[Academic journal article introduction] The optimal way to consume protein and amino acids for building the bodies of athletes (Food and Medicine No. 20)

In the January 1st issue of Food and Medicine (edited by Kodansha Editorial), issue 31, in a special feature titled "Sports and Nutrition," Kato of the Sports Nutrition Department at Ajinomoto Co., Inc. contributed an article on "The optimal method of protein and amino acid intake for athletes to build their bodies."

It is said that athletes' protein needs increase through daily training, but this is also affected by the type of exercise they do and other nutrients they consume, so it is necessary to adjust the amount of protein needed to suit individual circumstances.

Furthermore, since the nutritional function of proteins varies depending on the amino acid composition that makes up the protein, it is important to be aware of the content of "essential amino acids" that cannot be synthesized in the body, and "leucine," which promotes muscle protein synthesis.

However, ingesting only leucine reduces the concentrations of other essential amino acids in the blood, so it is important to ingest other essential amino acid sources in addition to leucine.

In fact, in a group of endurance athletes who consumed a diet enriched with branched-chain amino acids, including leucine, instead of a diet with reduced protein content, it was shown that the required amount of protein was met even when the total protein and amino acid intake was reduced by 55%. This suggests that using amino acids may be an effective way to supplement the amount of protein required per day.

The 20th issue of "Food and Medicine" introduced in this article introduces the latest knowledge and practical information related to the above. If you are interested, we highly recommend subscribing to the magazine.

"Food and Medicine No. 20 WINTER-SPRING" (Kodansha Editorial) | Kodansha BOOK Club (kodansha.co.jp)