Today we return to Examine.com and a review of another quite meaningless study. This time a group of researchers thought it would be a good idea to see if supplementation with alpha-lactalbumin could improve sleep stages and reaction time in 19 adult athletes with sleep difficulties.
Key study details
“The study was performed in a sleep laboratory. The participants took 40 grams of alpha-lactalbumin or collagen (placebo) 2 hours before sleep.”
Before we begin, let’s explain and define alpha-lactalbumin. Alpha-lactalbumin is a protein found in the milk of almost all mammalian species, including humans, and it plays a crucial role in the production of lactose. Alpha-lactalbumin is a calcium-binding protein and structurally it consists of 123 amino acids. It is also rich in the amino acids cysteine and tryptophan, which are beneficial for health. In human milk, alpha-lactalbumin constitutes approximately 20-25% of the total protein and is a critical component for infant nutrition. It provides a well-balanced supply of essential amino acids and bioactive peptides that aid in the growth and development of infants.
Alpha-lactalbumin, as a supplement, is manufactured through a process that involves isolating the protein from milk or fresh whey (from cheese manufacturing) using a combination of different protein isolation technologies. In other words, it is a natural and bioavailable supplement extracted from animal-based foods and thus fully compatible with human physiology, unlike all artificial chemical or plant-based supplements that need to be converted and will cause great damage in the body.
However, in the study, the researchers used a whey protein that was rich in tryptophan and alpha-lactalbumin (ALAC,) as in a common whey protein with added alpha-lactalbumin (as alpha-lactalbumin is already very rich in tryptophan.)
While they did not mention the whey protein used, one of the most popular on the market is Lacprodan Alpha-10, which is a 88% protein concentrate, which contains 41% alpha-lactalbumin.
As for the design of the study, my intelligent readers will already have spotted a big flaw. Yes, although whey protein is considered one of the fastest absorbed proteins and 40 grams can be broken down in the stomach within 45 minutes to an hour, it will still need to pass the small intestine and be fully absorbed before the digestive system can fully rest again. And this is where things get a little tricky. As whey protein is easily broken down in the stomach, the gastric emptying begins after 20 minutes and continues until everything has been broken down, as in an additional 30 minutes or so. So, you can only count the first 20 minutes as there will be a steady flow into the small intestine after that.
While the whey move quickly as amino acids are absorbed in the second part of the small intestine, the jejunum, the rate at which whey protein is absorbed into the bloodstream is limited to about 8-10 grams per hour, which is a lot quicker than casein at 5 grams an hour or animal-protein at about 2-3 grams an hour (faster if raw, as in uncooked.)
So, at a rate of 8 to 10 grams an hour, 40 grams will take 4 to 5 hours to be absorbed within the small intestine. Adding the initial gastric emptying of about 20 minutes, we get at least 5 hours to fully digest 40 grams of whey.
If you only look at blood concentrations, you will see an initial spike of amino acids likely within 45 minutes that will be much greater than from any other protein, as it will be almost 10 grams that hits the bloodstream within the first hour, but they will quickly decrease as the body will use them and it will look like blood amino acids levels are almost levelled again after only 2 to 3 hours, but the body will still get amino acids for another two hours or so, but it will readily be used up as the body is primed for such a speedy onset of amino acids, especially since it triggers muscle synthesis.
With that said, simply absorbing some amino acids is not such a huge task to the digestive system as a complete meal with all other macronutrients and micronutrients and with much more bulk. Still, a whey protein shake close to bedtime might still interfere a little with sleep quality.
So, to make sure that this supplementation meal of 40 grams of alpha-lactalbumin whey protein does not interfere with sleep, I would recommend to consume it at least 3 to 4 hours prior to sleep, and not 2 hours, as that will guaranteed interfere with the early stages of sleep and render any sleep data rather useless.
And this shows that the researchers had no clue about simple human physiology, biology or biochemistry. What a shame.
“During each 3-day intervention, the participants were provided with all their meals, which were standardized for protein and calorie content. There was a 4-day washout period between the interventions.”
Considering that they examined the effects of a whey protein powder with added alpha-lactalbumin, there would not be any positive effects in healthy nourished people as the supplement simply contains protein, as in amino acids, and athletes does not usually consume a protein-deficient diet, so they should hardly be protein deficient, as in lacking in amino acids unless they were plant-based vegetarians or vegans and/or relied on useless plant-based proteins.
To be fair, a whey protein also provides a lot of minerals, especially magnesium which can be beneficial for relaxation and sleep. However, alpha-lactalbumin, being an important growth factor for infants binds to zinc and enhances the uptake of that mineral, and zinc competes with magnesium and thus renders some of the magnesium useless either way. In other words, the additional magnesium in whey will not have any significant impact if the whey is enhanced with alpha-lactalbumin.
“Supplementation with alpha-lactalbumin increased blood tryptophan levels (2 hours post-supplementation) but did not meaningfully improve sleep. Compared to the placebo, alpha-lactalbumin increased non-rapid-eye-movement sleep (+11 minutes) and decreased REM sleep (−11 minutes) and subjective sleep quality.”
