. Lower Inflammation

According to some vegans, fat-rich animal foods promote inflammation to a degree that’s on par with smoking cigarettes. The truth, however, is that they can actually lower it. A 2013 study in the journal Metabolism compared subjects who ate a high-fat, low-carb diet to those following a low-fat, high-carb diet. Calories were restricted in both groups, but the high-fat eaters had lower markers of systemic inflammation after 12 weeks. As a result, the researchers concluded that high-fat eating may be more beneficial to cardiovascular health.

The liver produces C-reactive proteins (CRP) in response to inflammation, so measuring CRP levels can indicate how much inflammation is in your system. A level of 10mg/L or less is normal, and 1mg/L or less is good. Munsey’s CRP score post-diet was incredibly low: 0.34.

Simply cutting plant foods from your menu can lower inflammation by itself. “If you had a food sensitivity to some of the plants you were eating and had low-grade inflammation,” says Brian St. Pierre of Precision Nutrition, “then removing them will make you feel better.”

Lower inflammation can mean less achy joints. Plus: “There’s some evidence that eating more gelatinous proteins, as you find in bone broth, collagen, and gelatin,” says St. Pierre, “can improve cartilage health.” This is discussed further in our guide to bone broth.

4. Higher Testosterone

Diets high in fat have been shown to boost testosterone levels. In fact, a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that men who followed a high-fat, low-fiber diet for 10 weeks had 13% higher total testosterone than subjects who ate low fat and high fiber. It’s no surprise then that Munsey’s total testosterone levels leaped from 495 ng/dL to 569. Not bad for age 33. “I was pitching a tent first thing every morning,” he says.

5. Fewer Digestive Problems

We’ve been told how important it is to eat fiber our whole lives, and have been sold everything from bran muffins to Metamucil to make sure we get enough. But carnivore dieters think it’s more trouble than it’s worth, and science may prove them right.

A 2012 study in the World Journal of Gastroenterology investigated the effects of reducing fiber intake in people with chronic constipation—the complete opposite of what most doctors would recommend. Subjects were told to consume no fiber whatsoever for two weeks. Then they were allowed to increase their fiber intake to a level they were comfortable with, or follow a high-fiber diet. Incredibly, most of the subjects were doing so well that they opted to continue on the zero-fiber plan. The study lasted six months.

Those who ate high fiber reported no change in their condition, but those who ate no or small amounts of fiber noted significant improvements in their symptoms—including reduced gas, bloating, and straining. Furthermore, the ones on zero fiber actually increased the frequency of their bowel movements!

The reason fiber-filled eating could be problematic for the gut isn’t clear, but carnivore dieters blame certain compounds in plant foods as the source of digestive issues. They cite the book The Plant Paradox, by Steven R. Gundry, M.D., which argues that the natural defense mechanisms that plants contain to dissuade predators cause bloating, gas, and other digestive distress that may make them not worth eating for humans. Lectins, gluten, and phytic acid—common in fruits, greens, beans, grains, nuts, and seeds—can contribute to inflammation and auto-immune disorders such as IBS, Leaky Gut, and more. While this is a controversial opinion (see “Reasons The Carnivore Diet Might Still Be Totally F@#$ing Crazy”), it does provide an explanation for why carnivore dieters claim to feel better than they did eating plants.

“We’ve been told for so long that you need all this fiber,” says Munsey. “But maybe you don’t. Maybe you don’t need any. The carnivore diet challenges what we think we know.”

6. Increased Mental Clarity

Just as with the ketogenic diet, carnivore dieters report thinking more clearly and having better focus almost right away. Again, as with going keto, there is a break-in period where your body has to figure out how to fuel your system without carbs, so you’ll probably feel lethargic and moody at first. You may have difficulty sleeping and even develop bad breath (an early sign that your body is making ketones), but you can ride it out. Within a few days, or just over a week, you could feel sharper than ever. Perhaps even better than if you were doing a standard ketogenic diet (see “The Carnivore Diet for Athletes”). “By the second week, your system comes online,” says Munsey.

7. Simpler Dieting

There’s one thing about the carnivore diet that no one can argue: it’s not complicated. You eat animal foods when you’re hungry, and that’s it. If you’re the type of person who gets confused counting calories or macros, is tired of weighing portions on a food scale, or isn’t sure what’s gluten-free and what isn’t, a carnivore diet will all but relieve you of having to think.

“I started by trying to eat one rib-eye in the morning and one in the afternoon, or the equivalent amount of protein and fat,” says Munsey. “It worked out to be about a pound of meat in the morning and then two in the afternoon. I never measured anything or tracked ratios.” It’s also worth noting that Munsey prefers to follow an intermittent fasting style of eating, having his first meal between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. and his second between 3 and 5 p.m. But you don’t have to.

“As far as your lifestyle goes, it’s quite enjoyable,” says Munsey. “You get to eat steak and bacon all day. I never got tired of eating meat. I actually started craving it.”

And while a meat-rich diet may sound like it would break the bank, the amounts you actually consume may not be high, since meat is so satiating. That should keep costs down—especially if you literally aren’t buying any other food.

Is The Carnivore Diet Safe?

Because it’s similar to a ketogenic diet, and we’ve already shown that meat isn’t to blame for heart disease, it appears fair to consider the carnivore diet safe for most people—at least in the short term. However, if you’ve ever seen the movie Beverly Hills Cop, there’s one question you’ve been dying to ask: is all that meat going to get stuck in my gut?

In the film, one character reads a (fictitious) article to another, citing science that claims that “by the time the average American is 50, he’s got five pounds of undigested red meat in his bowels.” Based on this one scene in a popular movie from more than 30 years ago—and an Eddie Murphy comedy at that—the urban legend has perpetuated that beef somehow blocks up your intestines, colon… you name it.

However, just as you can’t disable a police car by shoving a banana in its tailpipe (another bit of wacky science from the movie), your body won’t choke itself to death from eating rib-eyes.

“Like most foods, meat is absorbed in the small intestines before it reaches the colon,” says St. Pierre. “The idea that meat gets impacted in your GI tract is silly.” It’s possible to get a bowel obstruction due to disease or physical injury, “but red meat isn’t something that blocks your GI tract.” Since there isn’t much coming out, people who have small bowel movements tend to assume that waste is getting stuck inside them. But St. Pierre says that small movements, including those of carnivore dieters, are simply due to low intakes of fiber. “Fiber adds bulk,” he says. So the reason your poop is small is because it doesn’t have veggies in it.

“I never had any distension, bloating, or water retention throughout the whole process,” says Munsey. “In fact, I felt light and had a bounce in my step.”

A more serious concern on the carnivore diet, however, is the risk of cancer. “There’s so much evidence on phytonutrients from plant foods and how they help with DNA protection,” says St. Pierre. “If you’re not consuming those things, your guess is as good as mine as to how that’s going to impact you long-term.” Bacteria in the GI tract and colon ferment fiber into butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid. Butyrate decreases inflammation in the GI tract, potentially decreasing the risk of colon cancer.

“I would highly suspect that an all-animal diet would increase your risk of colon cancer,” says St. Pierre. Not because animal foods are carcinogenic in any way, but because “you wouldn’t be consuming things that help to inhibit colon cancer. So the dose makes the poison. Having a few servings of red meat each week is no big deal, but when you’re eating three steaks a day with nothing else, that’s a different story. You’re changing the equation substantially.”
Not to mention, eating fruits and vegetables offer benefits for eye health, brain health, and overall longevity, says St. Pierre. “You’d be ignoring so much research on their potential benefits by cutting them all out.”

Another popular carnivore diet question: what happens to the gut biome? That is, the balance of bacteria that help digest your food and prevent disease. Surely, those critters must require some carbs. Or not.

“I had zero dysbiotic flora [the bad bacteria] at the end of the diet,” says Munsey, who had his poo tested. “And I had pretty good numbers on all the beneficial flora.” He chalks it up to the carnivore diet being, if nothing else, an extreme elimination diet that starves sugar-hungry bad bacteria to death. “Yeah, it would starve some of the good ones as well, but maybe we don’t need as many of those. Maybe we only need them if we’re eating a high-plant diet. It’s never been studied, so for people to jump right out and say the carnivore diet is wrong and bad for your health… well, we don’t know that.”

Does The Carnivore Diet Create Nutrient Deficiencies?

The risk of life-threatening illness aside, the carnivore diet—somewhat surprisingly—doesn’t seem to lead to many, if any, serious vitamin or mineral deficiencies. Red meat alone contains copious amounts of iron and zinc, and seafood and dairy supply vitamin D, which usually has to be added to plant foods. The one micronutrient that nutritionists like St. Pierre aren’t sure you’d get enough of is vitamin C, which is otherwise extremely easy to obtain when eating fruits and vegetables.

In rebuttal, carnivore supporters make the argument that, in the absence of carbs, your body may not need much vitamin C, thereby making small intakes sufficient. Stephen D. Phinney, M.D., Ph.D., author of The Art and Science of Low-Carbohydrate Living, has speculated that the ketone beta-hydroxybutyrate—which your body will produce when you remove carbs from your diet—replaces the need for vitamin C, at least in part. On a balanced diet, one of vitamin C’s roles in the body is to form collagen, but Phinney says that the amino acids you get from a large meat intake get the job done without it. Indeed, neither Munsey or Baker have come down with scurvy, and neither have hundreds (thousands?) of other zero-carb dieters at home and abroad—as far as we know.

St. Pierre adds that if you make the effort to eat a diverse range of animal foods—i.e. NOT just rib-eye steaks—you hedge your bets that you’ll get the micronutrition you need. That means venturing beyond lean muscle meats and taking advantage of foods like bone broth and organ meats. That’s what Munsey did. “I was just being extra cautious,” he says. And “organ meats,” he points out, “have more micronutrients than vegetables.”

The Carnivore Diet for Athletes

The ketogenic diet has taken a lot of heat from critics who say that people who exercise must eat carbs to supply fuel, but science has shown that not only is it possible to work out on a low-carb diet, you can even perform at an elite level. But take away ALL carbs and all plant foods and it could be a very different story. The short answer is that we don’t know exactly how a long-term carnivore diet would affect muscle mass, endurance, or overall performance yet. But many carnivore dieters report making some of the best gains of their lives on the plan.

As mentioned above, Shawn Baker is a world-class indoor rowing competitor and deadlifts 700-plus pounds at over 50 years old. He could well be a genetic outlier, but what about Ryan Munsey? Without adding body weight, Munsey made dramatic strength gains on the diet. Below are the improvements he made on his two-rep max in the various lifts he tested. All were accomplished within five weeks of carnivore eating.

Front squat: from 235 pounds to 265
Deadlift: from 335 to 375
Incline bench press: 205 to 220
Weighted pullup: 60 pounds of added weight to 100 pounds

The first week on the diet, Munsey says he felt sluggish and had little motivation to train. But by the second week, he says, he was a “samurai” in the gym. He credits the gains to the increased amount of protein he was eating, as he had been doing a ketogenic diet prior. “With keto, I felt great mentally, but I never felt like doing much physically. On the carnivore diet, I just felt like a warrior.” He was getting 120 to 150 grams of protein per day before when he weighed between 185 and 188 pounds. After adopting a two-to-four-pounds per day meat habit, Munsey estimates his protein intake was between 200 and 300 grams.
It’s worth noting that Munsey did not do cardio, apart from daily walks (he averaged 5,000 steps a day, total). Therefore, it’s difficult to say how he would have fared had he been running, rowing, or doing more metabolically-demanding workouts such as CrossFit. “I think the adaptation period before you would excel again at those activities would be more brutal than what I went through,” says Munsey.

To be fair, Baker claims he needed six months to fully adapt to the diet and get his performance back on track.

“Just because we can live on a carnivore diet,” says St. Pierre, “doesn’t mean we’d necessarily thrive on it. If you’re an intermittent sport athlete, competing in sprinting or something else that requires high output for 60–120 seconds, it would be very challenging to perform well when you’re not eating any carbs. There are people who adapt really well to fat and their performance does improve, but I think performance would suffer for most.” As with any diet, you’ll have to try it and see what happens.

If you are an athlete or gym rat, you may do better to modify the carnivore diet just as we discussed modifying the ketogenic diet HERE. St. Pierre suggests starting by adding some vegetables. “Cruciferous ones like broccoli, cauliflower, and kale would be my vote.” If you find that your workouts are suffering, “maybe that means having the occasional sweet potato or apple,” says St. Pierre.

Carnivore Diet Meal Plan

Here’s an example of how you could eat in a day if you want to get the broadest possible nutrition from an all-animal diet.

Breakfast
Coffee (black, or with whole milk)
Scrambled eggs and bacon
(You may also choose to skip breakfast and fast till lunch)

Lunch
Rib-eye steak, OR chicken liver, seasoned with salt and pepper

Snack
1 cup bone broth, OR a few slices cheese

Dinner
Hamburger patty seasoned with cayenne, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper
OR salmon fillet

All meats and dairy products should be organic and pasture-raised whenever possible

Reasons The Carnivore Diet Might Still Be Totally F@#$ing Crazy

If you’ve made it this far into the article, you’re probably realizing that the carnivore diet isn’t as ridiculous as it may at first sound. Nevertheless, there are some compelling reasons to not try it—or at least not follow it for very long—apart from what we’ve already mentioned.

Environmental Impact

It’s safe to say that, if everyone adopted this diet, the world would run out of animals pretty fast. Supporting organic farming practices and eating locally is a noble, smart way to improve the welfare of animals and reduce pollutants, but drastically increasing the demand for meat would undoubtedly have a detrimental effect on the planet—at least while conventional farming methods remain pervasive.

Vegetables Are Still Good

Carnivore dieters blame digestive problems on plants. Grains, legumes, and nuts are indeed sources of phytic acid, an antinutrient that can prevent the body’s absorption of iron and zinc. But according to St. Pierre, the negative impact it has on your nutrition is minimal. “The data on phytic acid, lectins, and tryptin inhibitors is nowhere near as bad as people like to make it out to be,” says St. Pierre. Plants have innate defense systems to discourage predators from eating them, but that doesn’t mean they can’t or shouldn’t be eaten. Similarly, “a lobster has a shell and claws to defend itself, but that doesn’t mean you can’t eat it,” says St. Pierre.

