I for one though, like to push it hard. Being an Olympic style weightlifter, I am in the gym for at least an hour a day, sometimes twice a day, squatting, snatching, clean and jerking (you know, that sport you maybe have accidentally flipped to one day while the Olympics were on?) pressing, and in general pushing my muscles to the absolute limit day in and day out. And many of you are right there with me, whether you be a runner, biker, bodybuilder, swimmer, maybe even a Polo player (though I think the horse does most of the work there.) You all work your muscles hard, sweat harder, and sleep soundly at night.
We all know the concept of working out. You go to the gym, lift a few weights, and get stronger, right? Well there's a lot more to it than that, but in general, yes. However, if your goal is to get stronger, faster, you could be drastically hampering your progress if you're not supplementing your body correctly. See, when you lift weights until exhaustion (when you feel the burn), what you're actually doing is forcing your muscles to work in an anaerobic state. This means they're running off lactic acid instead of oxygen. This chemical process works, however lactic acid is destructive to your muscles, and begins to break them down. After your workout, your muscles use available sources of protein, carbohydrates, and various other nutrients to begin rebuilding the damaged fibers, and this time will try to build them a little bigger and denser than they were before, in an attempt to avoid such destruction.
However to do all this, you need supplementation. One of the most common supplements on the market today to help with your strength goals is the humble protein shake, which you've probably seen in the form of Whey Protein Powder.
Whey is a staple in the fitness industry. Those that don't know much about lifting still seem to know that they can buy a cheap tub of Whey protein at Walmart, mix some with water, drink it after their workout, and believe they have done their bodies a favor. And they have! But when you drink one of these shakes, what are you actually giving your body? Why is Whey protein so helpful? Well first things first. Whey protein itself is a by-product of cheese production. It is an extremely dense protein source, packed with all sorts of delicious nutrients, amino-acids, and other things your body needs when it's crying for food right after a workout. Most protein you'll buy at the store is flavored (I like chocolate), and has a lot of other vitamins and related supplements that are beneficial to building muscle pre-mixed into it. There's also a good source of simple carbohydrates, which will spike your insulin right after a workout, encouraging your body to absorb the protein AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. These carbs will also help refuel your muscle glycogen levels. So in all, if you're one who does any sort of physical fitness activity, I would suggest incorporating whey protein into your post workout nutrition. You'll be building lean muscle mass that will help you feel stronger, perform better, and will actually increase your metabolism to help burn off unwanted fat. You'll be a lean, mean, performace machine. A win-win situation for sure!
Side Note: After a workout is pretty much the only time you want to voluntarily spike your insulin levels.
So that's all fine and dandy, and now we have a great protein source to rebuild muscles after our intense gym session. But we've got another problem. If quick, powerful muscle gains are desired, we've got to realize that the body doesn't only rebuild muscle right after our workout. Oh no, our body is constantly working on those destroyed muscle fibers, and it takes it's sweet time. In fact it's most favorite time to work is at night, when we're asleep. After two hours of deep sleep, our body begins to release Human Growth Hormone (HGH) to build those tired muscles back up to use the next morning. But there's the problem. What aren't we doing at night, which our body NEEDS us to do in order to have the raw materials necessary to build muscle back up? EATING!!!! We're practically starving ourselves all night! That's not a good formula for muscle growth. If only there was a quick, easy way to circumvent this problem.
Enter Casein Protein. Unlike Whey, which is not optimal for night time growth because of it's extremely fast absorption rate, Casein absorbs into your muscles slowly, essentially feeding them all night long. Casein protein is often found in dairy products as well. Basically, it is a slow acting alternative to Whey, so when taken right before bed it feeds your body all night as it slowly used by your body. You can buy tubs of Casein protein powder, just like whey, but if you're not quite as serious about muscle building I would suggest trying this simple alternative: Before bed, take a tablespoon of natural peanut butter (the fats in peanut butter have the same effect of slowing nutrient absorption) along with half a cup of cottage cheese, a food rich in Casein Protein. Take these less than half an hour before you hit the hay, and watch your muscles grow.
Another side note: Just as whey protein is optimal before bed because it absorbs too fast, Casein isn't optimal post workout because it absorbs too slowly. After your workout you want to cram nutrients into your muscles at light speed.
If you want to know more about the subtleties of both these protein sources, I suggest reading some articles over at www.bodybuilding.com. They've got some top notch experts who write fitness related articles every day, and they've got all the science behind it. I'm just trying to keep up with them =].
Last side note: If desired, the absorption of Whey protein powder can be slowed by mixing it with non-skim milk, or almond milk, or with a tablespoon or two of PB due to the same nutrient slowing effects of the fat in either the milk or PB.
So now you know about Protein. Get out there, lift hard, and feed your body right.
Huh, interesting post!
ReplyDeleteI think it shouldn't be a battle between whey and casein, but that you should take them together in synergy! Whey for the post-workout fast absorption and casein before bed, so protein syntesis occurs when you sleep for maximum gains.
ReplyDeleteIf you read my email yesterday, you’ll know I’m now a firm believer in taking digestive enzymes to help boost protein adsorption and your overall digestive health.
The positive benefits go on and on. Especially when it comes to muscle building and recovering from training. It’s really a no-brainer.
And the specific enzymes I recommend are Wade Lightheart’s ==>‘Masszymes’ formula
That’s because they contain the highest protease [digests protein] counts on the market, and they’re specifically designed for athletes, and high performance individuals.
So let’s assume you now understand the benefits of taking digestive enzymes.
And let’s also assume you’ve ordered some Masszymes and want to make the most of them.
How should you take these enzymes to maximize your results?
Well, speaking with peak performance expert Wade Lightheart, who has “over 10 years experience” of taking digestive enzymes, the general rule is this:
TAKE BEFORE MEALS. AND TAKE BEFORE YOUR WORKOUTS.
And the more you take, the faster the results.
It’s reassuring to know that no one, in over 70 years of enzyme research, has experienced any prolonged negative side effects to a massive or minor intake of digestive enzymes.
Quite the contrary — many individuals have experienced significant improvements in health, vitality, and performance with even low dosages of enzymes.
Wade also recommends GRADUAL INCREMENTAL INCREASES are the best way to add enzymes to your diet.
He initially took between 40-50 enzymes per day of his high quality enzyme formulation — although after about 5,000 enzymes ingested in total, his need/desire for them dropped.
And HIS ENZYME INTAKE NOW is around 25-35 capsules per day.
So that translates to about 8 Masszymes capsules per meal minimum.
And you may want to boost this as high as 15 capsules (or more, depending on your age, the intensity of your training, current health condition etc…).
Another factor to keep in mind is what Wade calls “The Critical 30% Factor”.
You see, although it’s not clear exactly how many enzymes the body can handle, most individuals have only 30 percent of their enzyme potential by the time they are 40 years old.
And this study was done many years ago, as reported in Dr. Howell's Book "Enzyme Nutrition”.
Today, enzyme levels could in fact be a lot LOWER, maybe as low as 30 percent at 20 years old, since third generation enzyme deficiency is rampant, and a big reason why North America has 50 percent of the population overweight.
If that is the case, then we all need to be boosting our enzyme levels with a high quality digestive enzyme formula.
And to my knowledge, there’s nothing more powerful right now than Masszymes.
Go get yours here ==> Boost your gains with Masszymes enzymes.
P.S. This is my final email about digestive enzymes, and tomorrow we’ll be shifting gears.
So if you’re interested in trying these enzymes for yourself, I highly recommend you visit the link below now:
==> Masszymes - The smart way to build muscle.