Histidine consumption prior to prolonged aerobic exercise as a method to increase myoglobin production potential

I was able to, with difficulty, find information regarding: the molecular weight of specicic amino acids in the human body as a percent of the total molecular weight of amino acids in the human body ( http://www.jadenutra.com/aminoacids.html); the composition of human myoglobin (http://www.aw-bc.com/mathews/ch07/c07emhp.htm, http://www.aw-bc.com/mathews/ch05/fi5p14.htm, the molecular weight of the various proteins that compose human myoglobin (http://www.webqc.org/aminoacids.php).

Thus I was by extrapolation able to estimate the difference between an amino acid's percent of total molecular weight in the human body in general compared to an amino acid's percent of total molecular weight in myoglobin. The idea being that the more the latter exceeds the former, the more the amino acids should be emphasized for consumption prior to prolonged aerobic exercise.

I found that certain amino acids comprise a higher percentage of the total molecular weight of myoglobin, compared to their percentage of the total molecular weight of amino acids in the human body.

My estimates (% of molecular weight of myoglobin, % of molecular weight of amino acids in body in general, the first stat divided by the second to produce a ratio for the third stat, the third ratio stat multiplied times the first stat to produce the fourth stat):

Table 1:

glutamate 10.4, 6.2, 1.7, 17.7; histidine 7.2, 2.1, 3.4, 24.5; tryptophan, 2.0, 1.1, 1.8, 3.6; lysine 14.9, 7.0, 2.1, 31.3.

The fourth stat in table 1 is an attempt to measure an amino acid's importance at a time when the intent is to increase myoglobin production potential in the body (at such a time amino acids that are especially important for myoglobin production should be prioritized).

The fourth stat in Table 1 is the highest for lysine (31.3), and the second highest for histidine (24.5).

Using the method used in the previous post of comparing ('essential' amino acids only) an amino acid's percentage of total pieces of amino acids in myoglobin, to percent of total mg per kg body weight requirements, the figures for histidine are 12% and 6% a ratio of 2.0 (third stat in table 1). The 2.0 ratio figure times 12% = 24 (fourth stat in table 1) as an indicator of importance for timely production of myoglobin specifically, which is almost the same as the 24.5 figure for 'the fourth stat' for histidine derived from the method used today.

In the previous post (http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/06/myoglobin-used-by-body-during-prolonged.html) I reported that since lysine's mg per kg estimated requirement is 17% of the total mg per kg estimated requirements for "essential" amino acids in the human body, whereas 29% of the pieces of amino acid in myoglobin are lysine, my estimate was that lysine should be emphasized when attempting to increase the body's myoglobin production potential.

The ratio of 29/17 = 1.7 for number of lysine amino acids in myoglobin as a fraction of total number of amino acids in myoglobin compared to kg per mg requirement for lysine as a fraction of total essential amino acids kg per mg requirements, is similar to the ratio I report in this post in table 1 for lysine's molecular weight as a fraction of total molecular weight in myoglobin compared to lysine molecular weight as a fraction of total molecular weight of amino acids in the human body in general.

The idea has been: improvement in terms of the amount of energy expended prior to the onset of fatigue lead to improvements in cardio health; such improvements can be facilitated by providing the body with precursors for creatine and myoglobin (which rise to high levels in the blood of marathoners during and after the marathon) prior to the body engaging in prolonged aerobic exercise.

Lysine's pre-eminent position in myoglobin, and dietary sources of lysine were discussed in the previous post; dietary sources of precursors of creatine was the subject of the post before that. In this post I discuss the importance of histidine, an important ingredient in myoglobin, and dietary sources of histidine.

The US National Rsearch Council stated in 1973, "there is no evidence that histidine is synthesized by mammals " (http://books.google.com/books?id=lIsrAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA131&lpg=PA131&dq=%22there+is+no+evidence+that+histidine%22+histidine+humans&source=bl&ots=rDVyISBP8q&sig=wB1uRjbZjbrgjf2MR-dIjFnH0mQ&hl=en&ei=JO41SpWPO6K_twe455j5Dg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3). Wikipedia now says, "After reaching several years of age, humans begin to synthesize it (histidine) and it thus becomes a non-essential amino acid" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Histidine).

