IM NUTRITION
Don’t Fear P.M. Protein
Slamming a casein protein shake before bed
is an old bodybuilding strategy when you’re
trying to add muscle. New evidence suggests
it won’t hurt you when you’re trying to lean
out either. In a study published in the journal
Nutrients, two groups of overweight subjects
consumed a beverage 30 minutes before
bed. One group consumed a zero-calorie
drink while the other had 30 grams of casein
protein. Scientists measured the glucose con-
centration in the fat cells and verified that the
casein did not blunt overnight lipolysis (break-
down of fats) compared to the zero-calorie
beverage group. Since muscle preservation is
a big part of optimizing metabolic rate, that
30 grams of nightly casein might ultimately be
helping you burn more fat, especially if you’re
on a calorie-restricted diet.
Train Hard, Stay Healthy
Protein And Probiotics
Forget chicken and rice or coconut oil and coffee, the
latest fitness nutrition pairing seems to be protein and
probiotics. Researchers from the University of Tampa
in Florida put 29 young trained men through a bru-
tal lower-body workout on two separate occasions.
For two weeks before one workout, the men took 20
grams of casein. Before the other workout, they took
the casein supplement plus one billion colony form-
ing units of the probiotic bacteria Bacillus coagulans.
When the subjects included the probiotics they re-
ported less muscle soreness and were able to gener-
ate more power after the workout. The probiotics also
blunted levels of creatine kinase in the blood, which
suggests that the bacteria reduced muscle break-
down. Previous research of Bacillus coagulans showed
that it also improves immune response and digestion.
40 APRIL 2017 | ironmanmagazine.com
Methylsulfonylmethane,
better known as MSM,
has long been used by
athletes for its ability to
promote joint health. A
new study, published
in the Journal Of Sports
Medicine, shows that
supplementing with MSM
can quench post-workout
inflammation that might
otherwise keep you out
of the gym. In the study,
trained subjects were
given three grams of Op-
tiMSM, a patented form
of MSM, for four weeks.
They then performed 100
eccentric knee extensions
in order to get a massive
inflammation response.
After testing the blood for
markers of inflammation,
scientists found that the
group who supplement-
ed with OptiMSM had a
significantly dampened
inflammation response
compared to the group
who took a placebo. The
authors of the study sug-
gest that this indicates a
reduction in post-training
suppression of the im-
mune system that comes
with intense training,
leaving the user less likely
to get sick and with more
cellular resources to train
hard on consecutive day.