Cholesterol- Key Role in Muscle Mass Increases- Don’t Be Afraid of The Egg!!
Here is an article out of June’s Muscular Development magazine that talks about research showing the importance of cholesterol in relation to building muscle mass. I decided to post this article to shed some light on the notion a lot of people have (especially bodybuilders that only eat the egg whites for fear of cholesterol), that you should avoid cholesterol intake as much as possible.
This article’s research states that, "researchers found that cholesterol-but not protein-was associated with changes in lean muscle mass……although dietary protein was correlated with dietary cholesterol, protein by itself was not significantly correlated with change in lean mass". But what does it mean? Basically, the presence of protein along with cholesterol and not just protein alone is what is needed to build muscle mass.
Are you skeptical about that last statement? Allow me to put this in bodybuilding terms. Go back and check the ingredients (& amounts) on your last can of Muscle Milk. Oh what did you find included???? Looks like a significant amount of cholesterol!!! Looks like Cytosport may have heard the same rumor that cholesterol must be present for protein synthesis to occur.
It is all making sense now. Cytosport didn’t forget to take out the cholesterol, they added it along with the protein to make it that much more of an anabolic compound.
And just for all of you worry warts out there that swear that eating five eggs for breakfast will give you a stroke by Christmas next year, check out what Dr. Franco Columbu (yes he is a doctor of kinesiology and is also a Chiropractor and Mr Olympia) says about the relationship between eating eggs and cholesterol intake; "Eggs are one of the richest sources of choline, yet many people are afraid to eat them, believing the cholesterol they contain will lead to clogged arteries. Yet the cholesterol found in eggs is accompanied by lecithin, a waxy substance that not only nullifies the harmful substances in cholesterol but my also play an important role in lowering any risk of clogged arteries and heart attacks".
Sounds like eggs are actually beneficial to lowering heart problems to me. And just a note from Franco Columbu for all of the egg eaters, "Larger eggs are usually a better buy per ounce, but smaller ones often have a better flavor".
Columbu, Dr. Franco. The BodyBuilder’s Nutrition Book. Chicago, Illinois: Contemporary Books, 1985.
Durand, Robbie. "Nutrition Performance: Dietary Cholesterol and Statins Increase Muscle Mass." Muscular Development May-June 2008: 180-184.