How you time your meals can
dramatically affect the amount of lean muscle tissue you can build.
Believe it!
For years now it's been known that a post-exercise shake is "de-Rigueur"
for stimulating the post-exercise muscle building process. And while
it's true that eating specific ratios of proteins, carbs, and fats
after your workout will accelerate your muscle building efforts
there's now a better way.
I began experimenting with this "pre-workout" technique
about 1 year ago after speaking with doctors intimately familiar
with human metabolism.
These doctors explained how they recommended to their diabetic
patients to exercise shortly after eating. They found the increased
blood sugar levels following their meals were significantly reduced
if they exercised immediately after
eating.
The reason was, exercise used up the glycogen (sugar) stores in
the muscle fairly rapidly. And in order to replenish it muscles
would use the sugar present in the bloodstream. So, by exercising
immediately after eating the demand by the working muscles of diabetics
caused their blood sugar levels to return to normal.
I knew, of course, that most diabetic patients have a condition
called "insulin resistance." This means the body's cells
become resistant, or closed, to the high circulating blood sugar
that's looking for a home.
In people with normal metabolisms the body's cells (consisting
of muscle, liver, and fat cells) can accept sugar circulating in
the bloodstream and deposit it to where it's needed most.
This process is impaired in type II diabetics (who still produce
insulin). It's like the cells of the body don't recognize the diabetic's
high blood sugar levels and can't "open the door" and
allow it in.
Doctor's understand that exercise seems to allow a diabetic's cells
to "re-open" and again begin accepting circulating blood
sugar. As a result of this their blood sugar levels come down.
I theorized if this worked in diabetic patients then it would also
work in folks with normal metabolisms.
HOW-TO'S OF BUILDING MORE MUSCLE
You may be wondering why I would even want to use it for people
who were not diabetics. Simple answer...to build more muscle. I'll
explain.
First, understand that a "hydrated cell" is a happy cell.
What this means is your muscle cells anabolic (muscle building)
machinery starts working if there is a net inflow of nutrients (sugars,
or glycogen, along with their cargo of amino acids).
This triggers your body to start producing additional muscle growth
provided your exercise program created a stimulus for this growth
to happen.
By eating and then exercising shortly after, you are providing
key nutrients for your working muscles. Studies have shown that
compared to a post-workout shake, a PRE-workout shake provides 342%
greater glycogen (sugar) storage into your muscle cells. What this
translates to in real-world results is better muscle growth...period!
Here's another reason. Because your exercising muscles are creating
a demand for the sugar they've used, you are less likely to store
the circulating sugars as fat. Remember earlier how I said that
blood-borne sugars can be stored in three different areas of the
body (muscle, liver, and fat cells)?
Well, because of the demand caused by working muscles you can actually
take in a more 'sugary' meal prior to working out and it not be
stored as fat (as would normally be the case).
YOU MUST PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING
The opposite of anabolism (muscle building) is catabolism (muscle
wasting). Your body is in a continually fluctuating state between
the two. The trick for continued muscle growth is to try and tip
the scales more towards the anabolism side. Or, to minimize catabolism.
The sheer act of working out is a catabolic activity. That's a
given. However, there is a way to minimize these negative effects.
And the way to do it is to eat before your workouts. Yet again another
positive reason to eat prior to working out.
RECIPE FOR MUSCLE GROWTH
Now that I've convinced you to eat prior to working out you may
be wondering what's the best meal to eat. Your recipe for muscle
growth should be an easily digestible meal. And a shake with key
and specific nutrients is exactly what will
fill the bill.
For MAXIMUM MUSCLE GROWTH this shake should consist of:
1) 0.4 to 0.8 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of bodyweight.
(If max fat loss is your goal the carbohydrate ratios should be
towards the lowest part of this range).
The type of carbohydrate used should be a high GI (Glycemic Index)
one that is easily digested. Either glucose or maltodextrin fits
the bill here.
