How to Distribute Your Protein to Maximize Muscle Growth

Summary

In this podcast, the discussion delves into the intricacies of protein distribution for muscle synthesis, particularly focusing on the impact of protein intake timing and quantity. The conversation reveals that while a balanced protein intake throughout the day is ideal, consuming a larger amount in the evening can still be beneficial, especially for those engaging in physical activity. The host and guest explore the anabolic window post-exercise, emphasizing the body's heightened sensitivity to protein intake for up to 48 hours, which can enhance muscle reconditioning. The summary underscores the importance of regular exercise and adequate protein consumption for muscle mass gains, suggesting that the distribution of protein across meals matters less than the total daily intake and the consistency of training.

Takeaways

• 📊 Most people tend to consume the majority of their daily protein during their evening meal, which is about three times more than what they consume during breakfast or lunch.
• 🏋️‍♂️ A single meal containing 20 grams of high-quality protein can maximize muscle protein synthesis for up to 4 to 6 hours, emphasizing the importance of evenly distributing protein intake across main meals.
• 🌙 Consuming a protein-rich snack before sleep can be beneficial, especially for those who exercise in the evening, as it provides an anabolic stimulus and aids in muscle reconditioning.
• 📈 Studies show that distributing protein intake evenly throughout the day can optimize muscle building and conditioning, rather than skewing it heavily towards one meal.
• 🔍 A study found that consuming 100 grams of protein led to a prolonged stimulation of muscle protein synthesis over 12 to 24 hours, suggesting that the quantity of protein can influence the duration of anabolic effects.
• 🏃‍♂️ Physical activity, such as resistance training, can increase the body's sensitivity to protein intake, enhancing muscle protein synthesis for up to 24 to 48 hours post-exercise.
• 🍽️ For those practicing time-restricted eating, ensuring adequate protein intake within the eating window is crucial to support muscle protein synthesis and overall muscle mass.
• 🏥 Research indicates that protein consumed in the evening is digested and absorbed while sleeping, contributing to muscle protein synthesis overnight, which is particularly important for the elderly or those at risk of muscle loss.
• 🤔 While the distribution and timing of protein intake can influence muscle protein synthesis, the overall amount of protein consumed and regular engagement in physical activity are more critical for muscle mass gains.
• 🚫 The script highlights that focusing solely on nutrition without considering the role of physical activity can lead to an incomplete understanding of how to optimize muscle reconditioning and overall health.

Q & A

How does the distribution of protein intake throughout the day affect muscle protein synthesis?

Protein distribution throughout the day is important for muscle protein synthesis. It's suggested that having 20-25 grams of protein in each main meal (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) provides an anabolic stimulus that optimizes muscle building and conditioning.

Is it better to evenly distribute protein intake or can it be skewed towards the evening?

While it's generally advised to evenly distribute protein intake, studies show that even a large evening meal can still stimulate muscle protein synthesis, suggesting that the body can effectively utilize protein even when consumed in larger quantities later in the day.

What is the significance of consuming a protein-rich snack before sleep for athletes?

A protein-rich snack before sleep can provide a continued anabolic stimulus overnight, which is particularly beneficial for athletes who exercise in the evening, helping to optimize muscle reconditioning and recovery.

How does the timing of protein intake in relation to exercise affect muscle protein synthesis?

Exercise increases the sensitivity of muscles to the anabolic effects of protein for up to 24 to 48 hours. Therefore, the timing of protein intake in relation to exercise is less critical than the consistency of both training and protein intake.

What is the role of physical activity in muscle protein synthesis and how does it interact with protein intake?

Physical activity, especially resistance training, enhances the body's efficiency in utilizing protein for muscle protein synthesis. It makes the body 'smarter' in handling protein, ensuring that more of the ingested protein is directed towards muscle building.

Can muscle mass be gained with a higher protein intake in fewer meals?

Yes, muscle mass can be gained even when protein is consumed in fewer, larger meals, as long as the total daily protein intake is sufficient. The body's response to protein intake is influenced by recent physical activity, which can increase the efficiency of protein utilization.

What is the impact of time-restricted eating on muscle protein synthesis and overall muscle mass?

Time-restricted eating, where meals are condensed into a shorter window, does not negatively impact muscle protein synthesis or overall muscle mass when total protein and calorie intake are maintained. It can be an effective strategy for some individuals to manage calorie intake and body weight.

How does the body respond to a single large meal of protein compared to multiple smaller meals?

The body can effectively digest and utilize protein from a single large meal, with the protein synthesis response lasting longer due to the extended digestion and absorption process. However, distributing protein intake throughout the day can provide a more consistent anabolic stimulus.

What is the recommended protein intake for individuals who are physically active and want to maximize muscle gains?