Also, the way we prepare food reduces the potency of the antinutrients within it. When bread is baked with yeast, the phytic acid content in the grains dissipates. Levels are also low in sprouted-grain and sourdough bread. “At the same time,” says St. Pierre, “in reasonable amounts, phytic acid also has some potential health benefits, one of them being anti-cancer, and it can chelate heavy metals.” One such heavy metal, iron, can be toxic in high amounts. And you risk getting such amounts on an all-meat diet.

This isn’t to say that some people aren’t especially sensitive to certain plant foods. If you know one that bothers you, don’t eat it. But it’s probably best not to weed out every bit of vegetation in your diet based on a reaction to one or two types.

Sustainability

The planet isn’t the only thing that could suffer if you go all meat, all the time. You may end up hating life, no matter how cool the idea of eating burgers and bacon all day sounds to you now. A strict animal diet means no beer, no avocados for your Fajita Night… and, in fact, no fajitas at all (tortillas are a no-no). You can bend the rules and have your cheat days, but then you’re not really doing the diet, are you?

Munsey says he didn’t get many cravings on the carnivore diet, but has since added back some plants and the occasional carbs for the sake of long-term health. “I still pretty much follow the carnivore diet because I love the way I feel on it. But it’s really difficult to do when you travel.” If you can’t find high-quality meat on the road, you need to be careful where you eat out. But that can be part of the thrill of going carnivore, too.

“It’s fun to order two rib-eyes and nothing else and see how the waiter reacts,” says Munsey. “I was in an airport and got four hamburger patties and the manager came out to confirm that my order was right. It definitely throws people off.”

The post The Carnivore Diet: Is Eating ONLY Meat Healthy, or Totally F@#$ing Crazy? appeared first on Onnit Academy.

– Creatine is a molecule found in animal foods that helps fuel muscle contractions. It has been shown to help users gain muscle and strength, and support performance in short duration, high-intensity activity.

– Whey protein is derived from cow’s milk. It is a fast-digesting protein that is rich in leucine, a BCAA that signals muscle protein synthesis. Whey can aid muscle growth and body composition.

– Creatine needs to build up in your muscles in order to be effective. Whey protein can be taken as needed to help you reach daily protein requirements.

– Neither creatine or whey protein is illegal or has been shown to be hazardous to health.

Creatine Vs. Whey Protein: What You Should Know

Creatine and whey protein are two of the most popular and effective sports supplements ever to hit the market. Both have been shown to help build muscle, but they’re two very different products that work in different ways. Price-wise, creatine is fairly cheap, while whey protein can be a big investment. So which one is appropriate for your goals and budget, and is it better to choose one over the other, or use both together?

We’ll examine both creatine and whey to help you determine the right muscle supp for you.

What Is Creatine?

Creatine monohydrate is a molecule that exists naturally in animal foods such as meat, eggs, and fish. However, you’d have to eat pounds of protein-rich food to get an efficacious dosage, which is why creatine is mainly discussed as a supplement.

Creatine plays an important role in fueling muscle contractions. The energy source for muscle is a molecule called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). When you lift, run, jump, or otherwise use your muscles, ATP loses a phosphate molecule and breaks down to a byproduct called ADP. For the muscles to keep working, they must regain a phosphate to transform ADP back into ATP, and that’s where creatine comes in.

Creatine monohydrate binds to a phosphate molecule to form creatine phosphate, which then restores ATP and your muscles’ ability to do work. In short, creatine supplies energy. It’s the main energy source for short duration, explosive, highly intense muscle contractions, such as those required in sprinting and weight training. (Creatine doesn’t do much for exercise that lasts more than a few continuous seconds. Stored carbohydrate, and then oxygen, fuel aerobic training, such as jogging and long-distance cycling.)

Supplementing with creatine allows you to do intense work for longer without fatiguing. In other words, it can help you to sprint a few more seconds at your top speed, get more jumps at your best height, and perform more reps with a heavy weight. This means that creatine helps you perform more overall volume in your workouts to get a greater training effect, and it’s one reason creatine has gained enormous popularity with bodybuilders and other athletes who rely on weight training.

Another reason muscle-seekers love creatine is that it helps draw water into the muscle cells. Muscles that are more hydrated will appear bigger, so some critics have accused creatine of only helping to create the illusion of larger muscles. But the fact is that hydrated muscles are better primed to grow.

Creatine has been popular since the early 1990s, and it’s come to be one of the most well-researched supplements out there. The International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism published a meta-analysis of 100 studies that concluded that creatine helps with body composition and resistance training performance, regardless of sex or training experience. 

If you’re a gym rat looking to get stronger, creatine ought to be on your radar. A review of 22 studies determined that lifters taking creatine averaged eight percent greater strength gains than those on a placebo; they also saw an average 14% increase in reps performed at a given percentage of their one-rep max (the greatest amount of weight you can lift for one repetition on an exercise). Their bench press gains were especially impressive—one-rep maxes shot up as much as 43%.

If you’re wondering if creatine can help you in sports, the answer seems to be a resounding yes. A study on elite wrestlers found that creatine aided both average and peak power on an anaerobic endurance test. Another trial on elite soccer players showed that creatine takers sustained jumping power while a control group got fatigued. Meanwhile, a similar study on collegiate volleyball players found that creatine helped users maintain jump height.

As far as research goes, here’s the big kahuna on creatine to sum it all up: the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition issued a position stand in which it declared that “creatine monohydrate is the most effective ergogenic nutritional supplement currently available to athletes in terms of increasing high-intensity exercise capacity and lean body mass.”

Read more in our creatine guide.

What Is Whey Protein?

Whey protein is a component of cow’s milk that was historically seen as a byproduct of cheese making.  Farmers used to throw it away in favor of casein, the other protein in milk that can be processed into cheese. The nursery rhyme about Little Miss Muffet eating curds and whey refers to a dish of cottage cheese—casein protein being the cheese curds and whey the liquid that surrounds them.

Like other animal proteins, whey is complete, containing all the essential amino acids that your body can’t make on its own. This gives whey an advantage over plant-based protein supplements such as rice or hemp protein, which need to be combined with other protein sources to offer all the essential aminos the body needs.

But what really makes whey a rock star in the sports nutrition world is the amount of leucine it offers. Leucine is a branched-chain amino acid (BCAA), and research indicates it’s probably the most important amino for muscle growth, as it signals the body to activate protein synthesis. In its 2017 position stand on protein needs for exercise, the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) recommended that athletes aiming to maximize muscle gains eat protein-rich meals every three to four hours throughout the day (20–40 grams of protein per meal), with each meal consisting of between 0.7 and three grams leucine.

Whey protein is so packed with leucine that research shows it actually offers more of the stuff per gram than several other high-protein whole foods, such as eggs and milk—we’re talking two to 2.5 grams of leucine in a standard 25-gram scoop of whey. Whey tops casein protein (the other protein supplement derived from cow milk) and soy protein in terms of leucine content, and, as a study in the Journal of Applied Physiology showed, it stimulates muscle growth to a greater degree. 

But whey protein isn’t just for getting big. A 2014 study found that when subjects consumed whey before sitting down to their largest meal of the day, it helped to control appetite and promoted favorable changes in body composition and waist circumference compared to soy protein. A 2017 meta-analysis of nine studies showed that whey not only helped overweight and obese people lose fat, it also aided in reducing markers of risk for cardiovascular disease.

Whey protein supplements are available in two basic forms. It can come as a concentrate or an isolate. Whey concentrate is 70–80% protein, with the remaining components being some milk sugar (lactose) and fat. Whey isolate is 90% or higher, and has had nearly all the sugar and fat filtered out. As for which one you should choose, it really comes down to preference. Isolate is the purer, leaner option, but it’s more expensive. If you have trouble digesting lactose and want to better control your calories, whey isolate may be the better choice, but concentrate will save you money. With that said, there is more research on the benefits of isolate than there is on concentrate supplements.

Read more in our whey protein guide.

When and How Much Protein and Creatine Should I Take?

Whey protein has been hyped for its ability to be digested and absorbed into the muscles quickly, supposedly jump-starting the recovery process and improving muscle gains, but the importance of timing your protein intake has been overstated. Whey is indeed a fast-digesting protein, but a review in the Journal of the ISSN determined that total daily protein intake trumps timing, so there’s no great rush to consume and assimilate the stuff as long as your body gets enough over the course of the day.

One exception, however, is if you’re an athlete who does some type of training more than once a day. If you’re an MMA fighter, for instance, who lifts weights in the morning and hits pads in the afternoon, you’d be wise to recharge your muscles as quickly as possible after the strength training session so they don’t get depleted further by the skill work. Wrestlers and tennis players, who may compete multiple times in a day, are in the same boat. A study in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport found that subjects taking hydrolyzed whey protein—a type of whey that’s been processed so it digests even faster—were fully recovered six hours later.

How much protein you need in a day depends on your age, size, goals, and activity level, but the ISSN suggests around one gram per pound of bodyweight daily for individuals who strength train—and even more if you’re dieting, so you can preserve muscle mass while in a calorie deficit that helps you lose fat. So, a 200-pound person who lifts and wants to slim down should start eating at least 200 grams of protein per day. This can be done entirely with whole foods, but it’s often not practical (think: lots of chicken breast, tuna, and eggs), so many opt for protein supplements to help hit their goal number of grams. Whey protein supps offer around 20 grams protein per serving, and can be mixed up and chugged down in minutes.

As for creatine, timing may be a bit more important than it is for protein. One study found that consuming it post-exercise promoted better body composition and strength gains than when it was taken pre-workout, and another trial showed that subjects made better gains in their arms when they took creatine after workouts. But there doesn’t appear to be a bad time to take creatine. Whatever time allows you to take it consistently enough to see benefit is the one to go with.

And consistency is important with creatine. While a whey protein supplement can be taken as needed to help you reach your protein goals, creatine needs to be taken regularly so it builds up in your muscles. The standard recommendation is to follow a minimum three-day loading period where you take 0.3 grams of creatine per kilogram of your bodyweight (example: 23 grams for a 170-pound man). Then, back off to a maintenance dose of three to five grams daily thereafter. However, skipping the loading phase and taking two to five grams per day from the get go has been shown to work fine too—it will just take longer to see the effects because your muscles aren’t yet fully saturated with creatine. (But it may be more convenient and palatable than guzzling multiple teaspoons of powder throughout the day.)

Bodybuilders used to mix creatine with grape juice in order to disguise the chalky flavor and ensure better uptake by the muscles. Research shows that your muscles might retain creatine better when it’s consumed along with a carbohydrate source, but most studies show that mixing it with plain water, or blending it into any other beverage you like, works just as well. “A 2017 study showed that loading creatine alone aided physical performance to the same extent as creatine loading with carbohydrate ingestion,” says Vince Kreipke, PhD, CISSN, a performance specialist and member of Onnit’s advisory board. “This held true in both laboratory and real-world applications.”

Can You Take Whey and Creatine Together?

Both creatine and whey protein are effective when taken by themselves, and there’s nothing wrong with combining them if you so choose. One study showed no adverse effects in doing so, but the subjects didn’t enjoy any additional benefits by combining the two either. Another trial had essentially the same findings, although it’s worth noting that both studies were done on men middle-aged and older.

Now for the big question: is it better to take whey protein or creatine? 

The answer is really up to you. Containers of creatine are usually under $30 and can last you months, while tubs of whey protein can go for around $50 and, with regular use, will need to be replaced in only a few weeks—so creatine is the more budget-friendly choice. It’s also linked to more performance benefits, so, if you’re an athlete, or you’re looking for an edge in the gym, creatine may be the smarter choice.

On the other hand, people who train hard need a lot of protein, and many of them don’t get enough. If you have trouble making your protein requirement daily, whey will do a lot to get you there, and it’s a powerful tool for body recomposition. Of course, if you can afford both supplements and want to maximize your muscle and performance potential, take both.

“If you’re already meeting your protein goals with your diet,” says Kreipke, “I would go with creatine. It’s much harder to obtain from diet alone, especially if one is vegetarian or vegan [remember, creatine exists naturally in animal foods].” However, if you find you’re not making your protein quota regularly, Kreipke says to prioritize whey instead. “If you’re not giving yourself the proper amount of amino acids to recover, you’ll eventually have problems. And whey has more research than creatine does showing it can help you build muscle while you’re losing fat.”

Are These Supplements Illegal?

Neither creatine or whey protein has ever been illegal or deemed unsafe. One study showed that athletes who supplemented with creatine for 21 months while training intensely suffered no health problems.

If anything, creatine may help to preserve health. A trial in the Journal of Athletic Training indicated that DI college football players who used creatine had a lower incidence of cramping than those who didn’t take the supplement. In 2017, the ISSN declared that creatine may serve to protect the brain. The scientists wrote that “Given all the known benefits and favorable safety profile of creatine supplementation reported in the scientific and medical literature, it is the view of ISSN that government legislatures and sport organizations who restrict and/or discourage use of creatine may be placing athletes at greater risk—particularly in contact sports that have risk of head trauma and/or neurological injury.”

Whey protein is just as innocuous, assuming you don’t have an allergy to it. As with eating a lot of any type of protein, you may experience gas and other mild digestive issues from consuming large amounts of whey, but there should be little reason for concern if you follow label directions. Some critics have alleged that high intakes of protein can stress the kidneys, but a study in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases determined that people with healthy kidneys aren’t at any greater risk.

A 2016 study adds further support with findings that men who strength trained and followed a high-protein diet for six months suffered no ill effects to their blood lipids, liver, or kidney function. Also of note: following a high-protein diet increased the subjects’ calorie intake significantly, but they didn’t gain fat.

The post Creatine Vs. Whey Protein: What You Should Know appeared first on Onnit Academy.

– Dairy-free protein supplements are a good option for those who have trouble digesting the lactose and/or peptides in whey and other dairy-based powders.

– Pea, rice, and hemp are among the best plant-based, dairy-free protein supplements. Good animal-sourced ones include egg white and beef protein isolate.

– Many types of protein powder have been shown to be effective for building muscle, and may be on par with whey in that regard, but they often require larger servings to have the same effect.

– Dairy products have been linked to pimples, but it isn’t clear if they actually cause skin problems.

