Whether you’re a serious gym-goer looking to make major gains, a weekend warrior wanting to keep your weight down, or an outdoor adventure enthusiast, recovery is key to getting back at it again. And again. And again.
After a hard training session, grueling competition, or physically demanding outing of any kind, PROGENEX Recovery gives your muscles exactly what they need to repair, reset, and reap the rewards of your activity.
The Importance of Recovery
Intense physical exertion stresses your muscles to the point that they develop micro-tears – these tears are associated with your muscles’ decreased ability to generate force as they fatigue. Fortunately, this “damage” is only temporary as your body repairs or replaces damaged muscle fibers to form new muscle protein strands. Not only do your muscles “heal,” they recover stronger so that they are ready to undergo the same stresses again without suffering the same degradation.
While you rest, wait, and then resume your activities a day or so later, you may feel as though your body has recovered enough to begin again. But the reality is, without providing your muscles with essential protein for synthesis, microscopic damage to the tissue may not be fully healed yet. As this damage continues to accumulate, you risk subjecting your body to potentially debilitating injuries.
And if your training exceeds that of casual fitness – especially if you train more than once per day – true recovery becomes even more important.
What nutritionists and sports medicine experts are starting to really grasp is that you can’t simply leave recovery up to your body’s natural processes. Instead, specific nutritional supplements are required to ensure a faster, more effective recovery.
Hydrolyzed Whey Protein for Recovery
By supplying your body with a ready source of high-quality hydrolyzed protein, you can help your muscle tissue repair without having to wait for natural processes to break down protein alone. What is “hydrolyzed protein?” After filtering protein to separate it from all of its non-essential components (such as fat and lactose) to achieve whey protein isolate, hydrolyzation occurs when the pure protein is exposed to enzymes that break down the bonds holding the amino acids together. This process separates the protein into “easy-to-absorb-and-utilize” peptide sequences. These ‘pre-digested’ sequences bypass the normal channels of digestion and metabolization and are carried through the bloodstream directly to the damaged muscle tissue. Studies have concluded that hydrolyzed whey protein, when taken either directly before or directly following a workout, can help boost the body’s natural repair process. That means less down-time and a much faster cycle of exercise and repair.
PROGENEX Recovery uses the highest quality hydrolyzed whey protein isolate for quicker regeneration of muscle tissue. Studies have shown that those who use whey protein hydrolysates recover not only more quickly, but also recover much stronger than those who do not.
To determine whether a hydrolyzed whey protein speeds recovery more effectively than intact whey protein isolate, one group of researchers asked subjects to perform 100 maximal eccentric contractions of their knee extensors and then consume either 25 g of hydrolyzed whey protein isolate or intact whey protein isolate. The authors concluded, “Interestingly, peak isometric torque was recovered fully in 6 hours in the whey protein hydrolysate group, while it remained suppressed in the intact whey protein group.” (Buckley et al.)
What does that mean? Those who consumed the hydrolyzed protein regained their ability to perform exercises more quickly than those who consumed regular, intact whey protein isolate.
In a paper compiling the results of several studies, “Protein hydrolysates in sports nutrition,” researcher Anssi H Manninen makes the case for hydrolyzed protein by recognizing that, although largely ignored by many sports nutritionists, amino acids introduced to the body are not all absorbed and utilized equally. About 20-30% of whole-body protein turnover and energy expenditure occurs in the stomach, intestines, pancreas, and spleen (i.e., in digestion) rather than in muscular protein synthesis. Manninen continues,
“Thus, the notion that an amino acid is an amino acid no matter how administered is clearly fallacious.”
Of Rats and Men
In their study, Wang et al. divided 24 rats into four groups: a standard diet without exercise group, an exercise group, an exercise plus standard diet group, and an exercise plus standard supplemented with hydrolyzed protein. For the exercise, the rats were subjected to an exhaustive swimming test (swim until complete fatigue). The rats were then analyzed, weighed, and their skeletal muscle mass was measured.
The results: The hydrolyzed protein supplement group displayed significantly higher concentrations of amino acids during the 72-hour recovery period as well as significant positive correlations between total protein content and amino acids. Additionally, total protein amount of skeletal muscle was significantly increased.
Their conclusion: As with rats, oral supplementation of hydrolyzed protein to a standard diet in humans may be an efficacious option in improving protein retention and is especially important in high-intensity exercise-stress situations.
The Truth About Protein
As more and more athletes have become aware of the benefits of protein supplementation, more and more myths have arisen. Let’s set the record straight:
All protein is not created equal.
First, just like anything, you get what you pay for. Protein comes in varying degrees of quality. Inferior quality will get you inferior results. Remember, while other brands may offer what seems like a great value when it comes to protein supplementation, you may end up paying for protein that your body simply can’t utilize. So you have to ask yourself, “What’s the real cost?”
Second, as discussed above, your body uses hydrolyzed protein more efficiently than intact whey protein isolates. You don’t have to waste money on protein whose energy expenditure happens in the digestive tract rather than in synthesizing muscle tissue.
Third, many protein brands include hard-to-digest fillers and “junk” ingredients that can leave you feeling bloated. PROGENEX Recovery uses the highest quality hydrolyzed whey protein isolate available in a pure and digestible form.
Reset the ‘GO’ Signal
Not only is PROGENEX Recovery the most effective protein on the market in terms of quick absorption, efficiency, and rapid recovery, it is also one of the best-tasting protein supplements available. Choose from one of five amazing flavors and start looking forward to your next workout just so you can slam another shake.
Take PROGENEX Recovery within 30 minutes of your workout and feel the difference that high quality hydrolyzed whey protein isolate can make. Then do it again. And again.
Are you ready to overcome fatigue and restore performance? Get Recovery today.
1 Comment
I love the research that goes in this brand. Progenex or nothing!