Case studies: Effects of beef, whey and carbohydrate supplementation in female master triathletes
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14198/jhse.2019.141.14Keywords:
Nutrition, Iron, Athletic performanceAbstract
Appropriate nutritional supplementation is crucial for athletic performance, particularly for female endurance athletes as their numbers steadily increase. This report involves a set of six case studies examining the effects of ingesting a post-workout supplement containing beef, or whey or carbohydrate on iron status, blood indices, muscular thickness, peak oxygen consumption (VO2 max) and body composition in six female masters-age (> 35 years old) triathletes. Over a 10-week training period, a 20 g supplement was ingested immediately post workout or during breakfast on the non-training days. Of the six analyzed cases, two ingested protein powder from beef, two consumed whey, and two consumed maltodextrin. Data showed that concomitant with increased dietary iron ingestion, levels of the iron-storage protein ferritin increased in beef-consumers (by 56% and 74 %) and carbohydrate-consumers (by 71% and 27 %), but decreased in whey-consumers (by 55% and 36%). Contrastingly, the effect on transferrin levels was highly variable between participants in each supplementation case. The whey-consumers showed reduced RBC count (by 6%), hematocrit (by 8%) and red blood cell distribution width (by 14% and 5%). While one beef-consumer showed a remarkable 34% increase in platelets, the whey and carbohydrate-consumers showed reduced platelets, but increased neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio. Vastus medialis thickness reduced in carbohydrate-consumers (by 6% and 5%), unlike the beef and whey-consumers. Females consuming beef increased iron stores and platelets, while those ingesting whey were unable to maintain specific RBC indices. Only the four athletes ingesting protein-containing supplements were able to maintain muscle thickness, thereby averting muscle loss.
Funding
Crown Sport NutritionDownloads
References
Adamson, J. W. (1994). The relationship of erythropoietin and iron metabolism to red blood cell production in humans. Seminars in Oncology, 21(2 Suppl 3), 9–15.
Akin, M., Atay, E., Oztekin, O., Karadeniz, C., Karakus, Y. T., Yilmaz, B., & Erdogan, F. (2014). Responsiveness to parenteral iron therapy in children with oral iron-refractory iron-deficiency anemia. Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, 31(1), 57–61. https://doi.org/10.3109/08880018.2013.829540
Alaunyte, I., Stojceska, V., & Plunkett, A. (2015). Iron and the female athlete: a review of dietary treatment methods for improving iron status and exercise performance. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 12, 38. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-015-0099-2
Aoi, W., Naito, Y., & Yoshikawa, T. (2006). Exercise and functional foods. Nutrition Journal, 5, 15. https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-5-15
Beck, K. L., Thomson, J. S., Swift, R. J., & von Hurst, P. R. (2015). Role of nutrition in performance enhancement and postexercise recovery. Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine, 6, 259–267. https://doi.org/10.2147/OAJSM.S33605
Camaschella, C. (2015). Iron-deficiency anemia. The New England Journal of Medicine, 372(19), 1832–1843. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMra1401038
Clark, M. R. (1988). Senescence of red blood cells: progress and problems. Physiological Reviews, 68(2), 503–554. https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.1988.68.2.503
Doering, T. M., Reaburn, P. R., Phillips, S. M., & Jenkins, D. G. (2016). Postexercise Dietary Protein Strategies to Maximize Skeletal Muscle Repair and Remodeling in Masters Endurance Athletes: A Review. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 26(2), 168–178. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2015-0102
Forget, P., Khalifa, C., Defour, J.-P., Latinne, D., Van Pel, M.-C., & De Kock, M. (2017). What is the normal value of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio? BMC Research Notes, 10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-016-2335-5
Forrester, A. (2014). Atlas of musculoskeletal ultrasound anatomy. By M Bradley and P O'Donnell, pp. xi + 260, 2002 (Greenwich Medical Media, London, UK), £22.50 ISBN 184110 118 4. The British Journal of Radiology. https://doi.org/10.1259/bjr.77.918.770541b
Gleeson, M. (2002). Biochemical and Immunological Markers of Over-Training. Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, 1(2), 31–41.
