Un estudio que salió hace unos días sobre los hidrolizados:
Ingestion of a protein hydrolysate is accompanied by an accelerated in vivo digestion and absorption rate when compared with its intact protein.
Koopman R, Crombach N, Gijsen AP, Walrand S, Fauquant J, Kies AK, Lemosquet S, Saris WH, Boirie Y, van Loon LJ.
BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that a protein hydrolysate, as opposed to its intact protein, is more easily digested and absorbed from the gut, which results in greater plasma amino acid availability and a greater muscle protein synthetic response. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to compare dietary protein digestion and absorption kinetics and the subsequent muscle protein synthetic response to the ingestion of a single bolus of protein hydrolysate compared with its intact protein in vivo in humans. DESIGN: Ten elderly men (mean +/- SEM age: 64 +/- 1 y) were randomly assigned to a crossover experiment that involved 2 treatments in which the subjects consumed a 35-g bolus of specifically produced l-[1-(13)C]phenylalanine-labeled intact casein (CAS) or hydrolyzed casein (CASH). Blood and muscle-tissue samples were collected to assess the appearance rate of dietary protein-derived phenylalanine in the circulation and subsequent muscle protein fractional synthetic rate over a 6-h postprandial period. RESULTS: The mean (+/-SEM) exogenous phenylalanine appearance rate was 27 +/- 6% higher after ingestion of CASH when compared with CAS (P < 0.001). Splanchnic extraction was significantly lower in CASH compared with CAS treatment (P < 0.01). Plasma amino acid concentrations increased to a greater extent (25-50%) after the ingestion of CASH than with CAS (P < 0.01). Muscle protein synthesis rates averaged 0.054 +/- 0.004% and 0.068 +/- 0.006%/h in the CAS and CASH treatments, respectively (P = 0.10). CONCLUSIONS: Ingestion of a protein hydrolysate, as opposed to its intact protein, accelerates protein digestion and absorption from the gut, augments postprandial amino acid availability, and tends to increase the incorporation rate of dietary amino acids into skeletal muscle protein.
El estudio se hizo con diez viejales, pero supongo que de realizarse en 100 atletas de edad media los resultados no hubiesen sido muy dispares.
Se ve claramente que los hidrolizados tienen cierta ventaja con respecto a los concentrados y aislados. Nada nuevo bajo el sol. La pregunta es, ¿Merece la pena gastar de dos a tres veces el precio de un suero normal para obtener un producto que te ofrece unas ventajas prácticamente inapreciables y que sabe a vómito?
Otro estudio dice que: "The rate of gastric emptying for all solutions was found to fit an exponential pattern (r=0.92–1). Solutions were emptied at similar rates, with half-times of (mean ± S.E.M.) 21.4±1.3, 19.3±2.2, 18.0±2.5 and 19.4±2.8 min, for the whey hydrolysate, casein hydrolysate, casein and whey protein, respectively." Como se ve, la diferencia es mínima.
En definitiva, si eres de los pocos que utilizan hidrolizados o tienes pensado emplearlos en un futuro mejor ve pensando en otras cosas para tirar el dinero. Debe ser el suplemento más absurdo que existe junto a la glutamina (para fines culturistas) o la arginina base.