Building Muscle: Tricks of the Trade
What should I eat before I lift weights?
By eating carbohydrate 10 minutes before exercise, you’ll provide fuel for a stronger workout. By eating some protein, you’ll start to digest it into amino acids, the building blocks of protein. Those amino acids will be available to be used by the muscles during and after exercise. Good choices for a pre-exercise snack include a fruit yogurt (150 cals) or a small bowl of Cheerios + milk for example.
Why should I eat right after I lift weights?
After a hard gym workout, your muscles are primed for getting broken down: their glycogen (carbohydrate) stores are reduced; cortisol and other hormones that break down muscle are high; the muscle damage that occurred during exercise causes inflammation; the amino acid glutamine that provides fuel for the immune system is diminished. If you just drink water after your workout and dash to work, you’ll miss the 45-minute post-exercise window of opportunity to optimally nourish, repair and build muscles.
You can switch out of the muscle break-down mode by eating a carb-protein combination as soon as tolerable after you exercise. Carbohydrates stimulate the release of insulin, a hormone that helps build muscles. Carbs combined with a little protein creates an even better muscle building response and reduces cortisol (breaks down muscle).
Just as eating protein before and after exercise optimizes muscle development, so does eating protein throughout the day. When the amino acid levels in the blood are above normal, the muscles take up more of these building blocks; this enhances muscle growth. Hence, eating several protein-containing meals and snacks is preferable to eating one big dinner at the end of the day. Also, don’t restrict calories while building muscles. With inadequate fuel, you will use protein for energy, not for building muscles.
How much protein should I eat to build muscles?
Strength athletes need about one gram of protein per pound body weight per day—along with weight lifting—for optimal muscle development. In comparison, the recommended protein intake for sedentary people is about 0.45 gram protein per pound; active people about 0.6 to 0.7 grams. Most hungry athletes can consume this much protein by choosing protein-rich foods and low fat milk at all meals and snacks. For example, a 180-pound strength athlete can consume 180 grams protein by drinking two quarts of skim milk (80 gm) and eating the equivalent of two (6-ounce) chicken breasts (105 gm) per day.
Why are protein supplements so popular?
In today’s fast-food society, a mindless way to get healthful (no cholesterol, low fat) protein is with supplements. Protein shakes, in particular, are popular because after a strength training session, athletes may not feel hungry, but they are likely thirsty. Skim milk + banana + protein powder (or powdered milk) + sugar (for quick-acting fuel) is a simple, hassle-free way to consume the protein and carbs needed to build muscle and refuel depleted glycogen stores. Yet, protein supplements are not a whole food and fail to offer the complete package of health protective nutrients found in natural foods. Use them to supplement wise eating, not to replace it.
What’s all the hype about whey protein?
Whey comprises 20% of the protein found in milk; casein comprises the other 80% of the protein. The two are separated during cheese-making. Whey used to be discarded, but today it is made into whey powder and used in a variety of protein supplements.
Whey is digested and absorbed into the bloodstream faster than other proteins such as casein. Whey is a rich source of the branch chain amino acids (BCAAs) leucine, isoleucine, and valine. BCAAs are taken up directly by the muscles instead of having to be first metabolized by the liver. Hence, whey is “fast acting” and a fairly efficient muscle energy source during exercise—plus a good source of raw materials for building muscles after exercise.