The Truth About Dairy and Lactose-Free Protein Powder

If you’re sensitive to lactose, or otherwise avoid dairy, it can sometimes seem like the world is made of milk—especially when you’re shopping for a protein supplement. As whey protein has exploded in popularity, most commercial protein powders are dairy-based, and that can leave you feeling like you’re without options, or that the dairy-free ones are inferior.

There are, however, viable dairy-free protein powders out there that can help you build muscle and support your weight management efforts, but you may have to augment them to maximize results. Here’s what you need to know about milk-less muscle supps.

What is Dairy-Free Protein?

A dairy-free protein powder is one that doesn’t come from the milk of lactating animals such as cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, or camels. As whey and casein (two of the most popular types of protein powder) are derived from cow milk, they aren’t dairy-free. Many people choose dairy-free protein supps to avoid lactose, the sugar in milk that can be troublesome to digest.

Since there is ample protein in several types of plants, as well as other animals, protein supplements can be made from them. Widely accessible plant-based, dairy-free powders include soy, rice, pea, and hemp, while hydrolyzed beef, collagen, and egg powders exist as animal-based options.

All protein powders have their pros and cons, and the best one for you will depend on your taste, fitness goals, and food sensitivities or intolerances, if you have any.

Why Would I Not Want Lactose in My Protein? 

If you’re lactose intolerant (you have an allergy to milk sugar), or have some degree of insensitivity to lactose, you may be better off using protein supplements that are lactose-free to avoid bloating, gas, and other gastrointestinal problems. Many individuals have a shortage of the lactase enzyme in their small intestines that’s necessary for proper lactose digestion. Without lactase, unabsorbed milk sugar is left in the colon, and becomes the culprit for gastric discomfort.

According to the National Institute of Health, approximately 65% of the human population has trouble digesting lactose in adulthood. Lactose intolerance is most common in people of East Asian descent (between 70% and 100% of them may not be able to digest it). West African, Arab, Jewish, Greek, and Italian people often have trouble with lactose as well.

Whey protein powder is made from whey, the watery portion of milk. Straight from the cow, whey is 75% lactose, but when it’s used in foods and supplements, whey must be filtered, and that reduces its lactose content considerably. Whey isolate protein powders are the most stringently filtered, resulting in whey protein with very low levels of sugar and fat. Whey isolate powders are about 90% protein, and, according to The Whey Protein Institute, are generally considered lactose free, but it’s important to check product labels if you are unsure. “There could still be a slight concern for gastrointestinal upset with a whey isolate,” says James Lucas III, RD, CSSD, owner of the Dallas-based JLucas Nutrition, “particularly if you’re sensitive to lactose.”

Aside from the sugar in dairy, there’s another component of whey powders that could be trouble for some users. If you still experience sensitivity using a lactose-free whey isolate powder, Lucas says it could mean that you aren’t digesting the bioactive peptides in the protein correctly.

Peptides, such as β-lactoglobulin, are small chains of amino acids (compounds that form protein) that are not completely broken down by the digestive system. As a result, some people can be sensitive or allergic to them. These peptides can be beneficial, accounting for some of the health-supporting aspects of whey protein, but they can also cause a reaction if your body identifies them as foreign substances, and, in an effort to protect you from potential pathogens, triggers an inflammatory defense response. Think of it as your body sounding an alarm to scare off an unwelcome intruder. The result might be some temporary pot-bellied bloating, or running to the toilet, but other more potentially life-threatening allergic reactions can occur—i.e., the same kind that those who have allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, milk, and eggs experience. Still, these are very rare as a result of ingesting whey protein isolate alone.

For those who have trouble digesting whey isolate, Lucas recommends whey protein hydrolysate. Hydrolysates are protein powders that are not only lactose free but are also “pre-digested.” That is, their peptides have been broken down in processing, which helps them absorb more easily. Unfortunately, processing the peptides strips whey hydrolysates of many of their health benefits, such as supporting the immune system and healthy blood pressure, and helping to control appetite and blood sugar.

Can I Build Muscle with Dairy-Free Protein? 

Ultimately, you can build muscle using virtually any kind of protein supplement, but none are quite as efficient as whey (you’ll read more on this in the next section). Plant-based protein powders, while useful, are not optimal. A 2019 review in Nutrients reported that “plant-based proteins have less of an anabolic effect than animal proteins due to their lower digestibility, lower essential amino acid content (especially leucine), and deficiency in other essential amino acids.” They’re more likely to be oxidized, the review states, than used for muscle protein synthesis (the process by which muscles grow).

Another 2015 review of animal and plant-based proteins published in the Journal of Nutrition echoes these points, explaining that proteins in soy and wheat are converted into urea (the main compound in our urine), and can’t be utilized by the body as easily as animal proteins can to promote muscle growth.

With that said, plant proteins have been shown to be effective for supporting muscle gain. Soy is the most thoroughly studied plant-based protein, and it’s widely available. Much research has shown that it can nearly match whey on many fronts. However, it has also been shown to lower the body’s absorption of iron and zinc (1, 2). In addition, soy has been criticized because it can bind to the estrogen receptors in the body. This impacts hormones levels, making it one of the more controversial plant-based proteins, according to research from the Harvard School of Public Health.

A better choice, then, might be hemp. As we reported in our guide to hemp protein, a Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry study found that the protein absorption rate of hulled hempseeds is comparable to casein—whey’s counterpart dairy protein. It also doesn’t contain trypsin inhibitors like many soy protein powders do. These compounds hinder protein digestion. 

Rice protein is another smart option. A rice vs. whey study from 2013 showed that subjects experienced equal gains in muscle thickness, body composition, and strength, regardless of which supplement they were on. 

Pea protein stacks up well too. In our guide to pea protein, we referenced a 2015 study where subjects ingesting pea protein drinks made identical muscle gains as whey drinkers, while both groups outperformed the placebo.

If you want a dairy-free protein powder but aren’t interested in going plant-based, egg-white protein may be your second-best bet to a whey powder. Research has determined that egg protein ranks just below whey in its leucine content. Leucine is a branched-chain amino acid that scientists have determined to be the most important amino for muscle growth.

Beef protein isolate should also be on your radar. A 2019 meta-analysis found that it worked just as well as whey for promoting changes in body composition.

Is Lactose-Free Protein a Complete Protein? 

One of the reasons that non-dairy proteins don’t get the credit whey does is that many of them—including hemp, rice, and pea—are not complete. That means that their protein doesn’t contain all nine essential amino acids (EAAs), or that it doesn’t contain them in amounts that are deemed significant. EAAs are aminos that you have to get from food, because our bodies can’t produce them on their own. It should be noted that all animal-sourced protein powders contain all the EAAs and are therefore complete. This includes egg and beef powders.

However, if you do choose a plant-based protein, you really should be able to make good gains, regardless of whether the protein is complete. For one thing, the problem is easy to fix. The same Journal of Nutrition review linked above noted that you can fortify your plant protein powder by adding in the EAAs methionine, lysine, and/or leucine (the ones that are generally lacking in plant powders) or, if you don’t feel like playing mad scientist in the kitchen, you can simply mix two or more plant-based powders together and get a pretty well-rounded supplement in seconds.

For example, pea protein contains all nine EAAs, but it’s low in methionine+cysteine. Rice protein is low in lysine. Mix the two together, and you have a balanced amino acid profile. But many protein powders are available that already contain a mix of proteins to offer a complete amino profile, so you don’t need to buy multiple powders if that’s out of your budget.

The real sticking point most people have with plant-based powders is their leucine content. Leucine is so powerful that it may stimulate muscle growth independent of all other aminos. Whey protein has the highest amount of leucine, gram for gram, of any protein source—whole food or supplement. Plant powders, on the other hand, are generally a little lower. Pea protein, for instance, has about 81 mg of leucine per gram, while whey has 105 mgs.

According to the International Society of Sports Nutrition, the optimal amount of leucine for stimulating muscle growth is somewhere between 0.7 grams and 3 grams per serving, and research shows that getting more than the top end of that range does not promote gains to any greater degree. While the difference seems daunting at first, all it means is that it takes less whey protein than pea protein to spike leucine in your body. It’s merely a matter of efficiency. Want to get just as much leucine from pea protein? All you have to do is take a little more of it. And the same goes for virtually all plant proteins. This typically ends up being a little more than one scoop, maybe two, depending on the serving size of the product you’re using. Over time, running through plant powders more quickly can lead to them being more expensive than supplementing with whey, but you shouldn’t sacrifice any strength or muscle in the process.

Pros and Cons of Whey Protein

In terms of overall efficiency and maximizing muscle growth, it seems you can’t top the benefits of whey protein supplementation. Not only does whey support weight training to build muscle, it also appears to promote faster recovery, aid body composition, and help maintain overall health (see our guide to whey for more info). Since whey is derived from cow’s milk, it’s a complete protein, so there is no need to mix powders to get the full spectrum of EAAs. It also has more leucine per serving than any other type of protein. Whey might be more expensive per ounce compared to plant-based protein, but you won’t go through your supply as quickly.

The speed of recovery factor is one of whey’s key selling points. If you’re an athlete who trains or competes two or more times per day, getting enough protein to help your muscles recover between sessions is extremely important. A study in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport found that subjects taking hydrolyzed whey were fully recovered six hours later. Nevertheless, even though whey hydrolysates absorb faster due to their pre-digested peptides, it’s not certain that they work better than an old-fashioned whey isolate. A trial in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition determined that whey isolate resulted in more rapid absorption of leucine than a whey hydrolysate. Whey isolate is also the less expensive option between the two, and will be enough for most people.

On the downside, as explained above, whey’s lactose and peptides can be hard to digest for some people. Whey concentrates contain more sugar than isolates, and isolates contain more unbroken peptides than hydrolysates, so none may be appropriate for someone with digestion issues. 

Krista Large, an Austin, Texas-based nutritionist and owner of Living Large Wellness states, “If you are in digestive distress, it’s going to inhibit performance. Different people are going to have very different reactions to whey vs. brown rice, vs. pea protein… It really comes down to how well does it digest for you?”

Large says that regardless of what supplements they prefer, she focuses on making sure her clients’ protein intake is consistent, and primarily from whole-food sources.

Another consideration on whether to choose a whey protein is the environment. Most whey protein supps come from cows raised in a factory farm system, where humane treatment and environmental sustainability cannot be ensured. Cows living in these conditions typically produce large amounts of waste that hurt water and air quality. If you want your protein supplement to leave a lighter carbon footprint, you might consider whey protein drawn from grass-fed cows, or a brand that’s certified organic. As we explained in our rebuttal to the infamous What The Health documentary, grass-fed meat and dairy has been shown to offer more health benefits and fewer toxins than come from factory-farmed animals.

Pros and Cons of Plant-Based Protein 

In terms of global sustainability, plant-based products are generally considered to have less of an impact on the environment. Research suggests that plant-based diets require less water, land, and energy, and that food production to support them is cheaper. So, if the health of the planet is as important to you as the health of your body, plant-based proteins are a wise and considerate choice.

If you’re shopping for a plant-based powder because dairy-based ones give you digestive troubles, plant proteins score again. With the exception of soy protein, most plant powders are easy for the body to process and won’t inhibit your gut’s ability to absorb nutrients. Rice protein typically isn’t associated with bloating, cramping, or other discomfort, and research in Food Chemistry shows it may be easier to digest than whey. Rice is a hypoallergenic food, and any difficulty you might have digesting brown rice due to its hull is negated by the fact that rice protein powders are made from grains where the hull (fiber) is removed.

The same holds for pea protein, which has had its fiber and starch removed in processing, making it highly digestible and bioavailable. Pea protein is also a natural thickener, and that can help to fill up the stomach, curbing your appetite, and, in turn, promote weight loss. A Nutrition Journal study had subjects consume 20 grams of either casein, whey, pea protein, egg albumin, a maltodextrin-carbohydrate drink, or water 30 minutes before a meal. Pea protein ranked second, behind only the super slow-digesting casein, in lowering appetite, resulting in subjects consuming fewer total calories for the meal.

On the other hand, you may find that plant protein powders don’t taste as good as dairy-based ones, and are therefore harder to use consistently. Many people report that plant-based shakes have a chalky texture, but sugar-free sweeteners such as monk fruit extract are becoming more common additions to plant powders, and could help on the flavor front. Avocado powder is sometimes added as well to improve flavor and mouthfeel.

As explained above, the big strike against many plant proteins is their incomplete amino acid profile and lower leucine content, but this can be compensated for by buying powders that contain a mix of proteins, and simply taking larger servings at a time. 

Can Whey Protein Cause Acne? 

Despite the numerous benefits of whey, if you have trouble keeping your skin clear, it may not be the best protein supplement for you. While pimples are caused by a number of factors, they have been linked to milk ingestion. Some research points to milk and whey-protein based products in particular as being problematic because they increase insulin secretion, causing sebaceous glands to kick into overdrive. Zits may pop up as an inflammatory response.

Nevertheless, it’s hard to say if whey or dairy are really the cause. Heather McConochie, RN, nutritionist and host of The Positive Thread Podcast, says there is a lack of research linking dairy to acne over time. “We have some experiential data [on the subject], meaning we talk to people and we observe our own bodies, but it’s really hard to do good research on this subject because most research studies are done for short windows of time—usually six to 12 weeks. If we’re really critical about the study design, we don’t know how dairy impacts acne over a period of one year or five years or 20 years because the research studies just aren’t there.”

McConochie notes the connection between dairy and skin problems can be different in women than in men. “We know that acne is impacted by hormones, particularly in women. There are other contributing factors such as stress and genetics that can also play a role. And synthetic hormones in commercial dairy that are given to cows could also be a factor.”

If you are experiencing skin flare-ups, try eliminating dairy from your diet for a month or more, and see if your symptoms improve. Plant-based alternatives could serve as a replacement protein supplement while you do so.

The post The Truth About Dairy and Lactose-Free Protein Powder appeared first on Onnit Academy.

It makes sense – athletes of all levels place a high value on developing lean muscle tissue, and protein consumption is what delivers the amino acids necessary for building and maintaining muscle.

The good news is the sheer popularity of whey protein means that it’s been studied, studied and studied some more, so there are fewer questions regarding when to take whey protein.

