Preworkout protein rocks! Take advantage of a small preworkout protein meal for ultimate muscle-building results - Breaking Research!

Flex, June, 2002 by Jim Wright

For years, FLEX has preached the gospel of protein as a tool for muscle building. We've been telling you to consume at least 1 gram (g) of protein per pound of bodyweight each day. We've explained that the best way to do this is to spread your protein intake over five or six daily meals, so you have a constant supply of amino acids and other nutrients in your bloodstream for muscle maintenance and muscle building. Meal frequency and the amount of protein you consume are more important than the type of protein you consume. If you like meat, eat meat. If you prefer protein shakes and other forms of protein, indulge your preferences. Just eat protein.

RESEARCH SUPPORTS FLEX RECOMMENDATIONS Recent work performed at the University of Texas Medical School in Galveston found that consuming a small preworkout protein-carb meal may help with recovery and muscle building. This is consistent with what FLEX has been saying all along: Eat protein frequently throughout the day.

The study focused on a small liquid meal taken before weight training. The researchers found that consuming a protein/carb drink before a workout can significantly increase the amount of muscle-building amino acids your muscles suck up during the workout and over the next few hours. The increase in amino retention amounted to roughly 150% more than when the same drink was consumed immediately after a severe one-hour leg thrashing. This is significant because amino acid retention is a major step in creating or enhancing the anabolic environment in muscle and in promoting better and faster recovery and growth.

The researchers used a drink composed of 6 g of essential amino acids and 35 g of sucrose, plus a small amount of artificial sweetener (containing aspartame), dissolved in a half-liter of distilled water. The same scientists had used this drink formulation in previous studies that demonstrated its significant anabolic effects on muscle protein synthesis when consumed one or even three hours after a hard training session. The researchers chose specific amino acids (histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine and valine) and the amounts of each in the formula to reflect what they believe are required for muscle growth.

The investigation did have some flaws. It used six subjects who were not very active or experienced in lifting weights. It mentioned no details about the diet these individuals were on (but you can bet they were not on anything approaching the bodybuilding standard of a gram of protein per pound of bodyweight daily). Although we know these factors can influence the results of a study like this, the findings nonetheless do support what FLEX has been telling you for years.

As expected, the data proved that protein rocks. They showed it can make a big difference -- even in small amounts, especially when combined with a moderate amount of insulin-releasing carbs. They underscored the importance of timing your intake -- that hitting your "recovery drink" even before you start exercising can dramatically pump up anabolic activity in muscle, at least in individuals with nutritional habits and an activity pattern similar to those who were studied.

YOUR INDIVIDUAL NEEDS Consider what you've been doing and what experiences you've had when consuming - or not consuming - various types and amounts of foods and supplements before training. Do you run out of gas during your workouts? (Then your tank's too empty.) Do you feel nauseous? (Then your tank's too full.) Are you trying to manipulate hormones to maximize the fat-burning effects of your training? (Don't bother.) Do you feel you're not making sufficient progress?

TIMING IS CRITICAL If you read FLEX regularly, you know how important it is to start refueling your muscles as soon as possible after a workout. That's why the first hour after exercise has been called the "golden" hour. The muscles are much hungrier for nutrients after being stimulated. Good nutrition during that period really jump-starts the recovery process. FLEX still recommends that you take in a postworkout protein shake that has a ratio of 1 g of protein to 2 g of simple carbs. (Don't forget to include 3 g of creatine and 5 g of glutamine in the pre- and postworkout drinks.)

But, as I posited two years ago, if consuming nutrients immediately after exercise is so great, then why not start the process earlier -- before and even during training -- for better results? Regardless of the diet you're on, it makes sense that you should consume most of the day's carbs around the time of your workout. And that can include before and during your training session, as well as the three to four hours afterward.

Eating before training accomplishes another important nutritional objective: It adds another meal -- more protein, carbs and various micronutrients -- to the day's intake. That's important, since many bodybuilders make the mistake of eating too little and too infrequently. Your preworkout meal can be light, consisting of a drink containing as little as 10-20 g of protein and double that amount of carbs, even if you're on a low-carb diet. You don't want to go overboard: This is obviously not the optimal moment to consume anything that takes time to digest, such as solid foods in great quantity, especially medium- or high-fat food or drinks (other than MCTs). Excess fat or bulk can definitely slow you down and even make you nauseous. And too many simple carbs preworkout can push up insulin so much that you may become hypoglycemic, potentially harming your performance significantly.