Integrated Supplements Blog

Can Whey Protein Isolate Prevent Age-Related Decline in Testosterone Levels?

We all know that taking in sufficient amounts of high-quality protein is important to building or maintaining muscle mass. But recent research published in the journal Endocrinology indicates that certain proteins may be able to support muscle building, not only by providing the “building blocks” of muscle tissue, but also by supporting proper hormone production as we age.

Oxidative Stress, Aging, and Hormones

In the Integrated Supplements Blog and Newsletter we’ve taken a close look at the underlying role oxidative stress plays in all facets of the aging process. Under conditions of oxidative stress, the free radicals which run amok in the aging body can inflict particularly extensive damage to the body’s delicate hormonal system. As we age, our youth-associated hormones begin to decline, and despite what many people have been led to believe, this phenomenon may have less to do with any innate “biological clock,” and more to do with our accumulated burden of free radical damage.

Glutathione and Testosterone

As one of our bodies’ most potent antioxidants, the tripeptide molecule glutathione represents a significant weapon in our battle against oxidative stress. But could increasing our levels of glutathione actually be enough to ward off the hormonal changes of aging?

According to recent research, the answer may be yes.

Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health studied the effects of glutathione depletion on testosterone-producing cells (called Leydig cells) in both young and old rats.

The researchers found that indeed, depleting glutathione levels in these cells reduced the rats’ testosterone production by about 40%. When antioxidants were administered, testosterone production was maintained at normal levels, and when a compound was administered specifically to boost intracellular glutathione, testosterone levels actually increased in the test animals.

Study Link - Effect of glutathione depletion on Leydig cell steroidogenesis in young and old brown Norway rats.

Quote from the above study:

The results of these studies, taken together, are consistent with the hypothesis that alteration in the oxidant/antioxidant environment may play a significant, causative role in the age-related reduced ability of Leydig cells to produce testosterone.

Glutathione Does What LH Can’t

The results of the above study shed new light on exactly why our hormonal production changes as we age. It used to be thought that males’ age-related decline in testosterone levels was a result of a decrease in the production of a pituitary hormone called luteinizing hormone (LH). Luteinizing hormone is the hormone which stimulates the cells of the testis to produce testosterone.

But in a previous study by some of the same researchers, the group examined whether supplying exogenous luteinizing hormone would cause the Leydig cells of aging rats to produce increased amounts of testosterone. Their thinking was that if a decline in LH was responsible for testosterone decline, then surely supplying the lacking LH would boost testosterone levels in aging animals – but it didn’t. The LH they administered had almost no effect whatsoever in stimulating testosterone production in aged rats.

Study Link - Does age-associated reduced Leydig cell testosterone production in Brown Norway rats result from under-stimulation by luteinizing hormone?

Quote from the above study:

The inability of exogenously administered LH to increase testosterone production by testes and Leydig cells of aged rats suggests that Leydig cell steroidogenic deficits in the aged Brown Norway rat are unlikely to be the result of age-related changes in LH.

So, if antioxidant compounds and compounds which boost the antioxidant glutathione are able to boost testosterone better than LH itself, this is clear evidence that the cellular damage of oxidative stress really throws a monkey wrench into our bodies’ ability to produce testosterone as we age.

And from this research, we can garner that our efforts to maintain our youthful hormone levels should first focus on reducing our level of oxidative stress, by supplying our body with an antioxidant-rich diet, including direct glutathione precursors like those found in undenatured CFM® Whey Protein Isolate.

Could Whey Protein Isolate Help Testosterone-Boosting Supplements Work Better?

Many herbal supplements containing an herb called tribulus terrestris are advertised for their ability to increase testosterone levels. And although some of the marketing claims made for tribulus-containing products can be more than a bit exaggerated (you don’t really believe what you read in bodybuilding magazines, do you?), quality preparations of the herb do seem to stimulate a modest increase in testosterone levels in some people.

The limited amount of research available on tribulus seems to indicate that the herb likely increases testosterone production by stimulating the release of luteinizing hormone from the pituitary.

But if we know that the testosterone-producing cells of the testis don’t respond well to increases in LH in aging animals, this could help to explain why tribulus products often don’t perform well in those who need them the most – people suffering from age-related testosterone decline.

So, perhaps those aging athletes and weekend warriors, who are looking to boost their testosterone levels naturally, could notice an improved response from their testosterone-boosting supplements by supplying their body with CFM® Whey Protein Isolate.

Of course, CFM® doesn’t stimulate hormonal production directly, it may simply help to supply some of the glutathione-precursors needed to optimize hormonal production hampered by excessive free radical damage to delicate hormone-producing cells.

As new studies like those posted above continue to reinforce what we at Integrated Supplements have been saying all along, the big picture of health keeps becoming clearer for those of us willing to examine the research.

And if you still buy your supplements from a company that doesn’t examine the research, or that doesn’t see the big picture, or that doesn’t care about your long-term health, you’d better get on board with one who does. The stakes are too high to do otherwise.

Stay tuned here for more.

Related Articles:

Rancid Fats and Oxidative Stress - Strategies To Reverse Aging - Part 1

Combating Oxidative Stress - Strategies to Reverse Aging - Part 2

The Anti-Aging Diet Part 1 - Can Some Foods Accelerate Aging?

Select Studies on Whey Protein - Whey Protein, Blood Sugar, and Oxidative Stress

Is Exercise More Harmful Than You Think? How To Protect Yourself With Whey Protein Isolate.

Oxidative Stress And Exercise - Too Much of a "Good Thing"

Does Your Whey Protein Contain This Protective Anti-Inflammatory Substance?

In research published in the Journal of Nutrition, researchers from the University of Granada School of Pharmacy found that the milk protein known as Glycomacropeptide (GMP) was able to reduce intestinal inflammation on par with anti-inflammatory drugs in a rat model of chemically-induced colitis.

From the Study: Bovine Glycomacropeptide Is Anti-Inflammatory in Rats with Hapten-Induced Colitis

The magnitude of the anti-inflammatory effect was generally comparable to that of sulfasalazine, an established drug used in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.

The findings add to the growing body of scientific evidence showing that dairy proteins may be significantly more bio-active and health-promoting than was once suspected. GMP has also been shown to suppress appetite by stimulating the production of the intestinal peptide cholesystokinin (CCK), and studies have shown GMP’s ability to modulate the immune response by supporting the growth of bacteria beneficial to the gastrointestinal tract - while, at the same time, inhibiting the growth of harmful organisms.

For example:

Study Link - A two-stage continuous culture system to study the effect of supplemental α-lactalbumin and glycomacropeptide on mixed cultures of human gut bacteria challenged with enteropathogenic Escherichia coli and Salmonella serotype Typhimurium.

So, it's clear that GMP probably has much to do with the unique anti-inflammatory and immune-regulating properties of various dairy products - including properly prepared whey protein supplements.

What is Glycomacropeptide?

Glycomacropeptide is a protein which is separated from the casein fraction of milk during the manufacture of cheese. So, although GMP is technically a “casein protein,” whey - the watery precipitate from cheese-production - will contain relatively high levels of GMP. In fact, the biological activity of GMP is one of the major reasons why a quality whey protein supplement will impart health-promoting benefits above and beyond just supplying amino acids for tissue growth and repair.  In an industry like sports nutrition which has diverted the public's attention away from the true health-promoting benefits of whey protein by focusing on lesser issues such as whey's biological value and amino acid profile, it's important to re-emphasize the fact that only a properly prepared whey protein will exert whey's full health-promoting benefits.

But, Not All Whey Proteins Contain GMP

As we’ve repeatedly mentioned on the Integrated Supplements Blog, not all whey proteins are created equal. We’ve shown you how the processing of whey protein concentrate, for example will produce a product which may contain high amounts of

• Oxidized Cholesterol

• Denatured Protein

But although they are generally better quality than whey concentrates, even some whey isolates – products containing 90% protein or above, and containing minimal, lactose, fat, or cholesterol. – may not deliver you the full benefits of the highest quality filtered whey isolate. In this regard, GMP is a perfect illustration.

Ion Exchange Whey Isolate Contains No GMP

Some of the most popular protein supplements on the market (if they contain whey isolate at all) often contain whey isolate produced by what is known as the ion exchange method.

The ion exchange process separates the microfractions (the proteins which make up "whey") from the lactose, fats and salts based upon the electrical charge of the protein. In the ion exchange method, whey protein is pumped through columns containing special resin beads chemically charged to attract certain whey proteins. Then, water with chemical buffers such as sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid is pumped through the same column to reverse the charge of the resin beads and release the protein into the buffer solution. While the ion exchange process removes nearly all lactose, fat, and cholesterol from whey, there are some MAJOR problems with this process.

For example, unlike other whey microfractions, GMP has a negative net charge at acidic pH, so it simply isn’t “attracted” to the same resins as the other proteins in whey. As the other whey proteins are picked up by the ion exchange resin, GMP simply passes through the column unscathed. This is why ion exchange whey isolate will contain negligible amounts of GMP.

CFM® Whey Isolate – High in Glycomacropeptide

Because filtration techniques aren’t dependent on a protein’s electrical charge, filtered whey isolates will usually contain significantly higher amounts of GMP than whey isolates produced through the ion exchange method (although there is still a wide variance in the GMP content of the different filtered whey isolates). The most technologically advanced filtration technology – the technology used to produce CFM® Whey Isolate - will produce a whey protein product loaded with GMP. CFM® Whey Isolate contains 21% Glycomacropeptides – a percentage simply unmatched by any other whey isolate produced today.

Buyer Beware

At Integrated Supplements we’ve taught you to be wary of the many whey protein-containing products which use whey concentrate as an ingredient. But it turns out that not even all whey isolates are created equal either. With the current worldwide dairy shortage putting nutritional supplement producers into a cost-cutting frenzy, most companies who are still using whey isolate in their products are scrambling to snatch up any whey isolate raw material they can get their hands on – from any manufacturer, produced by any method.

If your whey protein simply lists “whey isolate” as an ingredient, without telling you where they sourced their raw material from, you can bet that you’re getting whichever whey isolate happened to be the cheapest at the time the product was produced. Without a company disclosing the source of their raw material, you have no way of knowing exactly what type of whey you’re getting, how it was produced, or what level of GMP (or other protein microfractions) it contains. At this time of rapidly rising food prices, it shouldn’t surprise you to learn that you may sometimes be getting much less than you think you are from your nutritional supplements.

Look For The CFM® Logo

That’s why we at Integrated Supplements have made a commitment to using only patented CFM® Whey Isolate in our whey protein product. We don’t “cut” the formula with cheaper proteins and pass it off as a “precision blend” like some other companies do; and we don’t constantly seek out the lowest priced whey isolate we can find simply so we can list whey isolate on the label.

To us, there’s something to be said for the peace of mind you receive from knowing you’re giving your body the best nutritional products available. In the end, we know that we wouldn’t be doing you any favors by filling our products with the cheapest ingredients we could find; and judging from the feedback we’ve received so far, there are more than a few of you out there who agree with us. You can be confident, that in buying our products, not only are you receiving the highest quality ingredients, but you’re proving everyday what many companies in the nutritional supplement industry continually fail to recognize – that consumers, once educated, will not settle for anything less than the best.

And for this, we thank you.