Timing of protein-rich meal vs. exercise

[Mark Thorson]

Let's say that I were to work out exactly once per day,
and that I would eat one protein-rich meal per day.

Would it matter what the timing of that meal would be
relative to the workout? If so, what should that timing
be? My chief thought is with regard to availability of
proteins.

My guess is that the meal should precede the workout
by some number of hours, so that the amino acids would
be circulating at the same time they would be needed.

[Jim Janney]

Mark Thorson <nos...@sonic.net> writes:

Assuming that your goal is hypertrophy, my understanding is that most
growth occurs following the workout: the exercise causes microtears in
the muscle fibers, stimulating them to rebuild themselves bigger and
stronger than before. Bodybuilders typically allow two days or more
for this to happen, which is why they favor body-part training splits.
If you buy into this model, then it would be more useful to eat
protein following the workout. Eating before the workout should focus
on supplying the energy systems, so you can work your hardest and not
poop out part way through.

This isn't a position I particularly believe in -- I don't know enough
to have an actual opinion -- but I'm interested to see what the
counterarguments might be. In practice most people who want to grow
try to eat protein at every opportunity.

--
Jim Janney

[Tom Anderson]

About right. You want amino acids around while you're working out, because
that protects your muscles from exercise-induced protein breakdown, and
you want them around after, to promote exercise-induced protein synthesis.
If you take your protein as whey, you'd take it immediately before working
out, because it gets into the bloodstream very quickly. If it's a steak,
then yes, earlier, but probably not multiple hours. I don't know the
numbers off the top of my head, though.

tom

--
There are many ways of going crazy, but the most valuable of them is
this one which makes a genius out of an ordinary man. -- Claudio Grondi

[Jim Janney]

Tom Anderson <tw...@urchin.earth.li> writes:

> On Thu, 31 Dec 2009, Mark Thorson wrote:
>
>> Let's say that I were to work out exactly once per day,
>> and that I would eat one protein-rich meal per day.
>>
>> Would it matter what the timing of that meal would be
>> relative to the workout? If so, what should that timing
>> be? My chief thought is with regard to availability of
>> proteins.
>>
>> My guess is that the meal should precede the workout
>> by some number of hours, so that the amino acids would
>> be circulating at the same time they would be needed.
>
> About right. You want amino acids around while you're working out,
> because that protects your muscles from exercise-induced protein
> breakdown, and you want them around after, to promote exercise-induced
> protein synthesis. If you take your protein as whey, you'd take it
> immediately before working out, because it gets into the bloodstream
> very quickly. If it's a steak, then yes, earlier, but probably not
> multiple hours. I don't know the numbers off the top of my head,
> though.
>
> tom
>

FWIW, Clarence Bass recommends moderate amounts of protein,
distributed throughout the day.

http://www.cbass.com/Protein_Muscle.htm

--
Jim Janney