Gunzer, W., Konrad, M., & Pail, E. (2012). Exercise-Induced Immunodepression in Endurance Athletes and Nutritional Intervention with Carbohydrate, Protein and Fat—What Is Possible, What Is Not? Nutrients, 4(9), 1187–1212. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu4091187
Hawley, J. A., & Leckey, J. J. (2015). Carbohydrate Dependence During Prolonged, Intense Endurance Exercise. Sports Medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 45(Suppl 1), 5–12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-015-0400-1
Hu, M., & Lin, W. (2012). Effects of exercise training on red blood cell production: implications for anemia. Acta Haematologica, 127(3), 156–164. https://doi.org/10.1159/000335620
Karsten, B., Jobson, S. A., Hopker, J., Stevens, L., & Beedie, C. (2015). Validity and reliability of critical power field testing. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 115(1), 197–204. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-014-3001-z
Kato, H., Suzuki, K., Bannai, M., & Moore, D. R. (2016). Protein Requirements Are Elevated in Endurance Athletes after Exercise as Determined by the Indicator Amino Acid Oxidation Method. PloS One, 11(6), e0157406. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0157406
Kerksick, C. M., Arent, S., Schoenfeld, B. J., Stout, J. R., Campbell, B., Wilborn, C. D., … Antonio, J. (2017). International society of sports nutrition position stand: nutrient timing. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14, 33. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-017-0189-4
Lambert, E. V., Hawley, J. A., Goedecke, J., Noakes, T. D., & Dennis, S. C. (1997). Nutritional strategies for promoting fat utilization and delaying the onset of fatigue during prolonged exercise. Journal of Sports Sciences, 15(3), 315–324. https://doi.org/10.1080/026404197367326
Latunde-Dada, G. O. (2013). Iron metabolism in athletes--achieving a gold standard. European Journal of Haematology, 90(1), 10–15. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejh.12026
Naclerio, F., & Larumbe-Zabala, E. (2016). Effects of Whey Protein Alone or as Part of a Multi-ingredient Formulation on Strength, Fat-Free Mass, or Lean Body Mass in Resistance-Trained Individuals: A Meta-analysis. Sports Medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 46(1), 125–137. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-015-0403-y
Naclerio, F., Larumbe-Zabala, E., Cooper, R., Jimenez, A., & Goss-Sampson, M. (2014). Effect of a carbohydrate-protein multi-ingredient supplement on intermittent sprint performance and muscle damage in recreational athletes. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism = Physiologie Appliquee, Nutrition Et Metabolisme, 39(10), 1151–1158. https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2013-0556
Phillips, S. M. (2012). Nutrient-rich meat proteins in offsetting age-related muscle loss. Meat Science, 92(3), 174–178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2012.04.027
Sharp, P., & Srai, S.-K. (2007). Molecular mechanisms involved in intestinal iron absorption. World Journal of Gastroenterology, 13(35), 4716–4724. https://doi.org/10.3748/wjg.v13.i35.4716
Stark, M., Lukaszuk, J., Prawitz, A., & Salacinski, A. (2012). Protein timing and its effects on muscular hypertrophy and strength in individuals engaged in weight-training. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 9, 54. https://doi.org/10.1186/1550-2783-9-54
Thomas, D. T., Erdman, K. A., & Burke, L. M. (2016). American College of Sports Medicine Joint Position Statement. Nutrition and Athletic Performance. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 48(3), 543–568. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000000852
Wakeman, L., Al-Ismail, S., Benton, A., Beddall, A., Gibbs, A., Hartnell, S., … Munro, R. (2007). Robust, routine haematology reference ranges for healthy adults. International Journal of Laboratory Hematology, 29(4), 279–283. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2257.2006.00883.x
Downloads
Statistics
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2019 Journal of Human Sport and Exercise

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Each author warrants that his or her submission to the Work is original and that he or she has full power to enter into this agreement. Neither this Work nor a similar work has been published elsewhere in any language nor shall be submitted for publication elsewhere while under consideration by JHSE. Each author also accepts that the JHSE will not be held legally responsible for any claims of compensation.
Authors wishing to include figures or text passages that have already been published elsewhere are required to obtain permission from the copyright holder(s) and to include evidence that such permission has been granted when submitting their papers. Any material received without such evidence will be assumed to originate from the authors.
Please include at the end of the acknowledgements a declaration that the experiments comply with the current laws of the country in which they were performed. The editors reserve the right to reject manuscripts that do not comply with the abovementioned requirements. The author(s) will be held responsible for false statements or failure to fulfill the above-mentioned requirements.
This title is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).
You are free to share, copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format. The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms under the following terms:
Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
NoDerivatives — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you may not distribute the modified material.
No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
Notices:
You do not have to comply with the license for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation.
No warranties are given. The license may not give you all of the permissions necessary for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material.
Transfer of Copyright
In consideration of JHSE’s publication of the Work, the authors hereby transfer, assign, and otherwise convey all copyright ownership worldwide, in all languages, and in all forms of media now or hereafter known, including electronic media such as CD-ROM, Internet, and Intranet, to JHSE. If JHSE should decide for any reason not to publish an author’s submission to the Work, JHSE shall give prompt notice of its decision to the corresponding author, this agreement shall terminate, and neither the author nor JHSE shall be under any further liability or obligation.
Each author certifies that he or she has no commercial associations (e.g., consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc.) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article, except as disclosed on a separate attachment. All funding sources supporting the Work and all institutional or corporate affiliations of the authors are acknowledged in a footnote in the Work.
Each author certifies that his or her institution has approved the protocol for any investigation involving humans or animals and that all experimentation was conducted in conformity with ethical and humane principles of research.
Competing Interests
Biomedical journals typically require authors and reviewers to declare if they have any competing interests with regard to their research.
JHSE require authors to agree to Copyright Notice as part of the submission process.