The right timing of protein intake

The goal for anyone who wants to optimize their muscle gain and minimize the storage of excess calories in the form of body fat is to eat as perfectly as possible so that the body receives a continuous influx of nutrients and blood sugar levels also remain stable throughout the day.

One of the best ways to achieve this, in addition to eating high quality, low fat foods, is to eat several smaller meals evenly throughout the day, with an optimal intake of food every 2 to 3 hours. Successful bodybuilders know that you should eat at least 6 meals spread evenly throughout the day. This provides the muscles with a steady supply of nutrients that maintain an anabolic environment in the body.

Eating several smaller meals evenly spaced throughout the day is most important when it comes to protein intake, as unlike carbohydrates, which can be stored in the body for several days in the form of glycogen in the liver and muscles, protein cannot be stored by the body over a long period of time.

As there are always only very small amounts of amino acids in the bloodstream, complete protein must be consumed with every meal in order to maintain an anabolic environment that promotes muscle building. It is the acute and strong increase in the amount of amino acids in the bloodstream that causes a significant increase in the rate of protein synthesis and at the same time reduces the breakdown of muscle protein.

Maintaining a positive nitrogen balance prevents the body from breaking down muscle tissue to get the nutrients it needs. For this reason, it is important to eat 5 to 6 protein-containing meals per day with a time interval of 2 to 3 hours between meals, each of which should contain 30 to 40 grams of protein to maintain a positive nitrogen balance.

Eating smaller meals spread evenly throughout the day also keeps insulin levels stable. This is important for good fat metabolism and muscle growth. In addition, regular smaller meals put less strain on the digestive tract, resulting in more effective digestion. Studies have shown that eating smaller meals on a regular basis increases metabolic rate, burns more calories and results in less body fat storage.

The rate of protein intake has an important effect on the body's protein balance. This difference between protein synthesis and protein breakdown determines muscle gain or loss.

Different protein sources are classified as slow-digesting or fast-digesting proteins depending on their rate of digestion. For this reason, bodybuilders who want to optimize their muscle protein synthesis need to take protein timing to a higher level. In this context, protein timing means not only consuming protein at the right times, but also consuming the right protein sources at the right times. The following sections will show what this means in practice

An exemplary approach to proper protein timing

Of course, proper nutrition for muscle building is a highly individualized topic. There is no one diet that will work for everyone. But even though individual diets should be adapted to take into account differences in metabolism and body type, there are universal approaches that work quite well for the majority of exercisers. The simplified nutritional approach described below can serve as a good starting point.

After waking up

When you wake up in the morning, your body has basically gone through a prolonged period of fasting, as most people sleep for 6 to 8 hours and only a few get up at night to eat. When the body is deprived of food for 6 to 8 hours, it begins to use stored energy.

To keep blood sugar levels stable and provide energy to the brain and other types of tissues in the body during sleep, the body transports nutrients from the liver, fat cells and muscle cells to the places where they are needed.

Because the body can use glycogen stored in the liver and muscles to provide energy, there is minimal destruction of body cells during sleep, assuming you have eaten properly to maximize glycogen stores. This minimal destruction of body cells is due to the fact that the body cannot store amino acids and therefore has to resort to the body's own protein when dietary protein is no longer available.

Because of these nocturnal limitations, the best thing you can do for your body is to consume a relatively quickly digestible protein source soon after waking up.

A whey protein or protein hydrolysate is the best choice at this time to quickly increase amino acid levels in the bloodstream, as it takes less than half an hour for the amino acids contained in these protein sources to enter the bloodstream and a maximum amino acid concentration is reached after just 30 to 45 minutes.

This can be followed a little later by a normal breakfast, which should consist of a high-quality protein source and some slowly digestible carbohydrates with a low glycemic index.

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During the day

Since the goal during the day should be to eat smaller meals with a high nutrient density every few hours, the need for specific proteins at these meals is quite limited. Meals during the day should simply consist of a high quality, low fat protein source and some slow digesting, low glycemic index carbohydrates.

If you can't eat a good meal every two to three hours for time or other reasons, then a meal replacement product that contains a combination of different protein sources, carbohydrates, good fats, minerals and vitamins can be a good alternative. A good compromise can also be a good multi-component protein that contains a combination of fast and slow digesting proteins such as whey protein, casein and milk protein concentrate or isolate.

