Building Muscle: Dietary Protein and Strength Training
Muscle growth and repair are made possible when muscle protein balance is positive, a condition created in part by consuming adequate dietary protein. The type, amount, and timing of protein intake help create an intracellular environment that promotes the synthesis of new muscle protein.
- Protein is essential for the structure and function of the human body, and particularly for recovery, repair, and growth of muscles.
- For that reason, athletes are encouraged to eat foods that contain high-quality protein.
- Research shows that athletes should be more concerned about the type of protein they eat and when they eat it, and not about how much protein they eat.
- Athletes interested in increasing muscle mass should consume small amounts of high-quality protein throughout the day (e.g., every two hours) because eating protein periodically causes muscle protein synthesis to spike and that is now thought to be the most effective way to increase mass in conjunction with a well-designed training program.
- Within 30 minutes after training, athletes should ingest a small meal or snack containing 10-20 grams of high-quality protein and about 35 grams of carbohydrate (total = 200-300 kcal). Doing so will increase muscle protein synthesis and speed muscle recovery and repair.
- Only a small amount of high-quality protein (e.g., 20 g; 80 kcal) is needed to provide enough essential amino acids to maximally stimulate muscle protein synthesis. Consuming more protein does not further increase protein synthesis. Excess dietary protein is degraded (deaminated) and either oxidized or converted to fat or carbohydrate.
- Research shows that milk proteins are particularly effective at increasing muscle protein synthesis by providing all the essential amino acids. Meat, soy, and egg protein also provide all of the essential amino acids.
- There is no difference in the anabolic boost associated with whole proteins (e.g., milk, eggs, meat) or dietary supplements that provide amino acids or proteins (e.g., powders, bars, shakes.)
- There is no well-established benefit associated with ingesting protein during exercise.
- Athletes wishing to increase muscle mass must also consume enough energy (calories), carbohydrate, and fluid to ensure that their muscles remain in an anabolic environment for as much of the day as possible.
- Current recommendations are that sedentary individuals should ingest 0.8 g protein/kg body weight/day, endurance athletes should ingest 1.4 g/kg/d, and strength athletes should ingest 1.7 g/kg/d. It is typically easy for athletes to achieve these levels of protein intake unless they are on a restricted diet. In those cases, athletes should seek the guidance of a Registered Dietitian (RD) who specializes in sports nutrition.
- During exercise, muscle protein breakdown is greater than muscle protein synthesis, so the muscle is said to be in a state of negative protein balance. Consuming protein after exercise quickly increases muscle protein synthesis so that muscle protein balance becomes positive, the key to increasing muscle mass over time.
- In general, larger muscles mean stronger muscles, but it is possible for muscles to grow larger without growing stronger and it is possible for muscles to grow stronger without growing larger.
- Strength training increases muscle mass by stimulating the genes within muscles to stimulate increased production of muscle contractile proteins.
- Anabolic steroids increase muscle mass by binding to receptors on the membranes of muscle cells and stimulating the cell’s genes to produce more of the proteins required for muscle growth.
- Maximal muscle protein synthesis can be achieved by ingesting less than 0.1 gram of essential amino acids per kg of body weight.
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