Men's Health - UK (2019-07)

OLD-SCHOOL

NUTRITION

Not all children’s foods are

as shameful as your year-

three haircut. Table a return

for these kids’ staples

CEREAL

A bowl of Shreddies

with milk replenishes

glycogen post-exercise and

kick-starts muscle recovery

just as effectively as a fancy

commercial sports drink.

University of Texas

STRINGY CHEESE

It might look and

taste like plastic,

but processed mozzarella

packs your lunch box with

casein protein and calcium.

American Journal

of Clinical Nutrition

RAISINS

That tattered box of

Sun-Maid may once

have made your heart sink, but

research suggests that raisins

can reduce food intake and

offer a pre-workout energy hit.

Journal of Food Science

MUSCLE

NEWSFEED

07/19

GO HEAVY ON THE JELLY

TO END WOBBLY KNEES

AT THE SQUAT RACK

W

otsits, Turkey

Dinosaurs, Sherbet

Fountains... Few

of the foods on offer

at your eighth birthday party have,

we hope, survived your leap into

adulthood, or at least made it onto

your pre-workout menu. But it’s

time to bring one back: scientists at

Maastricht University have made

a discovery that’s as notable for

its nostalgia as its contribution to

physiology. Jelly could give your

muscles a powerful growth hormone

(GH) surge that’ll leave whey shake

zealots on very wobbly ground.

Until now, the brawn-boosting

capacity of gelatin has often been

overlooked because it lacks some

of the essential amino acids required

to make it a complete formula for

muscle growth, but it is still up to

99% protein in powdered form.

The researchers compared how

GH production was affected by

four protein sources: soya, whey,

milk and gelatin. They gave each

of the participants four shakes –

one for each protein source – and

recorded GH levels, which peaked

after two hours. Surprisingly, gelatin

produced the biggest response.

You’ve probably heard of athletes

using synthetic growth hormone,

a class-C drug banned by the

World Anti-Doping Agency, to give

themselves an illegal edge. However,

naturally produced GH is good

news for your training. It stimulates

collagen synthesis in the tendons

and skeletal muscles, leading to

increased muscle size and strength.

We admit your portion of jelly has

to be huge to spike your GH levels,

but along with adding a scoop of

powder to your shake, it has benefits

beyond nostalgia. A plate of Party

Rings wouldn’t go amiss, either.

MEN’S HEALTH 41

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