Skeletal muscle can be in a balanced, anabolic, or catabolic state. With respect to weight training we look to increase muscle protein synthesis resulting in hypertrophy. We train to get bigger, stronger, and faster right?
Muscle protein stimulus comes from 2 things:
1. The food we eat:
-Ingestion of 15-20 grams of protein elevates muscle protein synthesis rates for 2-5 h following meal ingestion (Moore et al., 2009).
2. The physical activity we perform.
-Physical activity directly stimulates skeletal muscle protein synthesis that can last up to 24 hours after cessation of exercise (Burd et al., 2011). Whereas resistance type exercise strongly stimulates the synthesis of muscle contractile (myofibrillar) proteins, endurance type exercise will have a greater impact on stimulating the synthesis of mitochondrial proteins (Moore et al., 2009), thereby allowing exercise-specific muscle adaptation.
These effects are synergistic in that when applied together they provide a greater response than when alone. We can promote positive muscle protein balance through optimal timing and adequate intake of protein.
1: Timing
-provide 20-25 g of a high-quality protein immediately after an exercise session to maximize the muscle protein synthetic response during acute recovery (Beelen et al., 2011a).
If you exercise regularly, your protein needs may increase since resistance training can rapidly break down muscle protein.
2: Protein Intake:
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that strength-trained athletes have between 1.2 and 1.7 g/kg (0.5 – 0.8 grams per pound) of protein for the best performance and health. (read more)
How to Calculate Your Protein Needs:
1. Weight in pounds divided by 2.2 = weight in kg
2. Weight in kg x 0.8-1.8 gm/kg = protein gm.
Key Points from Stuart M. Phillips, PhD
PROTEIN CONSUMPTION AND RESISTANCE EXERCISE: MAXIMIZING ANABOLIC POTENTIAL (full article)
• Consume protein after exercise to maximize protein synthesis and promote adaptation.
• Liquid forms of protein are best due to their rapid digestion rate.
• Rapidly digested proteins are best with isolated proteins such as whey, milk proteins, or soy appearing to be most efficient.
• Whey protein, due to its leucine content, represents, on a per g basis, the best protein source to stimulate new muscle protein synthesis.
• Consume protein throughout the day at regularly spaced intervals to maximize the anabolic response (20-25 g per meal or between 0.25-0.30 g protein/kg body mass/meal).
• Excessive quantities of protein are not necessary for performance, however, levels of protein intake in the range of 1.2-1.6 g protein/ kg/d would be adequate and more than required by most athletes even during heavy training.
Burd, N.A., D.W. West, D.R. Moore, P.J. Atherton, A.W. Staples, T. Prior, J.E. Tang, M.J. Rennie, S.K. Baker, and S.M. Phillips (2011). Enhanced amino acid sensitivity of myofibrillar protein synthesis persists for up to 24 h after resistance exercise in young men. J. Nutr. 141: 568-573.
Beelen, M., R. Koopman, A.P. Gijsen, H. Vandereyt, A.K. Kies, H. Kuipers, W.H. Saris, and L.J. van Loon (2008a). Protein coingestion stimulates muscle protein synthesis during resistance-type exercise. Am. J. Physiol. 295: E70- 77.
Moore, D.R., M.J. Robinson, J.L. Fry, J.E. Tang, E.I. Glover, S.B. Wilkinson, T. Prior, M.A. Tarnopolsky, and S.M. Phillips (2009a). Ingested protein dose response of muscle and albumin protein synthesis after resistance exercise in young men. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 89: 161-168.