If you’ve made the decision to supplement, and you’re looking to add whey protein to your diet, here’s what you need to know.

Types of Whey Protein

Not all whey proteins are the same – in fact, you’re likely to be overwhelmed by all the options available if you take a jaunt down the aisle at your local nutrition store. Generally speaking, there are three common forms of whey protein.

Whey Protein Concentrate

This is the less processed, more “natural” form of whey protein. For clean-eating fans, less processing probably sounds like a good thing, but in this case, less processing actually means less pure.

Whey protein concentrate contains more fat and lactose, and less total protein – ranging anywhere from 70% to 85% of the product – than isolates.

Whey Protein Isolate

Whey protein isolate, on the other hand, goes through more processing to remove the extra lactose and fat, delivering a product that’s typically 90% protein or more. The isolate form of whey protein generally costs more than concentrate, and it’s also considered a “safer” supplement for those who are lactose intolerant.

Hydrolyzed Whey Protein

Hydrolyzed whey products are those that have gone through additional processing, essentially breaking down the protein into groups of amino acids that are theoretically faster to digest.

The problem is, research doesn’t necessarily indicate this is true, so spending more money on a hydrolyzed product when other options are as, or more, effective, doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.

Functionally speaking, any whey product you choose should be more than capable of putting your body into a state of positive nitrogen balance – the most beneficial state for muscle recovery and hypertrophy – as long as you time your protein supplementation correctly.

When to Take Whey Protein

Whey protein is a highly bioavailable protein that boasts fast absorption rates. This makes it an ideal protein for post-workout recovery.

In fact, Brandon Mentone, a Strength and Conditioning Coach and Sports Nutritionist, puts it this way, “Whey has the highest bioavailability of all the protein analogues, which makes it the most potent and rapidly utilized agent post-workout.”

When you exercise, you’re placing a high level of stress on your body that actually causes damage to your muscles and tissue.

Building muscle doesn’t actually take place during your workout; rather, your workout is the tool you use to put your body in the necessary state for muscular hypertrophy during recovery.

Proper post-workout nutrition stimulates the repair of tissues in a way that leads to muscle growth.

Immediately following a workout, the blood flow to skeletal muscles is stimulated, and the act of working out “opens up” muscles to function a bit like a sponge – they’re primed and ready to absorb nutrients.

By consuming a fast-absorbing protein like whey protein immediately after your workout, you’re supplying your muscles with the amino acids they need to repair and grow, precisely when they benefit the most.

The sooner you can consume whey protein following your workout, the better. Generally speaking, you have up to a two-hour window (the “anabolic window”) post-workout to consume a protein-carbohydrate meal.

This is the two-hour period in which your muscles are primed and ready to accept nutrients, taking them from a muscle-wasting state of negative nitrogen balance to a muscle-building state of positive nitrogen balance.

But just because you have up to two hours, doesn’t mean you should wait to supplement. The longer you wait, the less “sponge-like” your muscles will be, and the less benefit you’ll derive from your whey protein supplementation efforts.

Who Should Take Whey Protein

Because whey protein is affordable, popular and highly bioavailable, It’s a great option for most active individuals looking for a way to easily increase protein consumption.

One of the biggest arguments against protein supplementation is that, in theory, it’s easy for people to consume enough protein in their diets to meet the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of .8 grams per kilogram body weight.

While technically this is true, the RDA is based on the protein needs of a sedentary individual, not the needs of anyone who is active, growing, trying to build muscle mass or who is recovering from an injury.

Most studies indicate that under circumstances such as these, protein intake ranging from 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram body weight is ideal. While it’s perfectly possible to consume this level of protein from food sources, it’s not always convenient.

Anyone who has ever tried to squeeze in a workout right before running to a meeting or whose training schedule butts up to their children’s bedtimes knows that it’s not always possible to sit down for a meal right after working out.

Because the timing of protein consumption post-workout is vitally important to muscle hypertrophy and recovery, it must be easy and convenient to consume.

Protein supplements – particularly whey protein powders that can be mixed with water, bars and pre-made shakes – are incredibly convenient, and a great option for anyone who’s “on the go” and unable to turn to whole food protein sources after  workout.

It’s important to realize, though, that whey protein isn’t appropriate for everyone. As a product derived from milk, it’s not a good choice for vegans, and some whey protein concentrates may cause gastrointestinal distress to those who are lactose intolerant.

In these situations, other protein supplements, such as vegan-friendly, stomach-friendly hemp protein, may be a better option.

The post Pre or Post Workout: When Should You Take Whey Protein? appeared first on Onnit Academy.

Feel stupid and guilty yet? That seems to be the goal of The Game Changers, which is available on iTunes and features former UFC fighter James Wilks, strongman Patrik Baboumian, and even Arnold Schwarzenegger arguing for the superiority of a plant-based diet.

But, just as with What The Health, the last major vegan rally cry that came out in 2017, it’s not hard to deflate most of The Game Changers arguments, one by one.

Is A Plant-Based Diet Better for Health?

The movie references several scientific studies that seem to point to a diet rich in animal foods being dangerous. But the film never gives us the whole story.

It cites a 2010 study that showed that drinking cows’ milk can increase estrogen and lower testosterone in men. But look closer at the findings and you’ll see that the cows that produced the milk were pregnant at the time. It’s probably fair to say that, just as with pregnant humans, their hormone profiles might have been a little off of what is considered normal, but even still, the reduction in testosterone was not below levels that are considered healthy and normal. Furthermore, this testosterone dip was only measured in seven men—hardly a sample size to draw a major conclusion from.

Naturally, Game Changers has to dredge up the old idea that meat and dairy are bad for your heart, impairing circulation to the point that even your erections will suffer. It points to a 2012 study that had men consume either a hamburger patty by itself or with avocado. Hours later, the hamburger-only meal resulted in constriction of the blood vessels while the burger-avocado hybrid didn’t. The researchers blamed the beef for causing inflammation, and declared the avocado to be anti-inflammatory.

Look up the study, and you’ll see right away that it was funded by the Hass Avocado Board. Of course this doesn’t invalidate the findings, but it casts suspicion over them. And equally untrustworthy are the two experiments the movie shows—one where blood is drawn from people who just ate a vegetarian or meat-filled burrito, and another where burritos are consumed and the subjects’ dicks are assessed for erection strength and frequency. Unsurprisingly, the movie shows that both experiments found that the animal-protein meal wreaked havoc and the plant-based one was healthy. But in neither case are other factors considered. Were the subjects stressed, dehydrated, under-recovered? What else had they been eating? Or smoking? Or doing that day? Rather than elaborate, Game Changers wants you to simply accept its truth: meat is bad.

Finally, on the health front, the doc again takes aim at animal foods’ alleged cancer-causing potential, naming a bevy of chemical compounds in them (TMAO, heterocyclic amines) that might hurt you. However, the science to support it just isn’t there. “The studies showing that TMAO is bad are epidemiology studies,” says Paul Saladino, MD, a functional medicine practitioner and author of the upcoming book, The Carnivore Code (carnivoremd.com). “They show that humans who have health problems have higher levels of TMAO. It doesn’t mean that TMAO caused those problems. TMAO is produced in our bodies in response to two very important compounds—carnitine and choline. Carnitine is an antioxidant, and choline is a precursor to a neurotransmitter and is in every cell in the body.” Meanwhile, Saladino says, there’s 40 times more TMAO in fish than in meat, but no one has ever accused fish of causing cancer. “TMAO is also found in plants,” he says, “but [plant-based propaganda] will never tell you this.”

As for heterocyclic amines, potentially-carcinogenic compounds present in charred meat, these can be greatly mitigated by simply not overcooking your food. “There are no heterocyclic amines in raw meat,” says Saladino. “I’m not advocating eating meat raw, but using gentler cooking methods—sous vide, crock pot, or other slow, low-temperature cooking—will result in lower levels of heterocyclic amines. The truth is that cooking any food creates some compounds that are linked to cancer.” Acrylamide, he notes, is in the brownest parts of a piece of toast, a bagel, and roasted coffee, so plant foods carry their own risks. “The best way to prevent cancer is to give the body healthy micronutrients—which meat has plenty of—sleep enough, keep your immune system strong, and live a good life,” says Saladino. Not to toss out your hamburger.

Now let’s look at some of the research that supports the consumption of animal foods.

Animal Foods and Testosterone

So The Game Changers wants you to believe that milk-drinking will make you less of a man, huh? Well, a 2018 review of 80 studies in the European Journal of Endocrinology concluded that you don’t need to shop for a bra for those man boobs just yet. It explains that while some farming methods can result in milk drawn from cows that are well along in pregnancy, and consequently have higher estrogen levels in their milk, “it seems that there is stronger evidence suggesting that amounts of estrogens in cow’s milk are too low to cause health effects in humans.”

If you’re really concerned, buy organic milk from grass-fed cows that are treated humanely. This will greatly reduce the risk of any toxicity in the milk, and the farming practices are better for both the cows and the planet.

It may also interest The Game Changers’ producers to know that diets that are high in fat—including that from animal sources—boost testosterone levels. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that men who followed a high-fat, low-fiber diet for 10 weeks had 13% higher total testosterone than subjects who ate low fat and high fiber. We’re not saying to toss out your vegetables to eliminate fiber from your menu. Only that diets rich in meat are good for being manly.

Animal Foods and Heart Health

We love avocados and fully appreciate their heart-healthy fats. But to cite a study funded by the avocado business and imply that beef on its own puts your arteries in a vise just ain’t right.

First of all, the study didn’t find a statistical difference in blood vessel function between the burger alone and the burger with avocado. The results seem to have been exaggerated for dramatic effect (Game Changers is a movie, after all). Secondly, we don’t know what kind of beef was used in the study, but it’s a safe bet that it was conventional—taken from unhealthy cows raised in a feedlot and featuring a nutrition profile that’s significantly different from what pasture-raised, organic cows would yield. As with dairy, we feel that eating beef that is grass-fed and organic won’t produce the same kind of inflammatory response that a factory-farmed, grain-fed serving would. In fact, it may have the opposite effect, helping to fight inflammation and improve heart health.

A 2010 review from Nutrition Journal demonstrated that grass-fed beef has two to three times higher levels of conjugated-linoleic acid (CLA) than grain-fed beef. CLA is a fatty acid and antioxidant that’s been shown to fight heart disease and cancer.

But organic animal foods aside, it’s difficult to say that meat puts your heart in any peril at all. A 2013 review compared the effects of four different animal-rich diets—Mediterranean, low-carb, low glycemic-index, and high-protein—to other options, including vegetarian and vegan. All four of the animal-based plans were found to be effective in improving various markers of cardiovascular disease risk in people with diabetes. They were also more effective for controlling blood sugar than the plant-based controls, and the low-carb and Mediterranean approaches delivered the greatest weight loss of all. The animal diets improved heart-friendly HDL cholesterol as well.

That same year, the journal Metabolism showed that subjects who ate a high-fat, low-carb diet had lower markers of systemic inflammation after 12 weeks compared to people who followed a low-fat, high-carb diet. The researchers concluded that high-fat eating may be more beneficial to cardiovascular health.

Animal Foods and Cancer

In 2015, PLOS One showed an association between processed meat and colorectal cancer, but acknowledged that there is “little evidence that higher intake of unprocessed red meat [more than two servings a day] substantially increased risk.”

And other research suggests that grass-fed beef is in the clear. A Nutrition Journal review of studies comparing grass-fed beef to the conventional kind spanned more than 30 years, finding that grass-based meat diets raise cancer-fighting antioxidant activity (glutathione and superoxide dismutase) to a greater degree.

“Meat from grass-raised animals has anti-carcinogenic compounds,” says Saladino, “and you get more of them when you eat nose to tail.” That is, eating not just the muscle meats that most of us are used to, but organs and connective tissue. Animal livers, for instance, are rich in riboflavin, a B vitamin that may help to protect against cancer.

The Red Meat Study

Interestingly, about a week after The Game Changers was released, a massive study led by researchers from McMaster and Dalhousie universities appeared. Its findings? That red and even processed meat are not the devils they’ve been made out to be. One review of 12 trials that included 54,000 subjects did not find a statistically significant association between meat consumption and the risk of heart disease, diabetes, or cancer. The Indiana University School of Medicine stated the following: “This [study is] sure to be controversial, but is based on the most comprehensive review of the evidence to date. Because that review is inclusive, those who seek to dispute it will be hard pressed to find appropriate evidence with which to build an argument.”

The researchers also acknowledged that there were no primary external funding sources for the study. In other words, the research wasn’t paid for by the beef industry, Oscar Mayer, or any other corporate entity with a conflicting interest.

Check mate.

Is Plant-Based Better For Performance?

This is where The Game Changers really wants to make its mark, showing what no vegan movie has shown before: that plant-based athletes can be just as big, strong, fast, and durable as those who eat more traditional performance diets. They show us stars such as Patrik Baboumian, a pro strongman, and tennis great Novak Djokovic, who credit plant-based eating for better recovery and performance.

On this point, we’ll agree with them: plant-based athletes probably can perform as well as the rest of us. However, we’re far from convinced that they can perform any better than omnivores, and yet that’s what the movie implies.

Plant-Based Athletes and Protein

The main argument the film makes with respect to building muscle and strength is that, while protein intake is important, the exact source of your protein doesn’t matter. Whether you get 200 grams of protein from beans and rice or steak, chicken, and fish, it’s still 200 grams of protein, so the plant-based approach works just as well. This is more or less true, but it’s also a little misleading.

Game Changers asserts that a peanut butter sandwich packs about as much protein as a three-ounce serving of beef or three large eggs. That’s technically correct, but there are a few drawbacks to consider here. One is that peanut butter, while delicious and healthy, doesn’t offer complete protein. As legumes, peanuts don’t contain all the essential amino acids—the ones your body needs to support muscle—in adequate amounts. Now, combined with bread—assuming one made from whole grains that will offer some complementary nutrition, not some bleached white variety that’s devoid of nutrients—you probably will get all the aminos you need, but there’s still some doubt as to how many complete proteins your body can make from that combination, and how much of it your body will be able to assimilate.

