Protein is having a moment in health, wellness and performance-based spheres.

Debate about protein quality, quantity and timing is thriving with many leading voices in nutrition science and longevity in favor of consuming amounts higher than the recommended daily allowance (RDA) (and with the science to back them). Separately, research and conversation about the benefits of dietary protein now extend well beyond its importance for muscle building to other areas of health.

These include healthy aging, immunity, metabolic health, recovery from exercise, satiety and weight loss in populations ranging from critically ill pediatric patients to growing children, the elderly and healthy, active adults (Carbone & Pasiakos, 2019).

As one example of its reach, we can look to a 2018 consensus paper, endorsed by the International Osteoporosis Foundation, that reported that protein intake above the current RDA and in conjunction with adequate dietary calcium was associated with higher bone mineral density, a decreased rate of bone loss and a reduced risk of hip fracture in adults with osteoporosis (Rizzoli et al., 2018).

From a sports science perspective, Dr. Marc Bubbs (2019), in his book Peak, highlights protein intake with regard to:
• muscle protein synthesis (MPS)
• muscle repair and recovery
• hypertrophy
• maintaining lean muscle (or limiting lean muscle loss) if in a caloric deficit, and
• improving immune function.

“Athletes whose bodies can’t repair fast enough, or those who are always sick, won’t be able to train intensely enough to pass the competition. This makes protein intake crucial for athletic recovery,” he says (Bubbs, 2019, p. 189).

Protein Supplementation

When we talk about overall intake, supplementation with protein powder becomes an important part of the conversation. Pros to supplementation include filling nutritional gaps and protecting against nutrient deficiencies. In addition, protein powders offer convenience, portability, variety, and can function as a conduit to fun (consider the endless options for crafting tasty protein shakes packed with nutrients from fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and certain whole grains).

Cons to protein powders include cost and potential exposure to added sugars, other food additives and contaminants. As with all supplementation, best practices when selecting a protein powder include doing your research, reading labels and using products that have been third-party tested and certified by organizations like NSF or USP (remember to look for the seal!).

What’s So Surprising About Whey?

When considering protein powder options, whey protein leads the conversation for its ability to stimulate MPS and therefore yield the best outcomes for improved body composition, recovery and athletic performance.

However, what few people talk about—what all the lists that rate and rank protein powders typically fail to point out—is that whey is not right for everyone.

Whey protein is an animal-based product. It comes from cow’s milk and, along with casein, is a by-product of cheese-making (Pritzker, 2022). With this in mind, I have noticed attention on the fact that whey, along with casein, egg and collagen protein, is not suitable for vegans.

What consistently gets missed is consideration for food sensitivities, and what personally shocked me is that whey protein is among a list of foods and supplements that can negatively impact ferritin, a biomarker related to iron that is crucial for energy and optimal health.

“Black, green and white tea, whey protein, and coffee can suppress ferritin production and conversion,” says Karr et al. (2023, p. 240) in Our Journey With Food.

“Antacids, milk thistle, anti-inflammatory medications, black tea, and dairy products (including whey protein) can decrease ferritin and exacerbate malabsorption issues such as ulcerative colitis, IBS, Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, GI ulcers and colon cancer,” they also point out (Karr et al., 2023, p. 238).

The Athlete’s Perspective

Whey Protein and Food Sensitivities

In high performance sports and other environments that demand heavy training loads, nutrient timing is key, and it can be difficult to keep up with energy requirements. I remember when news came out about Micheal Phelps consuming up to 10,000 calories a day to keep up with his training load leading into the Beijing Olympics.

I never came close to this intake, even at the height of peak training volume, which included three sessions a day. But trust me when I say that I know what it is like to feel like eating is a job. It is a lot more work and a lot less fun than it sounds.

Tale of the Post-Workout Shake

To help support training load, I consistently brought a “recovery shake” to have after morning workouts. For most of my career, the shake consisted of a mix of carbs and whey protein, and essentially enabled me to shower and stretch after practice instead of rush home to refuel.

As with most post-workout nutrition, the goal was to stimulate recovery and impact the factors that Bubbs nicely defines.

“Nutrition can enhance recovery by promoting muscle repair, restoring glycogen status, reducing fatigue, cooling excessive inflammation, supporting immunity and digestive health, and improving overall health,” he says (Bubbs, 2019, p. 187).

Noted and well understood.

But what happens when you are diligent with your nutrition and then come to find out that your nutrition is actually not working for you?!

That was my case when an IgG food panel revealed sensitivity to cow’s milk, goat’s milk, casein and whey. To show that I am not an anomaly, my husband’s test results revealed something similar. His entire 144 food panel—a sensitivity test covering 144 different foods—yielded green marks (i.e., “very low” sensitivity and OK to eat) with exception of cow’s milk, baker’s yeast and whey.

Go figure.

The key learning: Whey protein is held up as the gold standard, particularly for athletes in sport. The lesson here is that despite how it’s touted, it is not a panacea, and it is not a universal fix. While on paper it might be the best for stimulating MPS thanks to factors like amino acid profile and rate of absorption, it might not be the best choice for you.

Whey Protein, Iron Status and Ferritin

The second key learning and, for me, what came as the biggest surprise was the potential for whey to decrease serum ferritin.

Why is this important in the context of sport?

Iron deficiency is reported to affect 3-11% of male athletes, 15-35% of female athletes and up to 52% of adolescent female athletes (Sims et al., 2022; Cleveland Clinic, 2023). Related, athletes and supplementation go hand-in-hand, with the International Olympic Committee even naming whey protein as one of six evidence-based supplements that support athletic performance (Bubbs, 2019).

If you are an athlete conscious of your ferritin levels or working to correct for iron deficiency with or without anemia, you certainly do not want to consume foods that will hinder or harm the process.