The popular and scientific literature has divided the amino acids such as those that are used to form myoglobin molecules into "essential", "conditionally essential" (or "semi-essential"), and "non-essential" groups. Histidine depending on the information source and the time at which the info source provided the info, has been classified sometimes as non-essential, sometimes as conditionally essential, and sometimes as essential.

Histidine originally was classified as non-essential, because the body is able to maintain the nitrogen balance without consuming histidine.

Then concerns began to develop, that there arise circumstances during which, due to lack of histidine in the diet and/or the body's inability to produce sufficient quantities, the body's supply of histidine becomes insufficient.

According to the 2007 WHO technical report "PROTEIN AND AMINO ACID REQUIREMENTS IN HUMAN NUTRITION" (http://whqlibdoc.who.int/trs/WHO_TRS_935_eng.pdf), "Histidine is considered to be an indispensable amino acid because of the detrimental effects on haemoglobin concentrations that have been observed when individuals are fed histidine-free diets"...Histidine was accepted in the 1985 report as an indispensable amino acid in human adults, despite controversy regarding its essentiality...Kopple & Swendseid found that nitrogen balance was negative in healthy adults and uraemic patients when diets were devoid of histidine for 25–36 days...A recent study confirmed many of these findings and showed that histidine depletion over 48 days resulted in a fall in albumin and transferrin, as well as a 24–28% decline in whole-body protein turnover. Because of the extended period of time (>56 days)".

The WHO report describes how the body deals with histidine shortages: "When a histidine-deficient diet was consumed for a prolonged period, a decrease in haemoglobin, in conjunction with a rise in serum iron,was observed...histidine pools may be maintained through the release of histidine from the degradation of haemoglobin (75), or through the reduction in haemoglobinsynthesis (82)".

Histidine is probably under-emphasized in the popular and scientific literature due to its history of being considered a "non-essential", or "conditionally essential" amino acid. Even today, the venerable Wikipedia classifies histidine as "nonessential" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amino_acid#In_human_nutrition).
Hemoglobin and myoglobin are both involved in binding and transporting inhaled oxygen so as to make the oxygen available to muscles utilizing oxygen (aerobic means, 'requiring air'). The WHO report's finding indicates histidine shortage could result in degradation or reduction of synthesis of myoglobin, which is produced in large quantities by marathoners during the running of the marathon.

Dietary sources of histidine (http://www.nutrientfinder.com/nfsearch.php)

egg white dried flakes 1 lb 8 g

canned tuna fish 1 lb 6g

beef round 1 lb raw or braised, 5g,

pork loin chops raw 1 lb 5g,

swiss cheese 2c 5g

pork loin cooked 1 lb 4g

roasted soybean seeds, 2c 4g

pumpkin and squash seeds roasted 2c 4g

lupin seeds 2c 4gcottonseed kernels roasted 2c 3g

pheasant 1 lb 3g,

nonfat dry milk 2c 2g,

turkey roast meat raw or cooked, 1 lb, 2g

turkey pastrami 1 lb 2g

almond butter 2c 2g

dried pumpkin squash seeds 2c 2g

almond 2c 2g

roasted sunflower seeds 2c 2g

Note: dried pumpkin seeds provide half the histidine value of roasted pumpkin seeds (most 'authorities' ignore such important distinctions).

In the previous blog-post (http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/06/myoglobin-used-by-body-during-prolonged.html), I wrote that my first and second choices for providing the body with lysine, an important ingredient in the body's production of myoglobin, are soybean seeds and pistachios.

In the post before that, I listed my top choices for providing the body with the ingredients for creatine (the creatine level in marathoners rises during their run): "Pumpkin seeds (excellent source of methionine and arginine); dried egg white (excellent source of methionine and arginine); dry gelatin powder (excellent source of glycine); milk (good source of glycine); tangerine juice" (http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/06/heart-health-and-aerobic-exercise.html).

Several foods are good at providing precursors for all the biochemicals thus far of interest: creatine (glycine, arginine, and methionine), and for myoglobin (lysine, and histidine). A few foods have already been picked out as sources for creatine and lysine. What foods that have not already been picked out, should be added to the list of pre-prolonged-aerobic-exercise foods?

