How do you meet the protein requirement for lactose intolerance?
You ask, All Stars Expert Dr. Martina Herget answers: How can you meet your protein requirements if you are lactose intolerant?
More and more people in Germany, including of course fitness athletes and bodybuilders, suffer from lactose intolerance, also known as milk sugar intolerance. This intolerance, which should not be confused with a milk allergy, is based on a deficiency or the complete absence of the enzyme lactase, which leads to gastrointestinal complaints after consuming dairy products.
Milk sugar, or lactose, occurs in different amounts in dairy products. Lactose is a double sugar made up of a component glucose (grape sugar) and a component galactose (mucous sugar). This double sugar cannot be absorbed in the small intestine; it must first be broken down into its two components. This is done by the enzyme lactase.
The infant who receives only milk (mother's milk) to meet his needs usually has sufficient lactase. In adulthood, lactase is lost in animals that then no longer receive milk. In humans who continue to consume milk / milk products in an unnatural way, the lactase is then mostly retained. However, if you take a longer break from consuming dairy products or if you have too little lactase due to your genetic makeup, problems can arise.
The lactose arrives in the small intestine, where it cannot be broken down due to a lack of lactase, i.e. it cannot be absorbed. It now draws water into the intestines, causing diarrhea and cramps. In addition, the intestinal bacteria can then use the lactase as a nutrient and form fermentation gases as a metabolic end product. People who have a lactase deficiency therefore avoid dairy products.
There are different degrees of lactase deficiency. What about fitness and bodybuilding, where there is an increased need for protein, which is usually at least partially done with dairy products? If you had to do without dairy products completely, only meat and eggs would remain to cover the increased need, with all the known risks (cholesterol, animal fats and, in the case of meat, the purine problem), or soy products. Other vegetable proteins are not suitable because of their low biological value. For most people, fish consumption is not an alternative to consuming 2g protein / kg body weight or even more.
Highly purified whey protein isolates (lactalbumin isolate, whey protein isolate) such as this are an alternative All Stars Isotech Whey 94 from which the lactose has been almost completely removed. All Stars Isotech Whey 94 is also suitable for covering the protein requirement of athletes with lactose intolerance, provided this is not extremely pronounced. Of course, it has to be mixed in water for this. It is best to test with a small amount of approx. 20g per serving and increase in small steps if tolerated. Even competitive athletes who often have concerns about dairy products use the almost lactose-free Isotech Whey 94 from All Stars back.
If you have a pronounced lactose intolerance, you can or must resort to other, lactose-free protein sources. But even here there is now a wide selection of lactose-free proteins. Animal protein alternatives are for example:
- Eiprotein made of pure egg protein, also called egg albumin
- Beef protein made from high quality beef protein
There is also a wide range of vegetable proteins:
- Soja Protein as an isolate with a high protein content
- Travel protein made from rice flour from sprouted rice
- Pea protein made from pea flour
- Hanfprotein from hemp powder from hemp seeds
Conclusion
Even if you are lactose intolerant, you do not have to forego the many advantages of a sensible dietary supplement with protein powder. In the case of lactose intolerance, the protein requirement can easily be covered by lactose-free alternatives.