So they measured blood concentrations two hours after ingestion, at about the time the first 10 grams or so had been absorbed by the jejunum. Still, they claimed that it was administered two hours before sleep, so that can only mean that the participants were hooked up to a blood analyzer when going to sleep — and that will really interfere with sleep quality! Also, to measure sleep, researchers attach electrodes on the scalp, face, chest, and legs to monitor brain activity, eye movements, muscle tone, heart rate, and breathing patterns. This can initially decrease sleep quality as it is unfamiliar and uncomfortable and can limit natural movement during sleep. It is therefore crucial that all test subjects get used to the room and equipment to first establish a baseline for their sleep after a few days, and then you can perform your intervention study. However, the paper says nothing about this, so we do not know how other factors affected the results.
As for non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM,) both are crucial for different aspects of sleep quality. NREM sleep is particularly beneficial for memory consolidation, especially for declarative memory, which involves facts and events. REM sleep, on the other hand, is known for its role in emotional regulation and creative problem-solving.
As a note, your sleep starts with a NREM cycle and then alternates between REM and NREM, with each cycle lasting 90 to 120 minutes. So, having a meal close to bedtime will interfere with the first NREM cycle, and in some cases also with the following REM cycle.
In this case, with 40 grams of whey only two hours before sleep, it could very well have reduced the first NREM cycle, skewing the data a bit.
“However, alpha-lactalbumin improved reaction time in various cognitive tasks compared to the placebo.”
This could be from the small increase in non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM,) which can be attributed to the higher intake of tryptophan, leading to higher melatonin and serotonin synthesis. While melatonin might help with sleep, serotonin is known to modulate various cognitive processes, including attention and reaction times. And that would also mean that the test subjects were deficient in tryptophan, as you can only get a positive effect if you remedy a deficiency. If you get enough tryptophan, you will simply operate at an optimal level and your body will produce the serotonin as it is needed. You can never “boost” a nutrient and get an enhanced effect, as your body is always striving for homeostasis, the perfect balance where everything is working optimally, and for that, you need to be fully nourished and not have one single deficiency.
Foods that are high in tryptophan include all kinds of meat, fish, and eggs. The tryptophan found in plant-based edibles such as nuts, seeds, beans, tofu or oatmeal is not chemically compatible with humans and needs to be converted, yielding a very low return (and they are also extremely toxic.)
So, this makes me wonder if these athletes relied on a more plant-based diet, which would explain why they had sleep problems and also benefited from additional tryptophan. And it also raises the question of whether the sleep data would have been more favorable if they would have had the 40 grams of whey and alpha-lactalbumin 3 to 4 hours before sleep instead of two hours.
Also, to add to this, for the body to synthesize serotonin, it needs tryptophan, vitamin B6, and tetrahydrobiopterin, which should not be a problem unless you’ve been completely vegan for a while. However, for the body to synthesize melatonin, it requires tryptophan, vitamin B6, magnesium, and zinc. And again, if you have been deceived to follow a plant-centric diet with very little animal-based food, you will likely be deficient in magnesium, as most of the population and especially athletes are somewhat deficient in magnesium. Same goes for zinc. And while alpha-lactalbumin favors the binding and absorption of zinc, it will compete with magnesium.
So this might explain why the effect on sleep (melatonin) was almost insignificant while the impact on reaction times (serotonin) were noticeable.
Examine.com’s take
“Alpha-lactalbumin is one of the most abundant whey proteins, and it is relatively rich in essential amino acids, especially tryptophan, which is a precursor to the sleep-regulating neurotransmitter serotonin and hormone melatonin. However, this study doesn’t show convincing changes in sleep stages that would suggest improved sleep regulation. Potential sleep benefits from alpha-lactalbumin and suggestions that improved serotonergic activity improved reaction time require further investigation.”
Again, you will only notice positive effects if you actually are deficient in any of the crucial nutrients that are provided with a alpha-lactalbumin whey protein, as in this case, mainly tryptophan. And as for the impact on sleep and reaction times, I explained that in the section above, which you at Examine.com failed to understand, although it’s simple biochemistry.
With that said, a normal human being following our species-appropriate, species-specific natural human diet of animal-foods would not get any beneficial effects from such a product as he or she would already be fully nourished and have all the tryptophan and cofactors needed for optimal physiological functions. Only people deficient would notice improvements — and only if they get the nutrients needed and their cofactors. However, in such a case, it’s always better to fix the underlying problem, that of their atrocious diet. Slowly add in more animal-based foods and they will be fine, especially if they go full carnivore, which is our natural diet and the only way to be fully healthy and thrive.
As a carnivore, you’ll never have to worry about tryptophan or any other amino acid for that matter.
If you need help with any kind of health problems or transitioning from your current way of eating to our natural species-appropriate, species-specific way of eating, I’m available for both coaching and consultation.
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