According to one resource from the Iron Disorders Institute, ways to boost your ferritin include avoiding coffee, tea, high fiber, eggs, chocolate, and dairy and calcium supplements two hours both before and after a “meat meal.”

It is worth noting that when making dietary changes or choices to correct for issues like low ferritin or iron balance, it is important to work with a clinician. Iron status, in particular, is one area where bio-individuality reigns with genetics putting 11 million Americans at risk for having too much blood iron, and age, gender and origin impacting the rates of too little blood iron across populations (Iron Disorders Institute, n.d.).

High Performance Mindset

Respecting and integrating bio-individuality into nutrition, training, recovery, and whatever other context you chose, is high performance mindset.

Health and high performance, in my mind, is living in alignment with your core values and using the confidence and self-trust that results to get and give the best of yourself. This takes self-awareness and self-management skills. It takes openness, curiosity, confidence and trust, compassion for self, compassion for others, and a willingness to be open to learning and growth.

High performance mindset is not easy. It takes courage to lean into what’s true for you, especially when it does not align with the norm.

It sounds trivial but let’s circle back to whey protein. Put yourself in a high school locker room where a group of rowdy teenagers are celebrating their “big gains” by refueling with the latest, greatest whey protein. You are the one with the dairy allergy or sensitivity to whey. You are the one with the family that is vegan. Meaning: You are the one whose left out.

This is where I call on the importance and impact of leaders—the parents, teachers, coaches, mentors and anyone who may be a role model for youth. Teach the value of knowing how to identity what is true and right for oneself. Teach the value of learning to speak it. And teach how to embrace your best self.

This is a strength of individuals. This is a strength of teams, both in and outside of sports.

Author’s Note

Hello, my friends!

With my spring term at Pacific College of Health and Science (PCHS) wrapping up next week, this will be the last post (for now) in the Sports Nutrition Series. I want to say a sincere and enthusiastic “thank you!” to my professor, Dr. Tammara Karr, who facilitated the evolution of this series.

Dr. Karr taught my cohort in two different nutrition courses—one on holistic approaches to wellness and one on supplemental approaches to peak performance. She generously gave us students the freedom to explore nutrition topics in ways that were meaningful and relevant to us as individuals. She challenged us to consider our personal biases and examine all sides of issues including controversies and perceived truths.

Dr. Karr is a wealth of knowledge, incredible resource and carries with her remarkable life experience and perspective. Please check out her work as a holistic nutrition coach HERE. Read her recent contribution on LinkedIn about working through challenges and the importance of shining your light HERE.

Personal update

For those new to the blog, I have one more term left before earning a Master of Science in Health and Human Performance from PCHS. In December, I hope to successfully complete the program and earn official credentialing through the International Coaching Federation (ICF). Both pursuits have ultimately been in the service of you, enabling me to expand my knowledge base and professional skills in high performance and mental skills coaching.

Also upcoming, please follow me, Next Level Rowing and Team USA as we compete in the World Rowing Coastal Championships and World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals in September.

As always, thank you for reading!

Keep training hard, eat well, stay focused and strong. Do what you love to nourish your body, mind, spirit and soul.

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References

Bubbs, M. (2019). Peak: The New Science of Athletic Performance That Is Revolutionizing Sport. Chelsea Green Publishing.

Carbone, J. W., & Pasiakos, S. M. (2019). Dietary Protein and Muscle Mass: Translating Science to Application and Health Benefit. Nutrients, 11(5), 1136. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11051136

Cleveland Clinic. (2023, March 31). Iron Deficiency: An Under-Recognized Condition in Female Athletes. https://consultqd.clevelandclinic.org/iron-deficiency-an-under-recognized-condition-in-female-athletes

Iron Disorders Institute. (n.d.). Iron-Out-Of-Balance. Retrieved July 17, 2024, from https://irondisorders.org/iron-out-of-balance/

Karr, T. J., Bell, K., & Guptha, L. S. (2023). Our Journey with Food (3rd ed.). Summerland Publishing.

Maughan, R. J., Burke, L. M., Dvorak, J., Larson-Meyer, D. E., Peeling, P., Phillips, S. M., Rawson, E. S., Walsh, N. P., Garthe, I., Geyer, H., Meeusen, R., van Loon, L. J. C., Shirreffs, S. M., Spriet, L. L., Stuart, M., Vernec, A., Currell, K., Ali, V. M., Budgett, R. G., Ljungqvist, A., … Engebretsen, L. (2018). IOC consensus statement: dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete. British journal of sports medicine, 52(7), 439–455. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2018-099027

Pritzker, S. (2022, August 11). Animal-Based Protein Powder: Types and Benefits. Verywell Fit. https://www.verywellfit.com/animal-based-protein-powder-types-and-benefits-5525492

Rizzoli, R., Biver, E., Bonjour, J. P., Coxam, V., Goltzman, D., Kanis, J. A., Lappe, J., Rejnmark, L., Sahni, S., Weaver, C., Weiler, H., & Reginster, J. Y. (2018). Benefits and safety of dietary protein for bone health-expert consensus paper endorsed by the European Society for Clinical and Economical Aspects of Osteopororosis, Osteoarthritis, and Musculoskeletal Diseases and the International Osteoporosis Foundation. Osteoporosis international, 29(9), 1933–1948. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00198-018-4534-5

Sims, S. T., Mackay, K., Leabeater, A., Clarke, A., Schofield, K., & Driller, M. (2022). High Prevalence of Iron Deficiency Exhibited in Internationally Competitive, Non-Professional Female Endurance Athletes-A Case Study. International journal of environmental research and public health, 19(24), 16606. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192416606