Old and Bold

Whether it’s a taut bottom or thunderous thighs, chiseled pecs or bulging bi’s, supplementing your weight training with quality ingredients is what separates the contenders from the pretenders.  Throughout the day, you must complement your vigorous training with the earth’s finest ingredients, namely complex carbohydrates (like whole grains), lean protein (like fish and grass-fed bison) and fresh fruits and vegetables (like broccoli and cantaloupe).

And this is true in the young and old.  In other words, no matter how old you get, so long as you’re exercising and supplementing your diet properly, the muscle-building benefits stay with you.

Growing Old, but Still Growing

According to a recent study conducted by researchers from Maastricht University Medical Center in the Netherlands, consuming protein immediately after exercising enhances muscle building activity considerably more than those that eat protein but did not exercise.

Now, given all that we know, that’s not a surprise.  But what is a surprise is that age, apparently, does not adversely affect muscle growth.  Young or old, muscles continue to grow.  This flies in the face of what’s become conventional wisdom – that as we age, our ability to grow new muscle deteriorates.  Not so, so say the researchers.

To determine this, researchers recruited approximately 50 men, half in their early 20s, the other half septuagenarians (i.e. in their 70s).  The researchers then randomly assigned each of them to one of two groups.  Both groups rested for a period of 90 minutes, but at the 90-minute mark, one of the groups performed 30 minutes of strength training and stationary biking.  The other group, meanwhile, remained at rest.

Where the groups really separated themselves, though, was when all the men drank protein shakes given to them by the Dutch researchers.  To test how the protein shakes affected their muscle building potential, the researchers took blood samples and thigh tissue biopsies from each of them (ouch!).  Biopsies were taken pre-drink and post-drink to see if there was any differentiation in muscle-growth activity.

While all the men had greater muscle growth and protein content after drinking their shakes, according to the results, the men that exercised and supplemented had the most.  What really surprised the researchers, though, was the fact that significant muscle growth occurred in spite of age.  In other words, no matter how old they were – spring chickens and wizened retirees alike – greater muscle growth was observed in all ages of those that supplemented after exercising.

The findings are published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Growing by Resting

See, a lot of people believe that it’s during the activity of exercise that muscle growth takes place.  In reality, the exercising – the pounding, the pedaling, the pushing, the pulling – is what breaks down muscle tissue.  What builds muscle and makes them stronger than they were before is what’s done after exercise – namely, resting, recovering, and refueling.  That’s why personal trainers strongly advise against exercising the same muscle group on consecutive days.  You can do it, sure, but you’re short-circuiting your growth potential by not giving them enough rest.

So, if we know that muscle growth occurs in spite of age, and that protein is the building block of muscle, what’s the best source of protein?  Is one better than another?

Well, ideally, the best protein sources are lean, organic food sources like chicken breast, turkey breast, fish and grass-fed bison.  But when you’re looking to refuel after a hard-fought workout, you want something quick, easy and nutritious.

Well, look no further than Jay Robb’s Whey Protein Isolate.

Coming in a variety of flavors – from old stand-bys like Chocolate and Vanilla to tropical sensations like Pina Colada and Dreamsicle – Jay Robb’s whey suits even the most discriminating of palettes (and if you’re one who prefers protein powder added to food, like oatmeal, there’s an unflavored variety as well).  A level scoop of Jay Robb’s whey protein powder replenishes your muscles with 25 grams of protein – just the ingredients they need for growth.

And speaking of ingredients, that’s where the Jay Robb brand of protein separates itself from the rest of the protein pack.  Because the quality ingredients you’ll find in Jay Robb’s protein powder are far superior to the more well-known protein powders full of artificial ingredients and synthetic sweeteners.

Not the case with Jay Robb’s Whey Protein Isolate.  The only thing you’ll get with Jay is 100 percent whey protein isolate that’s derived from the milk of grass-fed cows.  This is an important distinction, because unfortunately, cows are often loaded with rBGH, or Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone.

What’s Wrong with rBGH?

The rate of rBGH use has declined considerably in recent years (it’s been banned in Canada and parts of Europe), but a small percentage of dairy farmers still use it.

Why?  Simple.  Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone is injected into a cow’s hindquarters to stimulate greater milk production.  And it works, as dairy farmers are able to squeeze out up to 15 percent more milk from their cows’ udders.

And with more milk to sell, there’s more money to be made.

Nothing wrong with good old-fashioned capitalism at its finest, but not when you consider the consequences of rBGH use, which include udder infections, reproductive problems, digestive disorders, and a host of other bovine plights.

While there haven’t been any clinical studies done on the potential human health hazards of rBGH, given their deleterious impact on beasts of the earth, one can only imagine how devastating they must be to mere humans!

Not to worry, though, with Jay Robb’s Whey Protein Isolate.  It’s quite simply the best tasting, best quality protein you’ll find on the market today.  Find out more about it by visiting Jay Robb’s web site, or by reading my interview with him.

Until then, here’s to maximizing your muscle-building potential with weight training and timely, high-protein hydrating…at all ages!

Sources
newsmaxhealth.com
shirleys-wellness-cafe.com
archive.centerforfoodsafety.org
rbstfacts.org