Yet again I make my choice with an eye towards avoiding troubles with animal foods such as cooking and cleanliness (at a later time I'll list the cooked foods that are useful for producing creatine lysine histidine etc).

Two cups of lupin seeds provide as much histidine as one pound of cooked pork loin; however, lupin seeds are difficult to find; even 'Whole Foods' does not carry lupin seeds or cottonseed kernels.

As of now, my first choice to add to my ingredient list with an eye on providing histidine in my diet, is almonds/almond-butter, which are available at Whole Foods.

My second choice would be (preferably roasted not dried) sunflower seeds.

Thus so far, my ingredients list is:

pumpkin seeds (excellent for glycine methionine & arginine for creatine; excellent for lysine and histidine for myoglobin)

Dried egg white flakes (excellent for glycine, methionine & arginine for creatine; excellent for lysine and histidine for myoglobin)

Dry gelatin powder (conventional jello mix, health-conscious whole foods jello mixes lack gelatin) (excellent source of glycine, arginine, and lysine; good source of histidine, not a good source of methionine);

Tangerine juice (facilitates absorption of methionine and glycine used to build creatine).

Milk (good source of glycine, methionine, arginine, lycine, and histidine)

Pistachios (very good source of lysine, good source of methionine, glycine, histidine, & arginine) (could not find the preferred soybean seeds at Whole Foods)

Almonds (very good source of arginine, glycine, lysine, & histidine, good source of methionine) (preferred lupin seeds unavailable at store),

Off the bat I would award points to each of these foods based on how good a source they are for the nutrients of interest and how many nutrients of interest they are a good source for; this provides me with a basis for determining how much of each substance should be used. On this basis my estimate is that the concoction should use:

1 unit milk, 1 unit tangerine juice, 1 unit pistachios, 2 units almonds, 2 units gelatin, 3 units egg white flakes, and 3 units pumpkin seeds (adjusted to provide desired consistency with flavorings added for palatibility) (unit can be tablespoon, half-cup, whatever).

The idea is to combine this (unsavory?) nutrient-rich concoction with an undisciplined consumption of whatever it is that I feel like eating.

Interesting how the stars of the show that have been discovered so far, are eggs and seeds. An egg is like a seed of a chicken.

@2009 David Virgil Hobbs

Myoglobin, used by the body during prolonged aerobic exercise--providing the body with natural precursors

In the previous blog-post (http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/06/heart-health-and-aerobic-exercise.html) I discussed the foods that would provide the body with myoglobin and precursors to creatine. Seems whale-sushi would be the best source of myoglobin. I wanted to look for cleaner, simpler, sources of myoglobin precursors.

Looking at essential amino acids, an amino acid as a percentage of total essential amino acids in myoglobin, is one statistic (http://www.aw-bc.com/mathews/ch07/c07emhp.htm, http://www.aw-bc.com/mathews/ch05/fi5p14.htm, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amino_acid#Table_of_standard_amino_acid_abbreviations_and_side_chain_properties).

The same amino acid's mg per kg body weight as a percentage of the total mg per kg body weight requirements for essential amino acids in total, is a second statistic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essential_amino_acid).

The second statistic divided by the first gives you a third statistic. This third statistic shows the importance of the given amino acid in myoglobin, compared to its general importance in the body.

I find that lysine is the amino acid with the greatest score on this third statistic. Lysine also is the amino acid that is, compared to other amino acids, most present in myoglobin. Lysine is more present in myoglobin than any other protein/amino-acid.

Lysine's mg per kg body weight requirement is 17% of all the amino acid mg per kg body weight requirements combined; whereas, 29% of the 153 different proteins in myoglobin are lysine proteins. 29/17 = 1.7.

Thus I estimate that a good starting point for providing the body with precursors for myoglobin prior to prolonged aerobic activity would be substances that naturally provide high levels of lysine to the body.

