How can nutrition / food help you gaining muscle mass? without putting on extra fat? We have a full Protein breakdown HERE for more Info after you have read this.
Muscle Facts
- Muscle is a Major Metabolic Tissue
- Muscle Declines with Age
- Eating Protein Alone Will Not Result in an Increase Muscle Mass
- The Greatest Stimulus for Increasing Muscle Mass is Resistance Training
- The Role of Protein is Then to Complement This Process
- People Build Muscle Mass Depending on Volume and Weight of the Weights Lifted
How does Resistance Exercise effect Protein Balance
- Muscle Protein Synthesis (MPS) is the Synthesis of New Muscle
- Muscle Protein Breakdown (MPB) is the Process That Breaks Down Muscle
- The balance of MPS and MPB is the Net Protein Turnover which Determines if Muscle is Gained or Lost & is Constantly Occurring Throughout the Day
- Negative Muscle Protein Balance = MPS < MPB = Lose Muscle Mass
- Positive Muscle Protein Balance = MPS > MPB = Gain Muscle Mass
- In the rested fasted state, MPB exceeds MPS to give a negative protein turnover
- Fasted state + resistance exercise = increased MPS but still not sufficient to elicit a positive muscle protein balance
- It’s only when resistance training and nutrition (protein) combine that positive protein turnover happens and muscle hypertrophy occurs
Daily Muscle Protein Balance
- When protein or a mixed meal is consumed, protein synthesis increases and protein balance becomes positive
- In the hours after a meal, protein balance becomes negative again when protein synthesis is reduced, and breakdown increases
- Throughout the day, protein synthesis = protein breakdown and protein balance remains constant
- However, following resistance exercise and a mixed meal, MPS increases to a greater extent than either resistance exercise or feeding alone
- RE sensitises MPS to AA feeding, an effect that may persist for up to 24 h
- Additionally, protein breakdown is Over the course of the day, there is a net positive protein balance and muscle accretion will occur
Signalling Pathways for MPS
- mTor (Mammalian Target of Rapamycin) is the Signalling Pathway Responsible for Muscle Building
- The Amino Acid Leucine is Responsible for Switching on this Signalling Pathway
FACTORS AFFECTING PROTEIN UTILISATION INCLUDE:
- Quality
- Dose
- Timing
- Frequency of Feeding
- Amount
Protein Quality
- Quality of Protein Refers to its Amino Acid Content
- The Leucine Content of Proteins is Particularly Important as it Drives MPS
- 2-3g of Leucine Maximally Stimulates MPS
- High Quality Sources Include Animal Proteins which Contain All the Essential Amino Acids and are High In Leucine (Meat, Chicken, Turkey, Eggs and Dairy Sources)
Protein Digestion
- The Rate of Digestion is also Important when Considering MPS
- Whey is a Fast Digesting Protein Source
- Plant Protein has a Medium Digestion Rate
- Casein Protein has Slow Sustained Digestion Rate
Consume 20-30g of Protein or 0.4g/kg/BW Per Meal for Maximal Stimulation of MPS.
Consume, 4-5 meals of 20-30g of protein evenly distributed during the day.
Protein When Training
- Provided protein is consumed around training, it does not need to be within a 30 minute window after exercise
- Practical considerations of consuming a protein shake around training
- May have a small benefit
- Convenient
- Contributes to total daily protein intake
- Routine/Personal preference
- Prevents FOMO (fear of missing out)
Protein when Sleeping
During sleep our bodies are in a prolonged period of muscle breakdown.
Pre sleep feeding of a slow digesting protein (casein) may be:
- Useful for increasing MPS and reducing MPB as it feeds the muscle while sleeping
- A useful tool to complement high protein foods eaten throughout the day, to help people hit their daily protein targets
How Much Protein do you Need?
- Sedentary individuals – 8g/kg/bw
- Endurance athletes – 2-1.6g/kg/bw
- Strength athletes – 6-2.2g/kg/bw
Are you getting enough protein?
PROTEIN RECOMMENDATION FOR MUSCLE GAIN
- Set Daily Intakes First
- 4-5 Meals Per Day
- 0.4g/kg Body Mass Per Meal
- Complete Proteins (2-3g Leucine)
- 20-30g Before or After Exercise
- 20-40g Of Casein Before Bed
- Should Focus First on Total Daily Intake
- Then Protein Distribution (Evenly Spread)
- Followed By Quality and Timing (Complete Protein Every 3-5 Hours)
What else should you consider for Building Muscle?
- It is possible to build muscle mass in a caloric deficit but this is not optimal
- The most efficient way to build muscle mass is to ensure a caloric surplus of 300-500 calories per day is obtained
- Progressive overload during resistance training is also key to building muscle
Summary
- Muscle Growth Occurs when MPS > MPB
- Protein Feeding Around Exercise Maximises the Response of Skeletal Muscle to Resistance Exercise
- Leucine is a Key Driver of MPS
- The Dose, Timing, Frequency & the Amount of Protein Effects the Utilisation of Protein & its Effect on MPS