Gymgoers everywhere chug down their protein shakes in the hope of building back some hard-earned muscle, but a new study may shed light on the benefits of blending collagen and whey protein that can make your shake way better.
Proteins are basically amino acids, otherwise known as the building blocks of muscle and if you workout but don’t eat enough protein, the muscles will sadly break down, trashing your efforts in the training room. Previous studies have suggested that if you eat somewhere between one-to-two pounds of protein per kilogram of body weight, per day, then you can not only prevent muscle loss, but actively build more lean mass. Whey is a preferred source of protein because it is assimilated well by the body.
An important part of the muscle building process is that protein is synthesized by the myofibril (the long, thin chains that are housed by each muscle fiber) after they become damaged by exercise, allowing them to grow back thicker and leading to bigger muscles. It stands to reason then that increasing the rate of protein synthesis in myofibril chains would be a huge development and, according to a new study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, it appears that adding collagen to your protein shakes could seriously supercharge your results.
Why Add Collagen to Your Whey Protein Shakes?
While post-exercise whey intake has previously been shown to stimulate protein synthesis in the myofibril, it does not appear to have the same effect in the connective tissues. This is where collagen comes in. Muscle connective protein such as collagen is rich in glycine and proline, so scientists theorized that because dietary collagen protein contains high levels of glycine and proline, it could be considered as a preferred protein source to promote connective tissue remodelling. In a test including 28 healthy men, the scientists showed that a blend of whey and collagen not only addressed the issue of getting protein to the connective tissues, but it also had a greater effect on myofibrillar protein synthesis.
The experts behind the new study were also able to shed light on the difference between taking this blend pre or post workout. “Ingestion of the protein blend increased both myofibrillar and muscle connective protein synthesis rates in the rested leg,” stated the report. However, “Following exercise, protein blend ingestion increased myofibrillar but not muscle connective protein synthesis rates in the exercised leg.” In other words, for the health of your connective tissues, be sure to consume protein at rest, and for muscle building, the effects of the blend can be enjoyed at any time.
To test this promising new protein blend for yourself the scientists recommend a 5:1 ratio, meaning you could blend 25 grams of whey with 5 grams of collagen to potentially bolster your bodybuilding efforts.