For individuals engaged in regular physical activity, especially resistance training, a higher protein intake is recommended, typically around 20-25 grams of protein per meal, to ensure optimal muscle protein synthesis and support muscle gains.

How does the body handle protein intake in the context of overnight fasting?

Protein consumed in the evening can still be effectively digested and utilized by the body during overnight fasting. Consuming a protein-rich meal or snack before sleep can provide a continued anabolic stimulus, supporting muscle maintenance and growth.

Outlines

00:00

🥩 Protein Distribution and Muscle Synthesis

The paragraph discusses the importance of protein distribution throughout the day for muscle protein synthesis. It highlights that most people tend to consume more protein during their evening meal compared to breakfast or lunch. The speaker suggests that consuming 20-25 grams of high-quality protein at each main meal can provide an anabolic stimulus, optimizing muscle building and conditioning. The conversation also touches on the idea that a single meal with 20 grams of protein can maximize muscle protein synthesis for 4 to 6 hours, supporting the notion of evenly distributing protein across meals. Additionally, the discussion points out that while more protein can extend the anabolic response, it's generally advised to have a balanced protein intake across meals for optimal muscle synthesis.

05:02

🧪 Study on Protein Quantity and Digestion

This section delves into a study that examined the effects of consuming 100 grams of protein versus the standard 20-30 grams, which are known to maximize muscle protein synthesis. The study extended its observation period to 12 and 24 hours, finding a greater response with the higher protein intake. It also explored the digestion and absorption process by using a novel method of infusing cows with labeled amino acids, allowing researchers to track the digestion and absorption of protein in the body. The findings suggest that more protein takes longer to digest and can stimulate muscle protein synthesis over an extended period, challenging the conventional 4 to 6-hour window.

10:03

🏥 Hospital Studies and Protein Timing

The discussion shifts to the application of protein intake research in hospital settings, particularly for elderly patients at risk of muscle loss. The speaker describes studies that involved giving protein to elderly participants during sleep to assess its digestion and absorption, and its impact on muscle protein synthesis. The results indicated that protein given in the evening is indeed digested and absorbed while sleeping, supporting the idea of an evening protein-rich meal or snack. The paragraph also addresses the question of whether the timing of a large protein intake before sleep affects muscle protein synthesis the following day, suggesting that the response to breakfast remains unaffected by the previous night's protein intake.

15:03

🕒 Time-Restricted Eating and Protein Intake

This part of the conversation explores the impact of time-restricted eating on muscle protein synthesis and overall health. The speaker mentions studies that did not find significant differences in muscle protein synthesis between those who practiced time-restricted eating and those who did not. It also touches on the potential benefits of time-restricted eating for weight management and glucose homeostasis. The discussion emphasizes the importance of ensuring adequate protein intake during the eating window for those following time-restricted eating regimens, and suggests that physical activity, particularly resistance training, plays a crucial role in maintaining and building muscle mass, irrespective of the specific timing of protein intake.

20:04

💪 Physical Activity and Protein Sensitivity

The final paragraph focuses on how physical activity can influence the body's sensitivity to protein and muscle protein synthesis. It suggests that engaging in resistance training can make the body more efficient at utilizing protein for muscle building, even up to 24 to 48 hours post-exercise. The conversation points out that the timing of protein intake relative to exercise is less critical than the consistency of both training and nutrition. It concludes with a speculative discussion on whether distributing a higher total daily protein intake over fewer meals could affect muscle mass gains, suggesting that as long as adequate protein and training are maintained, the distribution may not significantly impact outcomes.

Keywords

💡Protein Distribution

Protein distribution refers to the way individuals allocate their protein intake throughout the day across different meals. In the context of the video, it is discussed how the majority of people tend to consume more protein during their evening meal compared to breakfast or lunch, which is a pattern observed in nutritional surveys like NHANES in the United States. The video suggests that for optimal muscle protein synthesis, it is beneficial to evenly distribute protein intake across all main meals of the day, aiming for about 20-25 grams of high-quality protein per meal.

💡Muscle Protein Synthesis

Muscle protein synthesis is the process by which the body creates new muscle proteins, which is crucial for muscle growth and repair. The video emphasizes the importance of protein intake in relation to muscle protein synthesis, noting that a single meal containing 20 grams of high-quality protein can maximize this process for up to 4 to 6 hours. The discussion also touches on how distributing protein intake evenly throughout the day can provide multiple anabolic stimuli, potentially optimizing muscle conditioning.

💡Anabolic Stimulus

An anabolic stimulus is a trigger that promotes the building of muscle tissue. In the video, it is mentioned that each main meal containing sufficient protein acts as an anabolic stimulus, contributing to muscle protein synthesis. The concept is used to explain why evenly distributing protein across meals is beneficial, as it provides a consistent stimulus for muscle building throughout the day.

