We all know you need protein to build muscle. The question of just how much you need is a more vexing issue. With widespread confusion, we decided to let the science speak. Rather than focusing on total daily protein consumption, we’ll discover how much protein you should consume after your workout to pack on lean beef.
After training, the subjects were injected with leucine that could be tracked to see whether it went into a muscle or was being used up as energy.
The zero protein dose was the worst for protein effects in terms of synthesis in the four hours post-exercise. Each successive dose of up to 20 grams produced better results. But then things got interesting - at a 20-gram dose of whole egg protein, some leucine was channeled away from protein synthesis in the muscle cell. At 40 grams, an even more significant amount of leucine was diverted from the process. As a result, the rate of protein synthesis was the same at 40 grams as it had been at 20 grams.
While it is true that a greater protein intake did supply a higher level of amino acids into the bloodstream, this did not translate to a more significant anabolic effect. This suggests that if you take more than 25 grams of protein in your post-workout protein shake, you are wasting the difference in muscle building. Those extra grams of protein will be used as a fuel source and carbohydrate precursor.
Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS)
The Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score is superior to the other three because it is based on human rather than rodent studies. It is worked out by comparing the amount of a limiting amino acid (a low-essential amino) with the amount of this protein in a high-quality protein source.
The Need For Protein Post Workout
The top pre-workouts for men are designed to provide a combination of energy, focus, endurance, and muscle pump, ultimately improving overall workout performance. These supplements often contain a blend of ingredients such as caffeine, beta-alanine, creatine, and nitric oxide boosters.More is Not Better
In a 2011 landmark study, researchers specifically wanted to discover the optimum dose of protein after exercise for the best muscle protein synthesis. The research focused on six young men who regularly weight trained and weighed, on average, 190 pounds. Before the study began, they ate a moderate protein diet of 1.4 g/kg/day for two days. They then undertook five different leg training sessions and were given five doses of egg-derived protein immediately after each session. The dosages were 0,5,10,20, and 40 grams.After training, the subjects were injected with leucine that could be tracked to see whether it went into a muscle or was being used up as energy.
The zero protein dose was the worst for protein effects in terms of synthesis in the four hours post-exercise. Each successive dose of up to 20 grams produced better results. But then things got interesting - at a 20-gram dose of whole egg protein, some leucine was channeled away from protein synthesis in the muscle cell. At 40 grams, an even more significant amount of leucine was diverted from the process. As a result, the rate of protein synthesis was the same at 40 grams as it had been at 20 grams.
While it is true that a greater protein intake did supply a higher level of amino acids into the bloodstream, this did not translate to a more significant anabolic effect. This suggests that if you take more than 25 grams of protein in your post-workout protein shake, you are wasting the difference in muscle building. Those extra grams of protein will be used as a fuel source and carbohydrate precursor.
Finding the Best Protein Source
The critical determinant of the quality of a protein is its classification as either as complete or incomplete protein. Beyond that, however, researchers have devised several protein quality measures. Four of the main ones are:- Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER)
- Biological Value (BV)
- Net Protein Utilization (NPU)
- Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS)
Protein Efficiency Ratio
The Protein Efficiency Ratio is a measure of the feed efficiency of a protein. It is determined by rodent studies in which rats are fed a diet containing the test protein. The PER value is calculated as the animal’s growth in grams per gram of ingested protein.Biological Value
The biological value of a protein is the amount of nitrogen used for tissue formation divided by the amount of nitrogen absorbed from the food. It is expressed as a percentage. BV also uses rodent studies.Net Protein Utilization
Net protein utilization calculates the ratio of amino acid mass converted to proteins to the group of amino acids supplied in the test protein. NPU is another value that uses rodent studies.Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS)
The Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score is superior to the other three because it is based on human rather than rodent studies. It is worked out by comparing the amount of a limiting amino acid (a low-essential amino) with the amount of this protein in a high-quality protein source.
