Protein Supplements Work for Women But Not Men

Women should take protein supplements during fasted carbohydrate-restricted exercise, while men should be aware that it will increase their perception of effort.

Highlights:

Protein supplement helps improve training intensity in women
However, in men, taking protein supplements did not increase their training intensity
Future studies are need to determine the effects of long-term usage of protein hydrolysate supplements during carbohydrate-restricted training

Consuming a protein supplement during carbohydrate-restricted training, specifically protein hydrolysate, can help improve training intensity in women, but not in men, reveals a new study.//

That's according to new research which will be part of a presentation this week at The Physiological Society's Annual Conference Physiology 2021.

The Truth Behind the Scoop: Potential Risks of Protein Powder
Protein powder can be a sneaky source of unwanted ingredients besides protein. Explore the hidden dangers of protein powders.

‘Women should take protein supplements during fasted carbohydrate-restricted exercise, while men should be aware that it will increase their perception of effort.’

Most nutrition guidelines for athletes are based on research in men only. This study, by Tanja Oosthuyse and her colleagues, emphasizes that this shouldn't be the case, because nutritional research findings in men don't always apply to women.

While the protein supplement helped training intensity in women, it did not improve training intensity and instead resulted in modest negative effect in men. It made exercise feel harder for them because their bodies were working harder to break down the supplement, as compared to when they were drinking just plain water.

The conclusion from this research is that women should ingest protein supplements during fasted carbohydrate-restricted exercise, while men should be aware that it will increase their perception of effort.

Future studies need to determine whether ingesting protein hydrolysate supplements during carbohydrate-restricted training over a longer time frame of weeks or months will be beneficial.

In this study, the researchers did not consider menstrual phase. Follow up studies are needed to determine whether the improved training intensity when ingesting a protein hydrolysate compared with placebo-water is specific to menstrual phase.

Whey Protein Supplement Repairs, Rejuvenates Muscles In The Elderly
A combination of whey protein supplements and other ingredients in a ready-to-drink formula can greatly improve the physical strength of the elderly.

Commenting on the study, first author Tanja Oosthuyse said, "The application of the findings from our study are purely for the specialized training tactic of overnight fasted carbohydrate-restricted exercise that aims to enhance training.

Racing nutrition, however, is very different and at the moment guidelines are standard for both men and women. We need to specify potential differences so that both men and women can train and race at the highest possible caliber."

Source-Eurekalert