New Study With Mixed Martial Artists Shows That Rice Protein Equals Animal-Based Whey in Building and Maintaining Muscle - for First Time in Pro Athletes

MARINA DEL REY, Calif., March 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- A recent study presented at The International Society of Sports Nutrition Annual Conference and published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (P34) (JISSN), demonstrated that Axiom Foods' Oryzatein^® brown rice protein equals animal-based whey protein for building and maintaining muscle - for the first time in pro athletes. The study, titled "The Body Composition Effects of Extra Protein in Elite Mixed Martial Artists Undergoing Frequent Training Over a Six-Week Period," was led by Douglas Kalman, PhD, RD, FACN, FISSN and Sports Nutritionist Alison Escalante RD out of Florida International University. Dr. Kalman is the Sports Nutritionist for FIU, a Division I NCAA competitor in 18 sports. The products used in the study were Growing Naturals' Rice Protein (featuring Oryzatein^®) and NutraBio's Whey Protein.

On Friday March 9, 2018, a press conference will be held where Dr. Douglas Kalman, two of the athlete study participants, David Janow, the maker of Axiom's Oryzatein^® brown rice protein, and Scarlett Full MS, RDN, Axiom's Director of Nutrition & Research, will appear to discuss the study. The event will take place from 2-3 pm Pacific Time at Morton's Steakhouse in Anaheim, CA (1895 Harbor Boulevard, Anaheim, CA 92802), adjacent to the Anaheim Convention Center where the Natural Products Expo West will be in session.

According to Dr. Douglas Kalman, "The study concluded that supplementing the diet of elite-level mixed martial artists with an average of 0.41 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight helps to maintain their lean body mass while undergoing high volume and intensity training. There were no additional benefits of one protein source over the other as both whey and rice protein provided statistically similar results."

This study is the first time a comparison of plant protein and animal-based whey protein was studied specifically in pro athletes. Dr. Kalman studied this same rice protein in 2013 with recreational collegiate athletes and the results published in the Nutrition Journal also showed that it equals animal-based whey protein in building and maintaining muscle, and aided recovery, thus acting like a "complete" protein. Another study published in 2014 found that only Axiom's patented Oryzatein^® brown rice protein supplies the body with the muscle-building amino acid leucine to a similar degree and at a faster speed than leucine in the popular "fast absorbing" protein whey. These studies both demonstrated the completeness of Axiom's Oryzatein^® brown rice protein. The 2017 study now shows Axiom's Oryzatein^® brown rice protein supports the high-level, elite athlete who trains at a greater intensity and stress level than the typical gym-goer.

The study was conducted in Spring 2017 at The Combat Club in Lantana, Florida with 11 current and former MMA athletes that competed in UFC and Titan FC, respectively. During the clinical trial, the world-class participants chose to supplement with either whey protein or rice protein and instructed to consume three scoops per day (75 grams total) with at least 25gm protein per scoop while maintaining their regular diet and continuing to perform their regular high volume / intensity training and competitions.

The following Combat Club star fighters participated (some of whom are carnivores, omnivores and others vegan, vegetarians or transitioning to a vegetarian diet):

Gilbert "Durinho" Burns, UFC Lightweight (11-2)
Desmond "The Predator" Greene, UFC Lightweight (20-5)
Demarques Jackson, Titan FC 45 (6-1)
Jason "King of the Caribbean" Jackson, Titan FB Welterweight Champion (7-3)
Anthony "Rumble" Johnson, Former UFC Light Heavyweight (22-6)
Michael "The Menace" Johnson, UFC Lightweight (17-12)
Irwin "The Beast" Rivera, Titan FC Bantamweight (6-4)
Chas "The Scrapper" Skelly, UFC Featherweight (17-3)
Sean Soriano, Former UFC Featherweight (10-5)
Andre "The Asian Sensation" Soukhamthath, UFC Bantamweight (12-5)
Steve Mowry, Titan FB Heavyweight (3-0)

According to Team Plant fighter Andre Soukhamthath, "Prior to the study, I had always used whey protein, but signed up to be on Team Plant to see what would happen. I noticed that while using the rice protein, I felt as strong, full of energy - but noticeably lighter. We need six weeks to prep for a fight. We have to drop a lot of fat weight but keep our muscle up; a hard thing to do. For the first time in my career, I was able to train close to my fighting weight and this enabled me to take the last-minute UFC fight when I beat Luke Sanders (December 9, 2017)."

Team Meat participant Chas Skelly, the UFC's featherweight "Scapper," grew up hunting in his native Texas. "I eat a lot of venison and game meats. I have always relied on animal protein to keep my muscle up while dropping from 175 to my fight weight of 145. My only experience with plant-anything was a terrible tasting greens powder. I had never tried plant protein and was very interested to see what would happen in this study."

Kay Abadee, VP Marketing of Growing Naturals said: "The pure Oryzatein^® brown rice protein used in the study from Axiom Foods is the most naturally extracted on the market today. We offer it ala carte so that both weekend warriors and pro athletes can mix and match with other nutritional elements they want for their nutrition.   This study doesn't just help show the power of Growing Naturals by using Axiom's patented Oryzatein^®, but it also helps raise up the entire plant protein category. This study is sending a shock wave through the fitness industry, hopefully toppling long-held ideas that animal-based whey protein is necessary for serious athletes. Basically, we are finding that animals are no longer needed to get our protein."

About: Combat Club is a mixed martial arts training facility in Lantana, FL, led by head coaches: Henri Hooft (Dutch Kickboxing), Gilbert Burns (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu), and Greg Jones (Wrestling). Combat Club caters to people of all levels, from beginner to pro.

About: Growing Naturals, LLC is the maker of both allergen-friendly single-source Pure Plant Protein Powders from organic brown rice and peas, plus Benefit Blends powered by Growing Naturals, featuring "one and done" formulas providing effective solutions that simplify our daily rituals. All Growing Naturals plant proteins are FDA GRAS approved food and the rice protein products feature clinically tested and patented Oryzatein^® inside.

Press Contacts:
Growing Naturals: Alyson Dutch, Brown + Dutch PR, Inc.
310.456.7151, [email protected]

Combat Club: Danny Valentine,
786.280.8431, [email protected]

SOURCE Growing Naturals