Dietary Protein and Testosterone: What\u2019s The Verdict?<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a belief held as tight as gold in the bodybuilding community; you need protein- and lots of it, to build immense amounts of muscle mass. And it is true. To an extent. What is NOT well known, is the negative relationship between protein and our primary muscle building hormone- testosterone. Is this claim too mind blowing to believe? Hold on to your gains- this is about to get serious!<\/p>\n
The Research Is In, And You May Not Like It<\/p>\n
Before we delve into the research of it all, ask yourself- why is it that we force ourselves to consume tons of protein daily? Most \u201cserious\u201d natural athletes will strive to consume 1-1.5g\/protein per pound of bodyweight, translating to well over 40% of daily caloric intake.
\nIs it easy? Not by a long shot, since it often requires multiple force feeding sessions, not to mention the peri-workout nutrition window.
\nBut who is it that pushes the agenda for us to consume that enormous load of protein? As you may have figured out already- it is some of the less honest supplement manufacturers (in other words, not Redcon1!), more specifically, often of cheap and poor quality protein powders.<\/p>\n
Research doesn\u2019t lie (unless it was paid for by big Pharma!)<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s look at some of the most convincing arguments, proving that the current recommendations are not only inflated but also unnecessary.<\/p>\n
Study#1
\nThe Link Between Dietary Protein\/ Carbohydrate Ratios And Steroid Hormone Concentrations In Blood.<\/p>\n
To start off the anti-brainwashing campaign, consider this food for thought; a study conducted by the Journal of Life Sciences on seven men was able to find that higher protein intake was not associated with a superior hormone profile.
\nResearchers investigated the differences in blood testosterone levels, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), cortisol and corticosteroid binding globulin (Transcortin) levels, and if it was related to dietary differences. In particular was the interest in if a higher carbohydrate: dietary protein ratio had a different effect on these hormones than a diet containing a higher protein: carb ratio.
\nThe findings were clear; following ten days of a higher carb: protein dietary ratio, the following could be seen, when compared with the higher protein: carb diet:<\/p>\n
Hormone<\/span><\/td>\n | Higher Carb: Protein Ratio<\/span><\/td>\n | Higher Protein: Carb Ratio<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\nTestosterone<\/span><\/td>\n | 468 +\/- 34 ng\/dl<\/span><\/td>\n | 371 +\/- 23 ng\/dl<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | SHBG<\/span><\/td>\n | 32.5 +\/- 2.8 nmol\/l<\/span><\/td>\n | 23.4 +\/- 1.6 nmol\/l<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | Cortisol<\/span><\/td>\n | 7.74 +\/- 0.71 micrograms\/dl<\/span><\/td>\n | 10.6 +\/- 0.4 micrograms\/dl<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | Corticosteroid Binding Globulin<\/span><\/td>\n | 635 +\/- 60 nmol\/l<\/span><\/td>\n | 754 +\/- 31 nmol\/l<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n | <\/p>\n What does this mean in its simplest terms?<\/p>\n The higher carb: protein diet resulted in higher levels of circulating testosterone, along with an increased concentration of its \u201ccheck\u201d hormone, SHBG Higher Carb: Protein Diet<\/p>\n Higher Protein: Carb Diet<\/p>\n The overall difference of free Testosterone amounts to just more than 7%, mediocre at best. If this minuscule change can cause a large difference in protein synthesis among the two groups is yet to be determined, as more studies need to be undertaken first. This study is not only earth shattering but will blow your mind. The bodybuilding and fitness community have held the belief that the “peri-workout\u201d window is the most important time to load up on protein so as to ensure muscle growth. However, as you will soon see, the truth is likely the opposite. We have been taught that fat is bad prior to workouts, except that the truth is fat may be responsible for most of your gains as a result of post-exercise Testosterone spikes.