“Animal protein is [generally] more than twice as bioavailable as plant protein,” says Saladino, meaning that your body can’t absorb and make use of plant protein nearly as efficiently. Vegans, however, often make the mistake of thinking that plant foods work as well as animal ones when their protein content matches gram for gram. “When people say they’re getting 60 grams of protein from a plant source,” says Saladino, “I say, ‘No, not really.’ It’s only about 30 grams of usable protein, or less,” in many cases.

When you eat beef or eggs, on the other hand, you can rest assured that you’re getting complete, highly bioavailable protein that your body can utilize. The protein is all from one source, and it’s easy to count.

The other issue with getting your protein from peanut butter sandwiches—or any plant sources, for that matter—is the other macronutrients you’re ingesting along with it. A peanut butter sandwich has a good amount of carbs and fats as well, and packs 200 more calories than three ounces of beef or three eggs. For athletes such as bodybuilders, or physique or figure competitors, who strive to hit certain macro numbers and generally try to keep carbs and/or fats in check, a sandwich just isn’t a good choice. The same applies to fighters and weightlifters who compete in sports where they have to make weight, as well as the public at large that’s just dieting to lose a few pounds. It’s a matter of efficiency. Do you want 20 grams of protein with 430 calories (the peanut butter sandwich), or 20 grams of protein with 210 calories (a serving of beef)? Which one do you think will fit more easily into a diet plan?

And this is why you don’t see ripped people eating peanut butter sandwiches all day.

The movie cites a review of vegetarian athlete studies that says plant-based eating can support training as well as omnivorous diets can. But once again, it doesn’t show the full picture. The researchers go on to say that, “as a group, vegetarians have lower mean muscle creatine concentrations than do omnivores, and this may affect supramaximal exercise performance.” So, they theorize that vegetarians may do better if they supplement with creatine. “I make sure that any vegan or vegetarian athletes I work with take creatine post-workout,” says Shannon Ehrhardt, RD, an EXOS Performance Dietician.

Supplementation does seem to be key for athletes who go totally vegan (that is, it’s even more important than it is for omnivores). That makes sense: if you’re not going to get all the nutrients you need from whole foods, you’ll have to get them from supplements. Obviously, there’s nothing wrong with supplementation, but it begs the question, “If a plant-based diet is so great, why does it come up short on so many nutrients?” 

A 2017 article in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition concurs, explaining that “veganism creates challenges that need to be accounted for when designing a nutritious diet,” such as getting adequate vitamin B12, iron, zinc, calcium, iodine, and vitamin D, as well as omega-3 fats. “However,” the scientists write, “via the strategic management of food and appropriate supplementation, it is the contention of this article that a nutritive vegan diet can be designed to achieve the dietary needs of most athletes satisfactorily. Further, it was suggested here that creatine and [beta]-alanine supplementation might be of particular use to vegan athletes, owing to vegetarian diets promoting lower muscle creatine and lower muscle carnosine levels in consumers.”

A strict plant-based diet would also forbid the use of whey protein, a supplement that’s been shown to aid both performance and wellness. A 2017 meta-analysis of nine studies showed that whey helped overweight/obese people lose fat and reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease. And if you’re wondering, no, soy protein supplements don’t work as well. A 2014 study found that when subjects drank a whey shake before eating their biggest meal of the day, it promoted better changes in appetite, body composition, body mass, and waist circumference than drinking soy protein did.

Plant-Based Athletes Vs Omnivores

According to an article by the American Council on Exercise, plant-based dieters might have an easier time losing weight than meat-eaters, but a harder time gaining muscle—mainly because a plant diet is generally less calorie-dense (peanut butter sandwiches aside). Vegans may also find they do better at endurance sports than when they try strength sports, since the plant-based diet is rich in carbs and carb stores are thought to be one of the limiting factors for endurance performance. But there’s little research comparing plant-based athletic performance against that of omnivores, so these ideas are only speculative.

It’s worth mentioning that many athletes who try switching over to veganism wind up coming back. One famous example is NFL tight end Tony Gonzalez, who read the book The China Study (which preaches the so-called dangers of animal foods) and cut out animal products in the hope of improving his health and lengthening his career. However, Gonzalez lost weight and strength. Then with the Kansas City Chiefs, Gonzalez consulted the team nutritionist, who recommended he add a few servings of meat and fish to his menu. Ultimately, Gonzalez’s performance improved, and he went on to break the league records for most receptions by a tight end and career receiving yards by a tight end.

Is Plant-Based Better For the Environment?

In addition to all its claims about plant-based eating being superior for health and fitness, The Game Changers naturally plays the environmental card, saying that raising animal foods contributes to pollution while eating plants is sustainable. It’s generally true that factory farming is damaging to the planet, but going vegan won’t immediately absolve you either.

As one article points out, demand for trendy plant foods such as avocado and quinoa has led to shortages in countries that produce them, like Mexico, and rising prices now make them unaffordable to people whose cultures have depended on them for generations. Avocado exports are so lucrative that forest lands have to be clear cut to make way for more avocado trees.

Scientists in the UK have warned that intensive farming practices have depleted the topsoil to the extent that the country may only have 100 harvests left in it. The solution? The Food and Agriculture Organization recommends letting animals graze it, as their poop provides a natural fertilizer that restores the soil.

Vegans love to cite the methane emissions of livestock that contribute to climate change, but in biodiverse pasture areas—used in organic farming—wild plants provide fumaric acid, a compound that has been shown to reduce methane emissions by 70% when added to the diet of lambs. Meanwhile, as The Guardian reported last year, plowing the earth to raise crops releases a tremendous amount of carbon into the atmosphere—70% of that which top soil once contained has gone up into our air since the dawn of the industrial revolution.

Saladino argues the potential for meat production to actually help the environment by pointing to farms that practice regenerative agriculture, such as White Oak Pastures in Bluffton, GA, which not only treats its animals humanely but manages to capture more carbon than it produces. Its cows graze the grass while sheep and goats eat the weeds and chickens eat insects. The result is an eco system unto itself that doesn’t rely on the use of hormones, antibiotics, and pesticides, and produces zero waste annually. In 2017, White Oak’s beef production sequestered 919 tons of carbon in the soil—more than its cows emit in their lifetime. The farm’s total emissions are less than what is released by farming soy beans.

“White Oak has revived destroyed grasslands by grazing animals on them,” says Saladino. “That farm is greenhouse gas-negative. Regenerative agriculture may be the only way we can decrease greenhouse gas in our eco system. We can decrease our emissions, but what else can actually take carbon out of the environment? It’s like, a Tesla car doesn’t emit greenhouse gas, but producing those cars still does. A farm that sequesters more carbon than it produces is actually reversing the damage.”

Finally, there’s the ethical argument. There’s no denying that raising animal foods kills millions of animals each year, and most of them die cruelly (again, organic methods are much more humane). Still, this doesn’t mean that vegans don’t have blood on their hands.

Harvesting crops inadvertently kills rodents, reptiles, and insects that get caught in machines, and the pesticides used to protect plants from predators poison millions of mice. Research on Australian farming practices indicates that “at least 55 sentient animals die to produce 100kg of useable plant protein: 25 times more than for the same amount of rangelands beef… When cattle, kangaroos and other meat animals are harvested they are killed instantly. Mice die a slow and very painful death from poisons.”

But surely a plant-based diet must be more efficient at feeding people worldwide, right? Vegans are always arguing that if everyone “went veggie,” we’d wipe out world hunger. A 2016 study published in Elementa looked into this.

Researchers compared numerous eating styles—vegan, two kinds of vegetarian diets, four omnivorous diets, one low in fat and sugar, and one similar to the modern American diet. They found that the amount of people the vegan diet could sustain based on the resources of the ecosystem was less than that of the two vegetarian diets and two out of the four omnivorous ones. An article on the study on PBS’s website noted that the vegan diet wasted land that could otherwise feed more people. The diets that contained the most meat, by contrast, used all available crop and grazing land. The author wrote: “If modern agriculture in the U.S. were adjusted to the vegan diet, according to the study in Elementa , we’d be able to feed 735 million people—and that’s from a purely land-use perspective. Compare that to the dairy-friendly vegetarian diet, which could feed 807 million people. Even partially omnivorous diets rank above veganism in terms of sustainability; incorporating about 20 to 40% meat in your diet is actually better for the long-term course of humanity than being completely meat-free.”

Conclusion

We don’t mean to bash plant-based diets. If you follow one for your own personal or ethical reasons, kudos to you. Virtually everyone can benefit from adding more plant foods to their diet, and it seems that vegan athletes can perform as well as omnivorous ones if they plan their eating carefully and supplement appropriately.

Just stop feeding us the line that eating meat makes us sick, irresponsible, or unethical. We won’t bite.

The post The Game Changers: Are Plant-Based Diets Better For Health and Fitness? appeared first on Onnit Academy.

Summary:

– People who strength train need up to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. You need even more if you’re dieting.

– Plant protein powders offer a sustainable and sometimes more digestible alternative to dairy and other animal-derived protein powders.

– Most plant proteins by themselves are not complete sources, but, blended with other plant powders, they can supply the same amino acids and amounts of leucine as whey.

– Plant protein can help to control hunger, aiding weight loss.

The Truth About Plant Protein Supplements

People who wear glasses are smart. People who are overweight must be lazy. And vegetarians are all long-haired hippies that are so weak from malnutrition that a stiff breeze could knock them over.

There are some stereotypes that never seem to go away. And while the first two we listed are clearly nonsense when you think about them, the third one about vegetarians still seems to have a lot of believers—especially among athletes and muscle-seekers who think that you can’t build size and strength on a flesh-free diet. After all, huge guys are called “meatheads” for a reason.

The thing is though, it’s not meat per se that makes muscle grow, but rather the protein inside it. Protein from beans and rice can serve your purpose just as well as a rare steak can—and, in the supplement department, plant protein powders made from blends of pea, rice, or seeds can equal whey.

Nevertheless, if you’re looking to remove or reduce the amount of animal products in your diet for ethical or environmental reasons, or you’re a vegetarian/vegan who just started weight training, you may find it challenging to get all the protein you need in a day, as plant sources generally aren’t as rich in protein as animal foods are, and usually don’t contain all the necessary amino acids in amounts that make their protein complete. In this case, supplementation is helpful.

You’re about to discover the truth about plant protein supplements and muscle.

How Much Protein Do I Need?

The amount of protein you need daily depends on your goals and activity level. If you just want to get by (i.e., you don’t work out or play sports), the government’s nutrition guidelines call for a minimum of 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight. That’s enough to keep a sedentary person alive, and it’s not at all hard to consume. If you’re a 140-pound woman (about 64 kilos) who fits this description, you only need a little over 50 grams of protein per day.

If you want to be awesome, however—as in, muscular, strong, and athletic—you’ll need much more. The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) recommends 1.4–2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day for those who strength train. So a 180-pound man (82 kilos) who lifts will need between 115 and 164 grams of protein daily. Still, many nutritionists recommend even more protein. If you’re a seriously dedicated lifter or bodybuilder, they’ll have you round the number up to one gram per pound of bodyweight, just to be sure your bases are covered.

If you’re dieting to lose fat, you’ll almost certainly need more—as much as 2.3–3.1 g/kg of bodyweight. For example, a 200-pound man (91 kilos) should shoot for 210–280 grams of protein to preserve muscle mass while dieting off his body fat.

That much protein can be tough to consume from whole foods alone, especially if your diet excludes meat or animal products. Vegetarians/vegans typically get their protein by way of carb-rich foods, such as beans, rice, and quinoa, so if you’re also watching your carbs, it will be even harder to get enough protein to support muscle on a plant-based diet. Conversely, if you’re trying to keep your fat in check to control calories, you won’t be able to include many nuts or seeds in your menu to hit your protein number.

For these reasons, protein supplementation is extremely beneficial, and in some cases may be necessary to ensure that you get enough protein to reach your goals. Furthermore, for those who lead busy lives and don’t have much time to prepare meals, protein powders make hitting your target protein number much more convenient and doable.

What Are The Benefits of Plant Protein Supplements?

Well-made plant protein powders can match ones derived from animals in almost every category, and offer some other benefits that whey, casein, egg, and beef protein powders can’t.

Easier Digestion

Although soy is an exception, most plant proteins digest easily and absorb well. As we reported in our guide to pea protein, pea’s digestibility rate is 94%, meaning that nearly all of it will break down in your gut. Most of it will be assimilated by your body as well—better than soy, hemp, and bean proteins are.

Rice protein’s digestibility is greater than 90%, which is higher than soy’s. According to a 2015 study, rice protein digests more easily than whey as well. If you’ve found that dairy proteins have made you feel bloated and give you gas, this shouldn’t be an issue with most plant sources.

Hemp is a burgeoning plant protein source. A study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that the protein absorption rate of hempseeds is on par with that of casein, a dairy protein that’s used for its slow release of amino acids. This suggests that hemp could match casein as a great nighttime protein to take before bed, ensuring that the muscles are fed aminos at a steady rate throughout the night.

Low Risk of Allergens

Allergies and intolerances to milk/dairy, eggs, and soy are common, but most plant proteins are not offenders. Pure pea and rice proteins are known to be allergen-free.

Sustainability

It takes fewer natural resources to produce plant proteins than it does to farm dairy cows for whey and casein. And, unlike cattle, plants don’t burp or fart, releasing carbon into the atmosphere, or pollute waterways.

How Does Plant Protein Compare To Whey?

Whey protein is generally regarded as the gold standard for protein supplements, due to its complete amino acid profile, bioavailability, and fast digestion. However, plant protein powders aren’t necessarily inferior, especially if you combine them.

The main concern with plant proteins is that few of them are complete (soy protein is a notable exception). This means that they either don’t contain all nine essential amino acids, or they don’t provide them in adequate amounts. It’s an important distinction to make, because your body can’t produce these amino acids itself—they must be gotten from food.

But just because a plant protein isn’t complete doesn’t mean it’s useless. According to a 2018 article in The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, you only need to consume more of it, or combine it with other plant proteins to make up the differences. Pea protein, for instance, contains all nine essential amino acids, but is low in methionine+cysteine. Rice protein has all the necessary aminos too, but is low in lysine. If you mix the two powders—or buy a product that’s combined them already—presto! Problem solved. Of course, methionine+cysteine and lysine are also found in many commonly-eaten foods among both omnivores and vegans, so simply having a protein shake along with a meal, or within a few hours of it, should balance everything out. Incidentally, pumpkin and watermelon seeds are sometimes added to plant protein blends as an inexpensive and sustainable way to round out their amino acid profiles, as both are good sources of protein.