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Directly before training

If you have been eating regular small protein-rich meals throughout the day, then there is no absolute need to take special proteins in the form of supplements immediately before training. However, if you have missed a meal or want to maximize protein availability during your workout, you can consume a good fast-digesting protein such as a whey protein hydrolysate, ideally fortified with carbohydrates, glutamine and branched-chain amino acids, one hour before your workout.

Eating a liquid meal containing fast-digesting protein and carbohydrates about an hour before training can increase insulin levels. Insulin is an anabolic hormone that increases the uptake of amino acids and glucose into the muscles.

In addition to this, branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) stimulate protein synthesis. By consuming additional BCAAs immediately before and during training, the complete protein you consume can be better utilized for recovery. If you don't take extra BCAAs, your body will get them as needed from the complete proteins you consume, making the rest of the protein an incomplete protein that is worthless to your body.

Immediately after training

The body needs protein throughout the day and after training the protein requirement is particularly high. For this reason, post-workout meals are extremely important.

Contrary to popular belief that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, the first meal immediately after training is probably the most important meal of the day. The meal immediately after training is so important because this is the time when the body is most receptive to the nutrients it receives. During this time, blood amino acid levels and insulin levels in the blood are typically lower than during the rest of the day.

As blood amino acid levels are lower, this is an important time to consume a rapidly digestible protein such as whey protein hydrolysate to ensure the body can maintain a positive nitrogen balance and anabolic state.

The extreme hunger of cells for nutrients and the rapidly available nature of whey protein will ensure that you make the most of the best window of opportunity for recovery. If you don't make good use of this window of opportunity, then the body will draw on stored nutrient reserves and during a diet this can lead to the body pulling glutamine from muscle tissue, resulting in muscle tissue breakdown.

Hydrolyzed proteins generally have a higher biological value than protein concentrates or other protein preparations, which typically means better utilization of the protein by the body.

A higher biological value could also increase IGF-1 secretion, which stimulates muscle growth. The first meal immediately after training should also contain a small amount of fast-digesting, high glycemic index carbohydrates such as maltodextrin and dextrose, as this can maximize protein uptake and glycogen storage.

The addition of high-glycaemic carbohydrates to the meal immediately after training also stimulates a rapid and high release of the anabolic hormone insulin and simultaneously stimulates glycogen synthesis.

Taking creatine and glutamine can further improve recovery after training. The meal immediately after training should contain only minimal amounts of fat, as fat slows down digestion and nutrient absorption. This meal should be consumed during the first 60 minutes after training, although a shorter time interval after training is better.

Just before going to bed

Eating something just before going to bed is considered taboo by many, as they believe it promotes fat storage. However, when it comes to maintaining muscle mass, eating a protein meal right before bed is essential to prevent the body from using up much of its stored energy during sleep.

As you will not eat another meal for at least 6 to 8 hours, this last meal of the day should contain a slow-digesting protein source that releases nutrients into the bloodstream slowly over several hours.

By consuming a shake that contains both fast-digesting whey protein and slow-digesting micellar casein, a positive protein balance and a slow, continuous supply of nutrients can be achieved. A mixture of milk protein, whey protein and casein is also a good choice.

Of course, eating a meal consisting of whole foods can also reduce the rate of muscle breakdown by slowly releasing amino acids into the body. In addition to protein, this meal should also contain carbohydrates to stimulate the release of insulin. This increase in insulin levels can further reduce the rate of muscle breakdown.

During a diet

If you are on a calorie-restricted diet, diet progress can come to a standstill quite quickly when the body finds out what you are up to and therefore reduces the release of thyroid hormones to protect its fat reserves.

This is the body's genetically pre-programmed reaction to a reduced calorie intake, which is particularly noticeable during a diet. The lower the calorie intake, the more high-quality protein is needed to maintain the existing lean body mass. The use of soy protein to increase the release of thyroid hormones could have some benefits as it can help maintain thyroid hormone levels during a calorie restricted diet.

This can be achieved by mixing a high quality whey protein isolate with a high quality soy protein isolate in a 2:1 ratio and consuming this mixture immediately upon waking and immediately after training.

This combined approach can combine the key benefits of whey protein such as high biological value, immune function boosting effects and anabolic properties with the cholesterol lowering and thyroid stimulating effects of soy protein.