Consumption of one substance, leaves less digestive power and stomach room available for another substance. All persons have limited digestive power, limited stomach space, and limited appetite. As a matter of timing, the substances that are especially required during prolonged aerobic activity should be consumed prior to prolonged aerobic activity and other substances that are not especially in demand during prolonged aerobic activity should be consumed at other times. Often, a food substance that rates especially high in terms of the presence of a given nutrient per ounce of the food-substance, also rates high with regards to certain other nutrients of interest also. The body is able to convert certain of the basic 20 amino acids into other of the basic 20 amino acids. A nutrient can be a precursor for more than one substance in the blood. All these facts add up to the conclusion that concentrating on a nutrient, lysine, that scores high when measured by the third statistic (described above) is a reasonable approach.

Leading sources of lysine (http://www.nutrientfinder.com/nfsearch.php)

1 lb egg white flakes 22 g
1 lb beef bottom round 13 g
2 cup pumpkin and squash seeds 12 g
1 lb canned tuna 12 g
2 cup egg white powder sifted 10 g
2 c soybean seeds 10 g
1 lb raw beaver meat 10 g
1 lb boneless pork loin 9 g
1.0 lb turkey pastrami 8 g
1 lb lamb foreshank 8 g
1 lb chicken roasting meat 8 g
1 12" pizza cheese meat veggies 8 g
2 c dry reg nonfat milk, 6 g
2 c egg yolk raw fresh 6 g
2 c egg whole dried 6 g
2 c cottonseed kernals 5 g
2 cup raw green soybeans 4 g
2 cup egg white raw fresh 4 g
2 c egg yolk dried 4 g
2 c scrambled eggs 4 g
2 c pistachio nuts 3 g
1 lb parmesan cheese 3 g
2 c hard boiled eggs 2 g

Notice how there are foods that are superior in terms of providing the body with what it needs to produce creatine, which are also superior for providing the body with what it needs to produce myoglobin. Looking at the above list my first instinct, is that the food that I would use to provide a basis for internal myoglobin production would be soybean seeds (my second choice would be pistachios). It's nice to be able to skip the fuss of dealing with meat poultry fish etc.

Egg white flakes (concise informative page at http://whatscookingamerica.net/Eggs/PowderedEgg.htm), pumpkin/squash seeds, and milk have already been selected as precursors for the amino acids used by the body to synthesize creatine. It is reasonable to suspect that the diversity produced by combining soybean seeds with pumpkin seeds would be advantageous. .

The authoritative Wikipedia's blythe list of "good sources of lysine" is unintentionally deceptive as are most such lists. According to the venerable Wikipedia, "good sources of lysine are foods rich in protein including meat (specifically red meat, lamb, pork, and poultry), cheese (particularly Parmesan), certain fish (such as cod and sardines), and eggs" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysine).

The wiki article lists lamb as if it was equal to egg whites for lysine content. Actually, dried egg-white flakes (can be eaten raw because pasteurized) give you three times as much lysine per pound as lamb; plus, dried egg whites do not require cooking and mix easily with other foods into one drink or dish.

Even with regards to eggs themselves, we would be missing out on some important facts if we simply took Wiki's word for it that eggs are a good source of Lysine.
As it turns out, the lysine value in eggs ranges enormously from 2 grams lysine in two cups chopped hard boiled eggs to 22 grams lysine in one pound of dried egg white flakes.

The general idea is to provide the body with precursors for substances that marathon runners start out with at a normal level in their blood, which then increase to a high level in their blood through production/release of such substances in the bodies of the marathoners during and after the running of the marathon. This should increase the amount of effort that the body is able to expend, prior to the onset of fatigue. This increase in fitness in turn should result in improved cardio-vascular health.

@2009 David Virgil Hobbs

Heart health and aerobic exercise performance enhancing super-foods

Building on the work of the previous two nights (http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/06/jogging-is-bad-for-you-cause-it.html), (http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/06/jogging-is-bad-for-you-new-theory-of-dr.html), I decided to take a stab at estimating what would be a good pre-game meal or snack for someone about to run 26 miles in a marathon or say 7 miles in a soccer game.

My theory was that the body should prior to the prolonged act of aerobic exertion, be loaded with the precursors to the substances that are at normal levels in the blood of marathoners prior to the start of the marathon, but end up at a high level in their blood during and after the marathon.