One of whey protein’s standout features is its leucine content. Leucine is a branched-chain amino acid (BCAA), and scientists believe it’s the most important amino of all for signaling muscle growth. In fact, leucine is so powerful that it can stimulate muscle gains all by itself, and whey protein has the greatest amount of leucine of all protein sources.

According to the ISSN, the optimal amount of leucine for stimulating muscle protein synthesis is between 0.7 and 3 grams per serving of protein. One to two scoops of most whey protein powders will have this window covered, but it might take two or three scoops with soy, rice, pea, or hemp protein. So while plant proteins are not as efficient at providing leucine as whey, they’ll still get the job done. (Note: some plant protein supplements have extra leucine added to make up the deficit, so you don’t need to use more of the product to get the same amount.)

A 2015 study looked at the effect of pea protein versus whey on men 18–35 who followed the same 12-week lifting program. One group supplemented with 25 grams of pea protein twice a day, and another took the exact same amount of whey protein. Each 25-gram dose of pea protein delivered around two grams of leucine, versus 2.65 grams for whey, but both fell within the ISSN’s optimal leucine range. At the end of the 12 weeks, subjects in the pea and whey protein groups showed identical gains in biceps muscle, and both protein types showed greater results than placebo.

A Nutrition Journal study demonstrated similar results when rice protein was pitted against whey. Both groups had equal results in muscle thickness, body composition, and strength.

On the other hand, according to a review in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, soy protein does not seem to promote muscle gains as well as whey protein, potentially due to its amino acid composition or rate of digestion. (This is interesting, since, as we noted above, soy is a complete protein just like whey.) For this reason, as well as evidence that soy protein can reduce the body’s absorption of iron and zinc (1, 2), we don’t like soy protein as much as other plant protein options.

Is Plant Protein Good For Weight Loss?

Increasing your protein consumption—whether from plants or animals—has numerous health benefits, and weight loss is near the top of the list. Protein is the most satiating of all nutrients, so it helps to control appetite. It’s also metabolically expensive for your body to digest—that is, your body burns a lot of calories processing and absorbing it.

A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that overweight people lost similar amounts of weight when they consumed more protein, regardless of whether it was derived from plants or animals.

Pea protein, however, seems to be particularly effective for helping to promote satiety. A Nutrition Journal study had subjects consume equal amounts of casein, whey, pea protein, egg albumin, a carbohydrate drink, or water 30 minutes before a meal. Pea protein ranked behind only casein for reducing appetite, causing subjects to consume fewer overall calories in the meal.

How Does Plant Protein Taste?

Many plant proteins have a chalky aftertaste that some people find hard to swallow (no pun intended). This is another reason why dairy proteins are more popular. But newer technology and sweeteners are making plant powders more palatable. Avocado powder may be used to help cut the chalkiness and improve mixability, while stevia and monkfruit can sweeten the powder without adding sugar, calories, or chemicals that might produce unwanted side effects.

What To Look For In a Plant Protein Supplement

Quality plant protein supplements stack up against whey powders. They should have between 100 and 150 calories per serving, and offer at least 15 grams of protein with little to no fat. Because plants are carbohydrate foods by nature, it’s normal for plant protein supplements to have three to five grams of carbs per serving, but they shouldn’t have added sugar.

To make sure you’re getting all the essential amino acids your body needs to support activity, look for a powder that blends multiple plant proteins, such as pea with rice or seeds. Getting one that also has digestive enzymes is a good idea too. A 2015 study found that ingesting enzymes along with a pea-rice protein blend improved protein absorption, bringing it closer to the rate at which whey concentrate gets soaked up by your muscles.

The post The Truth About Plant Protein Supplements appeared first on Onnit Academy.

Believe it or not, rice protein powder can deliver the same gains as whey, when taken in adequate amounts and complemented with other high-quality foods. In addition, rice protein is allergen- and gluten-free, easy to digest, and Earth-friendly.

The Complete Guide To Rice Protein Powder

If you’ve been avoiding rice products because you think of them as “carb foods,” it’s time you tapped into the power of rice protein.

What is Rice Protein?

Despite its rep as a carb source, rice contains a fair amount of protein—around four grams per cup of white rice, and more than five grams per cup of brown rice. Because brown rice offers slightly more protein, most rice protein supplements are derived from it. Rice protein powder is made by grinding up rice grains and treating them with an enzyme that separates the starch (carbohydrate) from the protein.

Rice protein is considered a medium-digesting protein. It absorbs more slowly than whey (which is the speediest one on the market), but it’s faster than casein (the slowest-digesting protein).

Rice protein is not technically a complete protein, but, as we’ll discuss below, it contains enough of the nine essential amino acids (EAAs) to be a great plant-based muscle-builder regardless.

What are the Benefits of Rice Protein?

Because it’s plant-based, rice protein is a viable supplement option for vegetarians and vegans who don’t want to look like your stereotypical vegetarian or vegan (just kidding!). But even carnivores can appreciate rice protein’s various benefits.

Helps Build Muscle

It’s a common perception that plant-based proteins don’t support muscle and strength gains like dairy, egg, and meat sources do, but science suggests otherwise. A 2018 study had MMA fighters split into two groups and supplement with either rice protein or whey to determine the effect. After six weeks, both groups had gained muscle and lost fat, with no discernible difference between them.

“Plant proteins are usually absorbed slower than whey protein due to their composition of more complex carbohydrate structures,” Says Ralf Jaeger, Ph.D., co-founder of the food, beverage, and supplement consulting firm Increnovo, and a co-author on multiple rice protein studies. “However, leucine, the most important amino acid for muscle building, is actually absorbed faster from rice than from whey.” (To be clear, when you take rice protein, you’re getting mostly protein, but, as with whey concentrate powders, there are usually three to four grams of carbs per serving as well.)

No Allergens, No Gluten

Individuals with allergies or sensitivities to soy, lactose, eggs, nuts, and gluten have nothing to worry about with rice protein.

Sustainable and Easy on the Environment

It takes fewer natural resources to produce rice protein than dairy proteins like whey and casein, and growing rice emits less carbon than raising cattle.

Digests Easily

Consuming rice protein usually does not result in bloating, cramping, or other gastric discomfort (many people can’t say the same about whey). According to research in Food Chemistry, rice protein is easier to digest than whey.

To get a little more technical, rice protein has greater than 90% digestibility and a relatively high bioavailability (how much of the protein is actually utilized by the body). For perspective, its ratings compare favorably to soy protein and are on par with pea protein, but rice protein isn’t quite as bioavailable as whey.

Is Rice Protein a Complete Protein?

Technically, rice protein does not meet the criteria to be considered complete (and neither does hemp or pea protein, FYI). To be complete, a protein must not only contain all nine EAAs (tryptophan, threonine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine+cystine, phenylalanine+tyrosine, valine, and histidine), but also offer them in adequate amounts. Animal-derived proteins such as whey, egg, and beef have all of these aminos, and in large amounts, so they get more glory than their plant-based alternatives.

With that said, rice protein isn’t too far off the mark. It provides all of the EAAs, but falls short on lysine. The adequate amount here is 51 mg/g of protein, and rice protein contains only 31 mg/g. Lysine plays a vital role in supporting calcium production, aiding fatty acid metabolism, maintaining healthy cholesterol levels, and the nurturing of connective tissues like tendons and cartilage, so it’s certainly an important amino acid to consume. Fortunately, lysine can be found in a number of other commonly-eaten foods, including red meat, pork, poultry, cheese, cod, eggs, soybeans, tofu, spirulina, and fenugreek seed.

Lysine is also found in sufficient levels (71 mg/g) in another popular plant-based protein powder: pea protein (see our guide to pea protein HERE for more info). Interestingly, pea protein misses complete protein status by being low in only one amino acid also—methionine+cystine. Therefore, if you combine rice and pea proteins (as many plant-based protein supplements do), you’ll get all nine EAAs in adequate amounts.

Rice Protein vs. Whey

In a head-to-head comparison between rice protein and whey, most muscleheads would expect whey to win in a landslide—but it doesn’t.

As discussed in our guide to pea protein article, when looking for a protein powder to help stimulate muscle protein synthesis—and, as a result, drive muscle recovery and growth—there’s one amino acid, in particular, you need to focus on: leucine. It’s one of the three branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), but more specifically, it’s the only one that’s been found to stimulate muscle growth on its own.

Whey contains more leucine than any other protein source, at 104 mg/g of protein. (Adequate leucine levels for complete proteins are 55 mg/g and up.) That’s why whey is widely considered the best protein for building muscle. But with that said, rice protein contains plenty of leucine in its own right, at 80 mg/g. And while it will never match the leucine content of whey, if you take in a sufficient amount of protein in your diet overall, it probably doesn’t matter. Why? Because once you reach a certain amount of leucine (achieved with only 1–2 scoops of virtually any protein powder), getting more of it provides no additional benefit.

Here’s what the science tells us…

It takes 0.7–3 grams of leucine per serving of a protein source to stimulate muscle growth. Take in less than 0.7, and you risk leaving gains on the table, but consuming more than 3 appears to be overkill (not harmful, but produces no additional results). Coming in at the top end of that range takes right around two scoops of rice protein, or a little less than two scoops of whey.

So while whey does the job a bit more efficiently than rice protein, if you take two scoops of a rice protein supp post-workout, you can feel confident that you’re giving your body enough leucine to make the most of the session.

Research bears this out, specifically a 2013 Nutrition Journal study, co-authored by Jaeger. In the experiment, subjects consumed either 48 grams of rice protein or 48 grams of whey post-workout for eight weeks while following a standardized three days per-week resistance-training program. (Forty-eight grams represents right around two scoops of protein powder, or slightly more, as most products deliver 20 grams or so per scoop.)

Results showed that subjects in the rice and whey protein groups experienced equally positive gains in muscle thickness, body composition, and upper- and lower-body strength.

The study shows that rice protein can be on par with whey, but it also begs the question: can you still build muscle with less rice protein—say, one scoop of rice protein instead of two? As the amount of leucine in rice is less, would taking in less rice protein cost you gains?

Jaeger responds: “Twenty-one grams of rice protein would allow you to hit the minimum leucine threshold, and half of what we used in our study [24 grams] should get you there. We’re actually running exactly that study right now: 24 grams of rice protein versus 24 grams of whey. When we did the original study, plant proteins were generally considered to be not as effective for muscle protein synthesis, and we picked a dose that would safely put us over the max of the leucine threshold for both protein sources—that’s why we picked 48 grams.”

If you want to be certain you’re doing all you can for muscle growth, aim for two scoops of rice protein to be sure it loads you up with as much leucine as whey.

Does Rice Protein Cause Bloating?

Many people complain that whey protein makes them feel bloated and gassy, but we haven’t found any such criticism of rice protein supplements. This is likely due to the fact that nearly all of the fiber is stripped from the rice when the starch is separated from the protein during processing. Rice is also a hypoallergenic food.

Is Rice Protein Good for Weight Loss?

Research looking specifically at rice protein’s effectiveness for weight loss is limited, but the 2013 study referenced above found that subjects taking rice protein experienced the same fat loss as those taking whey.

Consistent protein intake in general has been linked to fat loss in numerous studies. High-protein foods tend to make you feel fuller than high-carb foods, and so they can help to control appetite and lead to a lower daily calorie intake.

This seems to hold true whether the protein is plant- or animal-based. One 2015 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed comparable weight loss results in overweight subjects following diets high in either plant proteins or animal sources.

“Overall, protein is beneficial in increasing and maintaining weight loss due to effects on appetite regulation and energy expenditure,” says Jaeger. “It has been speculated that slow-release proteins have greater satiating effects [due to a steady release of amino acids]; however, data on this is inconclusive. This theory would favor rice over whey, as rice is more slowly digested than whey. In addition, the complex carbohydrates in rice should have a greater satiating effect than the simple sugars in whey [lactose]. Either way, I would expect rice protein to be as effective as animal proteins to support weight management.”

How Does Rice Protein Taste?

Better than you’d think. As with whey products, rice protein powders come in a variety of appealing flavors, from vanilla to chocolate to strawberry. Rice protein is slightly sweet and mixes easily in liquids. That said, many people describe its consistency as “chalky.” If possible, purchase individual (one-serving) samples initially instead of an entire container, so you can test the flavor before you invest in a big tub of it.

You can also mix rice protein into a smoothie with other ingredients you enjoy that can mask the powder’s flavor. Almond or coconut milk, fruit, peanut butter, and cocoa can all help cut a chalky taste and offer other nutritional benefits.

Who Should Take Rice Protein?

Vegetarians, vegans and anyone steering clear of dairy for any reason will want to consider rice protein in lieu of whey or casein. This holds whether you’re trying to support muscle and strength gains or just boost your overall protein intake for weight loss or health. Rice protein can be taken throughout the day just like any other protein powder. Mix a scoop into the liquid of your choice and take it with meals, or as a meal-replacement.

Which Rice Has the Most Protein?

Technically, brown rice contains slightly more protein than white rice, and most rice protein powders are made from brown rice. According to Jaeger, though, there’s no need to discriminate between white and brown. “The type of rice doesn’t matter,” he says, “as all same-source proteins will have similar amino acid profiles.”

What to Look for in a Rice Protein Product

When shopping for rice protein, you have the option of going with either a pure rice protein product, where rice is the only protein source, or a plant-based blend, where rice is one of multiple protein sources. Blends often contain pea and hemp protein in addition to rice.

The benefit of a protein blend is that you get a more diverse amino acid profile. This would mean that you’ll get more lysine, the one EAA that’s lacking in rice protein but isn’t in, say, pea protein. But, as mentioned earlier, lysine is found in a host of other foods, so you don’t absolutely have to make sure your protein supplement covers it.

“I personally would be looking for either straight-up rice protein or for a rice/pea protein blend,” says Jaeger, but he recommends looking for one that tastes good to you and dissolves easily.

The post The Complete Guide To Rice Protein Powder appeared first on Onnit Academy.

