Fish-Protein Helps Mice Keep on Swimmin’!

It’s been known for some time in nutritional circles that the quality of protein is often more important than the amount you consume. Most people will consume adequate protein to bulk-up, support endurance, or even just function in everyday life by eating a balance diet.

However, different types of protein may be more readily used by the body than others, and some specific proteins may even influence the activity of enzymes in order to effect performance, health and body-composition.

Protein from the Chinese Grass Carp, prized in Chinese Cuisine, has been previously shown to affect the production of antioxidant enzymes in the body. This study revelead that in mice models, this property can go on to improve endurance!!

Mice were fed the fish-protein once per day before swimming exercise for a 28 d training regime.

Exercise metabolism was monitored by looking at glycogen concentrations (carb stored in the muscles and used during exercise) blood sugar and lactic acid,and protein metabolism. In addition, antioxidant enzymes in the body were analysed (superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase, and catalase (CAT).

Compared with those mice on a normal diet, fish protein significantly prolonged exercise time; increasing the time mice could swim before exhaustion! The high-dosage was the most effective .

Liver glycogen was remarkably increased by seven times or more, showing that the fish protein actually helped carb storage to support endurance! Fish protein also sped up the removal of waste products such as lactic acid, and urea.

Antioxidant enzymes were unaffected by the fish-protein, but metabolic improvements seemed to allow supplementation to enhance performance.

Our own “bioactive protein” strategies have helped numerous athletes support a high training load and enhance performance. Bovine Colostrum may stimulate the body to produce anabolic hormones as well as immune-cells, to help you maintain a high training load:

http://www.yoursportsnutrition.com/proteins/colostrum.html

Ren J, Zhao M, Wang H, Cui C, You L. (2011) “Effects of supplementation with grass carp protein versus peptide on swimming endurance in mice”; Nutrition. Jul-Aug;27(7-8):789-95. Epub 2010 Dec