My idea was not that marathoners are an example of disease, but rather that they are an example of health. Most people: lack the energy to run a marathon; or, develop pains and injuries that interfere with the ability to run the marathon.

In support of my contradiction of the theory that elevated levels of creatine found in the blood of marathoners during and after a race indicate that running a marathon is an unhealthy activity,I discovered a dramatic and poetic example in nature:

"(1847) a German scientist named Justus von Liebig proposed that creatine is necessary to support muscular activity when he observed that wild (active) foxes contain more intramuscular creatine than foxes kept in captivity" (http://www.creatinemonohydrate.net/creatine_background.html).

Humans synthesize creatine within the body by using three ingredients: arginine, glycine, and methionine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creatine).

I finally found an online database that ranks various foods by how much of a particular type of protein they contain, at http://www.nutrientfinder.com/nfsearch.php.

Based on a cursory examination of the results from this database, I concluded that the best snack for providing the body with what it needs in order to produce creatines such as ck-mb, would contain the following:

Pumpkin seeds (excellent source of methionine and arginine); dried egg white (excellent source of methionine and arginine); dry gelatin powder (excellent source of glycine); milk (good source of glycine); tangerine juice (facilitates body's absorption of methionine and glycine,(see http://www.springerlink.com/content/j74444375w410380/).

Personally I'd mix these all up in a blender combined with some ingredients added for the sake of flavor and palatibility.

Another substance that increases in the blood level of marathoners when they are running the marathon, is myoglobin.

Along the lines that the events during the marathon in the bodies of the marathoners illustrate processes in bodies that are unusually healthy to the point of being able to run a marathon at a fast pace, my idea was that before engaging in some form of prolonged aerobic exercise, one should consume substances that provide the body with what it needs in order to produce myoglobin.

Yet again, I found poetic slash dramatic confirmation of my idea in nature:

"The richest source of myoglobin is the muscle of aquatic diving mammals, such as seals or whales, since these tissues need a very rich store of oxygen to see them through long anoxic periods during a dive" (http://ase.tufts.edu/biology/MolecVisual/bio13/bio13hemo.html).

"The role of myoglobin as an oxygen storage protein in the muscles of diving birds and mammals is well-established"(http://ajpregu.physiology.org/cgi/content/full/287/6/R1304).

"Mammals such as whales and seals are capable of diving to incredible ocean depths...The sperm whale is able to dive down 3,000 meters (9,900 feet). That's *eight times* the height of the Empire State Building! Other deep-diving mammals include the bottlenose whale (2,000 m), the killer whale (1,000 m) and the elephant seal (700 m)" (http://www.patronsaintpr.com/samples/RIPLEY/guide5.htm).

I estimate as of now that superior sources of myoglobin to be (in approximate order of quality as a source of myoglobin):

(the pinker when eaten the better for these foods so long as the pinkness does not introduce risks of infection)

whale sushi; tuna sushi; steak cooked to rare; heart meat; cooked whale; cooked tuna; poultry dark meat; chicken legs; chicken thighs.

I base my estimate that such are the best sources of myoglobin on the following sources:

http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/turkeymeat.html

http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~news/story.php?id=2065

http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=4489

"Myoglobin: The pigment in muscle that carries oxygen" -- http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=4489

www.informaworld.com/index/756845127.pdf

http://books.google.com/books?id=BJt610KOK8AC&pg=PA361&lpg=PA361&dq=%22sources+of+myoglobin%22+sources+myoglobin&source=bl&ots=v1uoiT1rHw&sig=EJIgNHA0_WWee7WHhE2uSzfBxjw&hl=en&ei=SBgySqStAaTyMoaj2IkK

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rlz=1T4GGLL_enUS300&num=100&q=%22sources+of+myoglobin%22+sources+myoglobin&aq=f&oq=&aqi=

As of now my opinion is that these foods that contain the precursors to creatine and myoglobin combined with prolonged aerobic exercise will improve heart health.

My estimate is that the foods will promote the body's ability to exert itself during prolonged aerobic exercise, which in turn will lead to improvement in cardiovascular health.


@2009 David Virgil Hobbs