The truth is, animal protein supps are highly effective, but plant proteins can match the likes of whey, casein, and egg—and pea protein is a fine example. Aside from delivering comparable anabolic benefits to animal proteins, the power of peas is displayed through a number of other attributes, including high digestibility, a broad range of amino acids, and the absence of common allergens.

Below is everything you need to know about making pea protein powder an integral part of your muscle- and health-boosting nutrition plan.

What is Pea Protein

Rest assured, it has nothing to do with urine (although many a musclehead would gladly drink his own piss if he thought it built muscle… but we digress). Pea protein comes from grinding dried field peas—the same type used to make split pea soup—into a powder. The starches and fiber are then extracted so you’re left with just the protein.

Peas naturally contain protein, at around eight grams per cup, although the protein is not considered complete (more on this polarizing subject further down, under Is Pea Protein A Complete Protein?). In terms of speed of digestion, pea protein is considered medium-fast absorbing. Its amino acids (the components of protein) aren’t taken up by the muscles as fast as whey’s are, but they’re not as slow as casein

What Are the Benefits of Pea Protein?

Ralf Jaeger, Ph.D., co-founder of Increnovo, a research-based consulting company serving the food, beverage, and supplement manufacturing industry, can rattle off a number of pea protein positives. “There’s no gas or bloating from pea protein like some may experience with whey,” he says, due to its digestibility and lack of allergens. “Pea protein is plant-based and sustainable, made with nitrogen-recycling, earth-friendly peas, and it’s rich in plant-based iron.” Pea protein also has an array of amino acids.

Let’s take a closer look at these qualities, one by one.

Easily Digestible and Bioavailable

If gastric discomfort via protein powders is an issue for you, you should be in the clear with pea protein, which has a 94% rate of digestibility (i.e., almost all of it will break down during digestion and not stress your gut).

Pea protein also scores decently for bioavailability—the amount of protein actually absorbed and utilized by the body. It’s not quite as good on this front as the animal proteins whey, casein, egg, and other meat sources, but it’s higher than soy, hemp, and bean proteins.

Allergen- and Gluten-Free

The “no allergens” label is generally the biggest selling point for pea protein. The foods people most commonly have allergies or intolerances to include milk/dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat (gluten), and soy, and that can make many commercial protein powders a no-go for them. You don’t have to worry about any of these with a pure pea protein supplement.

Plant-Based, Sustainable, and Earth-Friendly

If you’re even half as concerned about your carbon footprint as you are with building a better body, you’ll appreciate pea protein even more. Unlike whey, peas are relatively easy to produce. They don’t fart carbon into the air or pollute water supplies as cows do. Pea is as “responsible” a protein as any you’ll find.

Rich in Iron

Iron is critical for transporting oxygen throughout the body. Roughly 10% of American women are iron-deficient; fatigue, shortness of breath, and restless legs are among the common symptoms.

Pea protein is high in iron, with most products containing five or more milligrams per serving, which represents at least a quarter of the recommended daily iron intake for adults (19.3–20.5 mg per day for men, 17–18.9 mg for women). Plant-derived iron isn’t absorbed well by the body, but supplementing with vitamin C helps. If you’re a vegetarian or vegan who doesn’t get iron from animal foods, pea protein can provide an important boost for you.

Contains Key Amino Acids

Plant-based proteins are often bashed for not having the muscle-building capabilities of dairy (whey, casein), meat, and egg sources. This is because they don’t have all the amino acids that are considered essential. Yet pea protein has a handful of aminos that are well-known for improving performance and muscle recovery—namely, branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and arginine.

BCAAs, which include isoleucine, leucine, and valine, drive protein synthesis, and, as a result, muscle mass. Around 20% of the aminos in pea protein come from this trio. Whey protein, by comparison, is 25% BCAAs, but arginine is involved in protein synthesis as well, and pea protein has roughly three times the arginine content of whey.

Pea protein contains lysine, an important amino for the health of connective tissue—cartilage, skin, and bones.

Is Pea Protein a Complete Protein?

Technically, the answer is no, but that doesn’t mean that pea protein is inferior to other sources. To answer this question thoroughly, consider the precise definition of a complete protein. It all comes down to the amino acids it contains.

Your body requires 20 amino acids to stay alive. Eleven of these can be produced by your body itself, while the other nine must be obtained from food. These nine are called essential amino acids (EAAs for short).

The nine EAAs are tryptophan, threonine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine+cysteine, phenylalanine+tyrosine, valine, and histidine. Having all these aminos is one thing, but a protein isn’t considered complete if it doesn’t contain adequate amounts of each one.

Pea protein contains all nine EAAs, but it’s not officially a complete protein because it’s an inadequate source of methionine+cysteine. A complete protein provides at least 25 mg/g of this amino, and pea protein only delivers around 11 mg/g.

Methionine+cysteine, however, is found in adequate amounts in many other foods, including eggs, cheese, chicken, beef, fish, wheat germ, oats, and even rice protein powder—so pea protein’s deficiency is only an issue if you’re not eating any other sources of this amino. This could be a problem if you’re a vegan or vegan keto dieter, but most people are likely to get enough methionine+cysteine without having to make a concerted effort.

Many vegetarians and vegans purposely combine food sources to fill in their EAA voids. But since pea protein is only short on one amino acid, you should be able to get the maximum benefit from it if you’re eating a well-rounded diet in addition to supplementation. Also, as you’ll see in this next section, provided it’s taken in sufficient amounts, pea protein can provide the right dose of amino acids you need, and can even stand toe-to-toe with whey for muscle boosting.

Pea Protein vs. Whey

When comparing pea and whey protein powders, the first distinction has already been established: whey is a complete protein and pea technically is not, due to its lower levels of methionine+cysteine.

However, it’s another EAA—leucine—that’s the bigger story here. The three BCAAs are superior to all other amino acids for stimulating muscle protein synthesis (MPS, the process of building muscle), and leucine in particular is the only amino shown to stimulate MPS independently. In other words, leucine is the most anabolic amino acid in the body. Whey has the highest leucine content of all protein sources, and that’s why whey has long been deemed the king of protein supplements, plain and simple.

To put this in perspective, whey contains 105 mg of leucine per gram of protein; pea protein contains roughly 81 mg of leucine per gram. That’s about a 25% difference in leucine between whey and pea proteins, which is significant, but it doesn’t mean that pea protein is a poor choice for muscle gains, and here’s why…

According to the International Society of Sports Nutrition, the optimal amount of leucine for stimulating MPS is somewhere between 0.7 grams and 3 grams per serving, and research shows that getting more than the top end of that range does not stimulate MPS to any greater degree. The discrepancy between whey and pea proteins simply means that it takes less whey to deliver optimal leucine than it does pea.

In other words, you can achieve the same level of MPS as whey with pea protein by simply taking a little bit more of it—enough to put you in that 0.7–3-gram window. This typically ends up being a little more than one scoop, maybe two, depending on the serving size of the product you’re taking.

In a 2015 study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, male subjects ages 18–35 followed the same 12-week upper-body lifting program. Researchers tested biceps muscle thickness at the beginning and end of the training plan. One group of lifters supplemented with 25 grams of pea protein twice a day, and another took the exact same amount of whey protein. Each 25-gram dose of pea protein delivered around two grams of leucine, versus 2.65 grams for whey, but both fell right in the middle of the optimal leucine range.

At the end of the 12 weeks, subjects in the pea and whey protein groups showed identical increases in biceps muscle thickness—both protein types showed greater results than placebo. The take-home here: As long as you’re getting sufficient leucine from your pea protein supplement, the muscular gains are comparable to those from whey.

Does Pea Protein Cause Bloating?

In a word, no. Some people imagine bloating would be an issue with pea protein, as it often is when eating peas, beans, and other legumes in whole-food form. But the process of making pea protein powder removes the fiber and starch from the peas, and essentially removes the risk of digestive stress with it.

“I would recommend pea protein for people who have digestive issues in general,” says Jaeger.

Is Pea Protein Good For Weight Loss?

Nutrition experts and scientific literature alike indicate that pea protein can aid in weight loss. “Pea protein is a natural thickener, so it will especially help with satiety,” says Jaeger, by filling up room in your stomach.

Satiety is tied to decreased appetite, and, consequently, weight loss. In a 2011 Nutrition Journal study, subjects consumed 20 grams of either casein protein, whey, pea protein, egg albumin, a maltodextrin-carbohydrate drink, or water 30 minutes before a meal. Pea protein ranked second, behind only the super slow-digesting casein, in lowering appetite, resulting in subjects consuming fewer total calories for the meal.

Like most protein powders, pea supplements do contain a small amount of carbs. Pea powders generally have roughly the same amount of carbohydrate as whey concentrates—two or three grams per serving. However, the carbs found in peas are naturally complex and relatively low on the glycemic index (GI) chart. So, if you’re following a keto or low-carb diet and want to be aware of every gram of carbs you take in, pea is a good choice.

What to Look for in a Pea Protein Product

Pea protein products deliver anywhere from 15 to 25 grams protein per 1–2-scoop serving, and you can expect calories per serving to come in somewhere between 100 and 150. The calories and macros are pretty much the same as you’d find with whey and other animal-protein products.

A lot of brands combine pea protein with other protein types (such as soy and rice) for a plant-based protein blend. Right away, this remedies the problem of pea protein being low in methionine+cysteine, but it may present other problems, such as the allergenic issues associated with soy, so read your labels. Many of these blended products list pea protein first in the ingredients list, meaning that it’s the most abundant source of protein in the powder.

Jaeger recommends getting a pea protein that has digestive enzymes added in. A 2015 study found that ingesting enzymes along with a pea-rice protein blend improved protein absorption, bringing it closer to the rate at which whey concentrate gets soaked up by your muscles. “Digestive enzymes are even more important as we age,” says Jaeger, pointing out that older individuals don’t absorb protein as well as younger people. “As a consumer, I would pick a plant protein with digestive enzymes over one without.”

How Does Pea Protein Taste?

Like piss! (Just kidding.) Reviews are generally mixed on the overall taste and texture of pea protein, but it’s safe to say that most people don’t enjoy drinking pea protein as much as whey and casein.

However, this is not to say that pea protein tastes awful, or always pales in comparison to whey in the flavor department. Some users report pea protein having a subtle sweetness that they like (despite it only containing one gram of sugar per serving). It’s also been said to be less gritty than other proteins, and has a good consistency.

If you try pea protein and aren’t digging it, the easiest thing to do is combine it with other ingredients to mask the taste. Mix it with almond or coconut milk instead of water, and add fresh or frozen fruit to it in a blender, or nut butter. Bananas, berries and/or almond butter can make a tasty smoothie out of almost any powder, no matter how bitter.

Who Should Take Pea Protein?

Pea powders will obviously have the greatest appeal among vegetarians and vegans who are looking to up their protein intake to support an active lifestyle and promote muscle and strength gains. Pea protein is also a great option for anyone, meat-eater or otherwise, looking to avoid whey or casein due to an intolerance or allergy to dairy.

“I recommend pea protein not just to those adhering to strict plant-based diets, but also to ‘flexitarians’ [flexible plant-based dieters],” says Jaeger. “Pea is also good for people who have digestive issues in general and may have experienced gas and bloating with whey.”

The post The Complete Guide To Pea Protein Powder appeared first on Onnit Academy.

Powerfood Vitality adds texture and natural sweetness to spruce up your morning cup of joe or protein shake without adding a ton of sugar.

We love the nutty undertones from the flax, chia and hemp seeds. All you need is a scoop to get a healthy dose of Omega-3 fatty acids and 5 grams of plant-based protein that will not only excite your tastebuds, but the combination of fiber, fat and protein will slow down digestion to facilitate nutrient absorption and maintaining satiety.

Here are 5 recipes you can start incorporating this hemp protein into your diet today. 

Keto Mint Chip Smoothie

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Yield:	24 oz. shake
Difficulty:	Easy
Prep Time:	5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 scoop grass-fed whey isolate, vanilla
• 1 scoop Powerfood Vitality
• 1 tsp. maca powder
• 1 tsp. chia seeds
• ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp. organic almond butter
• ½ tsp. organic peppermint flavor
• ¼ avocado, skin removed
• 1 (packed) cup organic, fresh spinach
• ⅛ tsp. Himalayan salt
• 2 cups ice
• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1 tbsp. cacao nibs (pulsed for 2 seconds)

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients except for the cacao nibs to a blender.
2. Pulse until smooth.
3. Add the cacao nibs and blend for the last 2 seconds. Pour and enjoy!

Strawberry Banana Optimized Shake

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Yield:	24 oz. shake
Difficulty:	Easy
Prep Time:	5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 scoop grass-fed whey isolate, vanilla
• 1 scoop Powerfood Vitality
• 1 banana, frozen
• 1 cup strawberries, frozen
• 1 tbsp. MCT Oil
• 12 oz. unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• ¼ cup ice

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to a blender, and pulse until smooth.

Optimized Warrior Protein Shake Recipe

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Yield:	24 oz. shake
Difficulty:	Easy
Prep Time:	5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 scoop grass-fed whey isolate, vanilla
• 1 scoop Powerfood Vitality
• 1 tsp. maca powder
• 1 oz. steel-cut oats
• ½ tsp. chia seeds
• ⅛ tsp. Himalayan salt
• 1 tbsp. Emulsified MCT Oil, vanilla
• 2 tbsp. Siggi’s 4% Fat Skyr yogurt
• 2 tbsp. Walnut Almond Cashew Butter
• ½ banana, frozen
• ½ cup blueberries, frozen
• ½ cup strawberries, frozen
• 6 oz. unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 6 oz. filtered water
• ¼ cup ice

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to a blender.
2. Pulse until smooth.

Super Shroom Latte

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Yield:	1
Difficulty:	Easy
Prep Time:	5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 8 fl. oz. Arabica dark-roast coffee
• 4 fl. oz. unsweetened vanilla almond milk, warmed
• 1 tbsp. MCT oil
• 1 tsp. Four Sigmatic, adaptogenic blend of 10 medicinal mushrooms
• 1 scoop Powerfood Vitality

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to a blender. Pulse until frothy. Serve warm!

Powerfood Active Recipes

Making protein shakes is the most common way to consume hemp protein. Beyond shakes, there are dozens of ways to add hemp protein to your diet.