2) 0.2 to 0.4 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight. The
best type of protein to use is again, the fastest absorbing type,
or whey/casein HYDROLYSATE.
3) 3-5 grams of Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA's). The addition
of BCAA's during exercise is important because BCAA's decrease protein
breakdown.
4) 5-10 grams of Glutamine. Glutamine also helps prevent protein
breakdown.
5) 3-5 grams of Creatine. The latest studies show creatine may
actually help trigger muscle growth.
6) Mixing all of these up in plenty of water is essential. Don't
underestimate this subtle point. Absorption will be hindered if
the concentration is too high. There is evidence to believe if these
nutrients are delivered in too high of a concentration they may
be wasted and not used. What you're shooting for is a 4-8% concentration.
The studies show this ratio is ideal for porper digestion and hydration.
Here's how to figure it out. Take the total grams of powder you
are going to take and divide by 1000 (1 Liter) as a starting point.
Adjust this amount until the result you get is between 4-8%.
Here's an example you can use to help you figure out how much you
need for your bodyweight:
To make it easy for calculation purposes I'll use a 220 lb man.
There are 2.2 kilograms (kg) in 1 pound (lb). So, this 220 lb man
is equal to 100 kg. Using the recommendations above for the individual
nutrients would provide: 40-80 grams of carbohydrates, 20-40 grams
of whey hydrolysate, 3-5 grams of creatine, glutamine, and BCAA's
respectively.
I'll choose 60 grams of carbohydrates, 30 grams of whey hydrolysate,
5 grams of creatine, 5 grams of Glutamine and 5 grams of BCAA's
which equals 105 total grams of powder. 105 divided by 1,500 (1
1/2 Liters of water) equals a 7% solution, just about perfect. This
is a lot of water but is important you take in this much for proper
absorption.
All of this is a little complicated I know, but once you do it
once you'll know from then on how much of each to use. Trust me,
the results are worth it.
WHEN TO TAKE IT
If you are under 10% bodyfat for men and 15% for women you should
take in another of these meals AFTER your weight training workout
as well. Also, the addition of 500-1000 mg of Vitamin C and 200-400
iu of Vitamin E will also help reduce your body's cortisol output
and free radical damage as a result of the workout.
EVERYONE should take this meal prior to your weight training workout.
CONCLUSION
Although there is science behind these recommendations I have to
be honest in saying that the research is still ongoing. The data
supporting the recommendations above may be implied by some as imcomplete.
Those critics views I have to agree with. The research continues
on the best ways of maximizing muscle growth through diet. And there
are no long-term research results that will say with authority these
recommendations are the best way to go...yet!
In order to be absolutely certain you could wait for those results
to come in. Then, when and if the claims are proven you could follow
the recommendations.
However, I caution you that research results takes time. In the
meantime, real-world feedback and evidence continues to pile up
in favor of these recommendations.
Do you want to wait and potentially lose valuable time waiting
for the recommendations to be validated? It's up to you. I recommend
you do your own test and see if you don't achieve greater muscle
growth on your own with these recommendations.
FINAL RECOMMENDATION
The Mass Maker, Mass Aminos, Muscle Mass BCAA's, Creatine, and
L-Glutamine fit the bill for my recommended pre- and post-workout
shake. Well...almost.
Although the research used pure whey hydrolysates for the protein
source, in practical terms this is very hard to do. For one thing
pure hydrolysates taste incredibly bad, not to mention they don't
smell too good either.
The Mass Maker has a blend of proteins of both short and fast acting
form. I personally believe this is the way to go anyway although
there is no research to support this, it's just my experience you
have to go on here. However, when you combine it with the Mass Aminos
you will be supplying additional whey hydrolysates the research
says you should be taking.
Please understand you could mix up the above ingredients on your
own by buying and combining them together yourself. And you may
even be able to save yourself a little bit of money buying them
somewhere else. Just remember, you get what you pay for. I'll let
you make that choice.
But if you want to try the above products I've put together a special
combination to make it easier for you. Normally the cost of the
above 5 products which includes:
