Nutrition and Resistance (strength) Exercise

During hard exercise the muscles burn up some of their own muscle protein. How do you make sure that after exercise is over you rebuild the burnt up protein and incorporate some additional protein so that on balance the exercise has made you stronger and bigger ?

This is a very important consideration if you are recovering from injury, serious illness, getting on in years and particularly if sarcopenia (muscle loss) is one of you big health issues.

How should you eat to make the most out of strength and resistance training ? During strength and resistance training your muscles are working against a heavy load - at or close to the maximum weight or resistance the muscles can move. Glycogen in the muscles is used to power the exercise. If the exercise is really hard, the muscles burn up (oxidize) muscle protein to fuel the exercise.  The amount of muscle protein burnt is about proportional to how hard the exercise is - harder then more protein is burnt. You need to work out hard to make big gains in strength. 

Taking in some carbohydrate in the hour after exercise is a must - even better in the 15 minutes after exercise stops because the highest rate of glycogen storage is in the hour after exercise.

How much carbs ? It depends on your body weight:

• 40 kilograms   (88 pounds)    40 to    48 grams (about 1.5 ounces)
• 80 kilograms   (176 pounds)  80 to    96 grams (about 3 ounces)
• 120 kilograms  (264 pounds)  120 to 144 grams (about 4.5 ounces).

How much protein ? Surprisingly little is needed to get muscles back to where they were and then growing some more - at least 6 grams and 15 grams ( 1/4 to 1/2 ounce) is plenty. You need to get this small amount of protein into yourself fairly quickly after exercise. Within 4 hours more protein is needed - another  30 grams (about 1 ounce).

Taking carbs and protein together helps because the carbs help get the protein (after digestion in the form of amino acids) into the muscles. 

Protein is built up out of amino acids. Most amino acids can be made by our bodies but 8 need to be gained from food - the essential amino acids. Nutrition stores will sell you essential amino acids in tablet form. Trying to feed oneself with tablets is usually a waste of time but taking essential amino acids just before training seems to help build muscle. 

Eating normally just before training is likely to create a insulin rush - you could throw up or feel nauseous and possibly light headed. However taking 6 grams of essential amino acids in tablet form just before training by-passes the worry about generating an insulin rush.