A chocolate-flavored batch can be added to your morning oatmeal, or you can blend the powder into yogurt, fruit, or non-dairy milk.

Hemp protein can also be used as a replacement for flour in baking recipes—you can make protein bars and high-protein pancakes, muffins, and breads with it. (Don’t worry; heat won’t damage the protein.)

And to make things easier, here are 4 recipes using hemp protein you can use to supercharge your day.

King Kong Protein Shake Recipe

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Yield:	24 oz. shake
Difficulty:	Easy
Prep Time:	5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 scoop grass-fed whey isolate, vanilla
• 1 scoop Powerfood Active
• 1 tsp. cacao powder
• 2 tbsp. organic peanut butter
• 1 banana, frozen
• ⅛ tsp. Himalayan salt
• 12 oz. unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1 cup ice

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to a blender.
2. Pulse until smooth and creamy.

Keto Mocha Frap Protein Shake Recipe

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Yield:	24 oz. shake
Difficulty:	Easy
Prep Time:	5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 scoop grass-fed whey isolate, vanilla
• 1 scoop Powerfood Active
• 1 oz. raw, organic almonds
• 1 tbsp. cacao nibs
• 1 tbsp. MCT oil
• 2 tbsp. canned coconut cream
• ⅛ tsp. Himalayan salt
• ¼ avocado, fresh
• 10 oz. unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 6 oz. cold brew
• 1 ½ cups ice

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to a blender.
2. Pulse until smooth. For a chunkier consistency, add the cacao nibs after blending and pulse for 3 seconds.

Keto-Fuel Energy Bites

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Yield:	20 bites
Difficulty:	Easy
Prep Time:	15 minutes
Total Time:	35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 scoop Powerfood Active
• ⅓ cup unrefined coconut oil, melted
• ¼ cup coconut butter, melted
• 2 tbsp. unsweetened almond or coconut milk
• ½ cup dry roasted cashews
• ½ cup dry roasted almonds
• ½ cup pumpkin seeds
• ½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• ½ tsp. Himalayan salt

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to a food processor. Pulse until full combined. The “batter” will be fairly soft and gooey.
2. Lightly coat your hands with coconut oil to prevent sticking.
3. Roll 1 heaping tablespoon into a ball, and place on a parchment paper lined tray or plate.
4. Continue with remaining batter. Sprinkle with additional coconut flakes, if desired.
5. Freeze for 20 minutes, then enjoy!

Optimized Peppermint Mocha Recipe

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Yield:	1
Difficulty:	Easy
Prep Time:	10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 8 fl. oz.fresh-brewed Dark Roast Arabica coffee*
• 4-6 oz. unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1 scoop Powerfood Active
• 1 tsp. cacao powder
• ½ tsp. organic peppermint flavor
• 1 tbsp. MCT oil

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to a blender. Pulse until smooth and frothy. Serve over ice.
2. Sprinkle with additional cacao powder and garnish with a mint leaf, if desired.

Notes:

*Can be made with 4-6 oz. of cold brew, blended, and poured over ice for an iced version of this holiday favorite!

The post Stay Healthy This Holiday Season With These 9 Powerfood Recipes appeared first on Onnit Academy.

Fortunately, unlike the stock market, adding whey to your diet is a pretty safe bet if you’re looking to support muscle gain and fat loss. Find out the facts about whey—from its origins to its benefits and the many varieties it’s available in—with this guide to the world’s most popular muscle supplement.

The Complete Guide to Whey Protein

What is Whey Protein?

Whey makes up 20% of the protein in cows’ milk. Historically, whey was seen as a byproduct of cheese production. Farmers, regarding it as worthless, even went so far as to throw it out! The remaining 80% percent of the protein in milk is casein, which is used to make cheese. If you listened to nursery rhymes as a child (or you’re just really old), the expression “curds and whey” refers to a meal of cottage cheese, where casein is the cheese curds and whey is the liquid they lie in.

In the mid 20th century, when nutrition science began to discover the value of whey by itself, it became a popular supplement and has only gathered momentum since. According to the U.S. Dairy Export Council, there are nearly 6,000 different whey protein products sold worldwide, and, between 2010 and 2015, the number of whey products increased by 34% (compared to just six percent between 2005 and 2009).

Benefits of Whey Protein

There may be no more effective or widely-researched supplement for supporting workouts and changing the way you look than whey protein. People most often use it for the following reasons.

Support Muscle Gain

Whey is a complete protein, meaning that it contains all the amino acids that are considered essential and must be taken in through food (i.e., the body can’t make them). That gives whey an advantage over plant proteins such as rice, which needs to be combined with other types of protein powder or food to offer the full spectrum of aminos in amounts that the body can use to build muscle. One scoop of a whey protein powder (usually around 25 grams) typically offers about 20 grams whey protein.

But what makes whey protein a favorite of muscle-seeking clang-and-bangers everywhere is its leucine content. Leucine is a branched-chain amino acid (BCAA), and research shows it’s the single most important amino for supporting muscle growth. In 2017, the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) released a position stand on protein needs for exercise. For those looking to maximize muscle gains, they recommended eating protein in moderate doses of 20–40 grams, spread among three or four meals throughout the day. Each meal, they said, should aim to contain between 0.7 and three grams of leucine, in addition to a balanced mix of all the essential amino acids. Whey protein fits the bill perfectly.

Whey is so leucine-rich that a single serving of it is on par with what you get from a serving of most protein-dense whole foods. Most palm-sized portions of meat and poultry will give you at least two grams of leucine, and a standard 25-gram scoop of whey protein powder contains 2–2.5 grams of leucine. The Journal of Applied Physiology found that that’s more per gram than other popular protein sources such as eggs, milk (including casein protein, which is also available as a supplement), and soy protein.

Promote Faster Recovery

When you finish a workout, your muscles need protein—and leucine—more than ever to help them rebuild bigger and stronger. A study from Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise found that whey protein delivers leucine to the muscles faster than casein, stimulating muscle protein synthesis sooner. This makes whey protein the better choice post-workout. Casein, however, has its own advantages: because it digests more slowly, it’s a better protein option before bed, so it can feed your body leucine gradually through the night as you sleep.

Aid In Body Recomposition

Even if you’re not looking to get jacked, whey “bro-tein” may still be your best bet, supplement-wise, when it comes to improving your body composition—supporting muscle gain and fat loss. A 2014 study in Nutrition Research found that, when subjects downed whey protein before eating their biggest meal of the day, it promoted more favorable changes in appetite, body composition, body mass, and waist circumference versus soy protein.

And if you have a lot of weight to lose, whey scores again. A 2017 meta-analysis of nine studies showed that whey assisted overweight/obese individuals in losing fat and reducing risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Maintain Overall Health

Whey’s benefits for the heart have been demonstrated in other research as well. A study in the journal Appetite revealed that overweight subjects who strength trained and supplemented with whey protein had higher levels of glutathione (a molecule that supports cellular health) and HDL cholesterol after six weeks than a control group that exercised without supplementation.

Another trial from the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition found a linear relationship between the amount of whey protein consumed and increases in glutathione levels. Subjects who took in 45 grams of whey daily for two weeks increased glutathione by 24%.

Assist In Reaching Optimal Protein Intake

Like all protein supplements, whey is helpful for reaching your total protein intake goal daily. And research suggests that this number should be set quite a bit higher than most people think.

The government’s recommended daily dose of protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram for sedentary people. The ISSN suggests double that for the same population, and triple as much for those who strength train, which comes out to around one gram per pound of your body weight. And if you’re strength training while following a calorie-restricted diet? You need between 2.3 and 3.1 grams per kilogram of lean mass.

Now let’s do the math. If you weigh 200 pounds with 15% body fat and want to diet down, you’re starting with a lean body mass of 170 pounds (which is 77 kilos). Your protein needs would then be 177–238g per day—which is a lot to get from whole foods alone. With 20 grams of the highest-quality protein per serving, a whey supplement offers an economical way to close that gap, and a protein source that you can be sure your body will put to best use.

Whey Isolate vs. Whey Concentrate

Within the whey protein category are a few types of whey. Two of the most popular are whey protein isolate and whey protein concentrate. A concentrate isn’t filtered as extensively as an isolate is, so it still has much of the fat and carbohydrate that existed in the milk it was taken from. Whey concentrates are only 70–80% protein, and are therefore cheaper to buy.

Whey protein isolate, on the other hand, is the gold standard of whey proteins. It’s had the fat and carbs filtered out almost completely, resulting in a powder that’s 90% protein or greater. Because it doesn’t have fat to slow down its digestion, whey isolate is an ideal protein to consume immediately post workout. It’s great if you’re trying to avoid excess calories, or are meticulous about your macros, making it a good supplement choice for dieters.

Hydrolyzed Whey Protein

Another protein that’s whey cool (sorry, we had to) is hydrolyzed whey protein, aka whey protein hydrolysate. This refers to a whey isolate that has had its protein chains broken down into smaller pieces. Essentially, the manufacturer has done some of the digestion for you, so that when you consume the protein it may absorb even faster and get to your muscles more quickly than an isolate alone.

This makes hydrolyzed whey a good choice for athletes with very demanding training schedules, who might be performing two-a-day workouts—for example, MMA fighters who may lift weights in the morning and perform fight training in the afternoon. The same applies to athletes whose sports require multiple competitive bouts in one day, such as wrestlers or tennis players in a tournament. With little time between exercise sessions, speed of recovery becomes more important. A study in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport found that subjects taking hydrolyzed whey were fully recovered six hours later.

However, there’s no clear advantage of hydrolyzed whey over simple whey protein isolate. A trial in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition determined that whey isolate resulted in more rapid absorption of leucine than a whey hydrolysate. Whey isolate is also the less expensive option between the two, and will serve most fitness-seekers just fine.

Whey Protein vs. Grass-Fed Whey

Some supplement companies like to distinguish their whey protein as coming from grass-fed cows. As we explained in our rebuttal to the infamous What The Health documentary, grass-fed meat and dairy has been shown to offer more health benefits and fewer toxins than come from factory-farmed animals. If you’re concerned about the humane treatment of cows and want to support a more sustainable source of whey protein—which is becoming more of a concern as the demand for whey continues to rise—the grass-fed variety is a wise choice.

Mass Gainer vs. Whey Protein

Supplement makers who market to those trying to gain weight often sell products called mass gainers. They contain whey protein but also a lot of other stuff you don’t want in a powder—sugars and fats that pump up the calorie count, usually leading to more body-fat gain than lean mass.

If you want a denser shake, you’re better off making your own so you can control the amount and quality of the ingredients in it. Try blending a banana and a few tablespoons of nut butter with a chocolate-flavored protein powder for a delicious smoothie. You can also see our recipes for other protein smoothie options HERE.

What Should My Whey Protein Have?

In addition to having a good quality protein source, a whey powder should ideally come with compounds that help you digest it so you ensure that the protein gets assimilated and sent to your muscles as intended. A 2017 study found that probiotics, such as the bacillus strain, help maximize the absorption and benefits of protein supplementation.

Digestive enzymes are also helpful. Look for a powder that includes protease, which aids in breaking down protein. Note that even the purest whey isolate powders tend to have a small amount of carbs and fat in them. These aren’t from milk but are added separately from other sources by the manufacturer to improve flavor (whey has a very bitter and unpalatable taste on its own). In this case, you’ll want enzymes that help break down carbs and fat as well, such as amylase and lipase.

Does Whey Protein Cause Kidney Damage?

There’s a persistent rumor that a high intake of protein can cause kidney problems and other health risks. In the summer of 2017, the media sensationalized the tragic death of a female bodybuilder who had supposedly OD’d on protein supplements. However, as CNN reported, the woman had a rare disorder that prevented her body from breaking down protein, leading to a buildup of toxic levels of ammonia in her system.

To put your mind at ease, a study in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases stated there are “no clear renal-related contraindications to high-protein diets in individuals with healthy kidney function.” So, unless you have some pre-existing condition, you should be able to have your daily protein shake and drink it too.

Also, a 2016 study in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism found that men who strength trained and followed a high-protein diet—defined as 2.51–3.32 grams of protein per kilo of body weight—for a total of six months suffered no harmful effects on measures of blood lipids, liver, and kidney function. However, it’s interesting to note that they alternated this high-protein intake with an equal amount of time following their normal diets, which were significantly lower in calories. The study concluded that, “despite the total increase in energy intake during the high protein phase, subjects did not experience an increase in fat mass.”

Should I Take Whey Protein Before Or After A Workout?

Many “bros” and nutritionists alike argue you should consume whey protein afterward. You’ve probably heard about the “anabolic window,” in which you supposedly have an hour or so to recharge your muscles with protein before your recovery becomes endangered. The truth is, according to the ISSN, that window lasts for 24 hours and possibly even longer. So as long as you eat an adequate amount of protein within the next day (or before your next training session), you should be covered.

But with that said, chasing such large protein goals as outlined under Assist in Reaching Optimal Protein Intake requires big shots of protein on the reg. That’s why chugging a protein shake right after a workout is such a popular strategy. It’s fast-acting and convenient, getting the protein into your system without having to prepare a meal. Also, as explained above, it’s especially helpful to get protein into your muscles sooner rather than later if you’re an athlete or very active person who needs to recover quickly before a second or third workout in a single day. Due to whey’s speedy digestion, it will always be an excellent choice right after a workout.

Are Protein Bars Healthy?

Whey protein powder shakes digest fast, so they’re typically not very filling, or at least not compared to a meal of whole food. When they can’t get their hands on a meal, some people like to eat nutrition bars that are high in protein. They’re less messy than a shake, easier to carry around, and can be more satisfying to consume. However, many bars and other chewable protein snacks tend to be high in sugar or fat. Marketed as high-protein alternatives to candy bars, they often don’t offer much of an advantage over a Hershey’s or Snickers, other than packing more protein.

Look for bars and snacks that contain only a few grams of sugar, and five or more grams of protein in a serving. To maximize satiety, a few grams of fiber would be good too. An Australian study found that subjects who ate bars that were high in protein and fiber had lower blood sugar levels than those who ate more sugary snack bars, and they ate fewer calories at their next meal as well. 

The post The Complete Guide to Whey Protein appeared first on Onnit Academy.