<\/p>\n A little background of the study: It can be seen that following an exercise session testosterone levels increased, with jump squats resulting in a larger testosterone surge then from the bench press. Now, that is interesting and all, but what is mind blowing is the relationship between pre-exercise testosterone levels and dietary intake for the day. See the figure below:<\/p>\n Not sure what you\u2019re looking for? Ok, let\u2019s break it down: Study#3 Another major blow to some of the big protein supplement pushers out there is the fact that this study conducted in New York in 2015, debunked the claim that protein supplementation resulted in superior muscle protein synthesis following resistance workouts.<\/p>\n This study involved 10 healthy young men, receiving either a placebo drink or a protein supplement consisting of 20g protein, 6g carbs, and 1g fat post workout. What does this mean? It means that consuming your protein shake directly after exercise does not necessarily mean better muscle growth effects from that workout.<\/p>\n Keep in mind that it is all about the daily amount of protein you consume and protein supplements such as whey are still and awesome addition to your muscle growth stack, just don\u2019t believe the hype that you NEED to consume it directly after your workouts or you will be missing out.<\/p>\n Study#4 Now just wait for a second- before you think this contradicts one of the points of consuming less protein, consider this; the men partaking in this study were older, ranging between 40-70 years. \u2028\u2028Sure, the sample size was larger (1552) but without the participants spread widely over an age range, we can only hypothesize that this applies to older men. This study was undertaken by researchers attached to the University of Massachusetts Medical School, but interestingly protein intake was restricted to less than 80g\/day. Had they been consuming a slightly higher amount of protein, results could have possibly been different. Summing It All Up<\/p>\n Since the studies can be quite a bit to digest, it\u2019s important for you to understand the most important points:<\/p>\n Protein will not increase your testosterone levels. This has been established in multiple studies and is counterproductive. Yes, we understand your tightly held belief that protein builds muscle faster than anything else, but it is time to understand that studies paid for by the supplement manufacturers aren\u2019t all that they’re hyped up to be. They need to sell products and make money and will provide you viable \u201cpseudo-science\u201d to back it up. References:<\/p>\n Anderson, K. E., Rosner, W., Khan, M. S., New, M. I., Pang, S., Wissel, P. S., & Kappas, A. (1987). Diet-hormone interactions: protein\/carbohydrate ratio alters reciprocally the plasma levels of testosterone and cortisol and their respective binding globulins in man. Life Sciences, 40(18), 1761-1768.<\/p>\n Jeff S. Volek, William J. Kraemer, Jill A. Bush, Thomas Incledon, Mark Boetes Nutrition Research. 2015 Nov;35(11):990-1000. doi: 10.1016\/j.nutres.2015.09.006. Epub 2015 Sep 10.Protein supplementation does not alter intramuscular anabolic signaling or endocrine response after resistance exercise in trained men. Gonzalez, Hoffman, Jajtner, Townsend, Boone, Beyer, Baker, Wells, Church, Mangine, Oliveira, Moon, Fukuda, Stout.<\/p>\n Longcope, C., Feldman, H. A., McKinlay, J. B., & Araujo, A. B. (2000). Diet and sex hormone-binding globulin. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 85(1), 293-296.<\/p>\n Protein ingestion prior to strength exercise affects blood hormones and metabolism. Hulmi , Volek , Sel\u00e4nne , Mero. University of Jyv\u00e4skyl\u00e4, Finland 2005.<\/p>\n Endurance Exercise and Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) Supplementation Up-Regulate CYP17A1 and Stimulate Testosterone Biosynthesis.Rosario Barone, Filippo Macaluso, Patrizia Catanese, Antonella Marino Gammazza, Luigi Rizzuto,Paola Marozzi,Giuseppe Lo Giudice,Tomaso Stampone,Francesco Cappello,Giuseppe Morici,Giovanni Zummo,Felicia Farina,and Valentina Di Felice. Sci Rep. 2016; 6: 19781. Published online 2016 Jan 27. doi: 10.1038\/srep19781<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dietary Protein and Testosterone: What\u2019s The Verdict? It\u2019s a belief held as tight as gold in the bodybuilding community; you need protein- and lots of it, to build immense amounts of muscle mass. And it is true. To an extent. 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