💡NHANES

NHANES stands for the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which is a program of studies designed to assess the health and nutritional status of adults and children in the United States. The video references NHANES data to highlight typical protein consumption patterns, indicating that most people consume a disproportionate amount of their daily protein during their evening meal.

💡Endurance Athlete

An endurance athlete is someone who participates in sports that require prolonged physical efforts, often involving aerobic activities like running or cycling. The script mentions that optimizing muscle conditioning through protein intake can be particularly beneficial for endurance athletes, as it can help them maintain the muscle mass necessary for their type of exercise.

💡Bodybuilder

A bodybuilder is an individual who engages in resistance training to develop their muscles for aesthetic and competitive purposes. The video contrasts the nutritional needs of bodybuilders with those of endurance athletes, suggesting that bodybuilders might require a different distribution of protein to support the growth of larger muscles.

💡Time-Restricted Eating

Time-restricted eating, also known as intermittent fasting, is an eating pattern where food is consumed only during a specific time window each day, with a corresponding fasting period. The video discusses how this approach might affect protein distribution and muscle protein synthesis, suggesting that even with a shorter eating window, ensuring adequate protein intake can still support muscle maintenance and growth.

💡Protein Rich Snack

A protein-rich snack is a small meal or between-meal food item that contains a significant amount of protein. The video suggests that consuming a protein-rich snack, especially in the evening or post-exercise, can provide an additional anabolic stimulus and support muscle protein synthesis overnight.

💡Glucose Homeostasis

Glucose homeostasis refers to the body's ability to maintain a stable blood glucose level. The video mentions that time-restricted eating can improve glucose homeostasis, which is beneficial for overall health and can be particularly important for individuals managing conditions like diabetes.

💡Resistance Training

Resistance training involves exercises that work against an external force or weight to build muscle strength, power, and endurance. The video emphasizes the importance of resistance training in conjunction with protein intake for muscle growth and maintenance, suggesting that physical activity enhances the body's ability to utilize protein for muscle reconditioning.

Highlights

Protein distribution throughout the day is crucial for muscle protein synthesis.

Most people tend to consume more protein during their evening meal.

A single meal with 20 grams of high-quality protein can maximize muscle protein synthesis for 4 to 6 hours.

Even distribution of protein across meals is recommended for optimal muscle conditioning.

Athletes may benefit from additional protein intake, especially post-exercise.

Protein intake before sleep can aid in muscle protein synthesis overnight.

Recent studies show that larger protein meals can lead to a prolonged anabolic response.

Digestion and absorption of protein were measured using innovative methods involving stable isotope labeling.

The timing of protein intake in relation to sleep and physical activity is significant for muscle reconditioning.

Even with time-restricted eating, adequate protein intake can support muscle mass maintenance.

Physical activity enhances the body's sensitivity to protein intake for muscle protein synthesis.

Resistance training at least three times a week is essential for muscle mass gain.

The body's efficiency in utilizing protein increases with physical activity.

The anabolic window post-exercise lasts up to 24 to 48 hours, making protein intake throughout the day effective.

The total daily protein intake is more critical than the distribution across meals for muscle mass gains.

Physical activity should not be overlooked as it plays a significant role in muscle protein synthesis.

Nutrition and training consistency are key factors in optimizing muscle reconditioning.

Transcripts

maybe we can talk we can get into that a

little bit more in a minute I wanted to

kind of continue on the nutrition part

with with protein distributions you've

done a lot of research in this area as

well and I had done some some reading

preparing for this podcast on like some

of the nutritional surveys that are done

in the United States they're called and

Hanes in terms of like how are people

typically Distributing their protein

amongst their males and I think probably

it's very similar to what's found in

Europe where people are eating the

majority of their protein is skewed

towards their evening meal their last

meal of the day and um in in in most

cases at least with respect to this

anhan data it's about three times the

amount of protein in their in their

evening meal versus their morning meal

or even their afternoon meal does it

matter with respect to you know how the

muscle responds to amino acids

throughout the day like is it better to

evenly have your protein evenly

distributed or can you skew it in the

evening and still have the same I don't

want to just say increases in muscle

protein synthesis because as you

mentioned that doesn't always translate

to gains and muscle mass people are more

interested in gains and muscle mass so

let's let's leave it with that end point

so we try to make it more simple but it

is actually much more complex but if you

consider that a single meal containing

20 grams of a high quality protein

maximizes muscle protein synthesis for

up to 4 to 6 hours then it makes the

most sense that every main meal

throughout the day is an anabolic

stimulus so that you would have 20 to 25

grams of protein in your breakfast 20 to

25 grams of protein in your lunch and 20

to 25 25 grams of protein in your in

your dinner and then theoretically you

have three anabolic stimuli throughout

to day helping you to optimize muscle

building not see muscle building muscle

reconditioning

I actually make that mistake all the

time by saying that it's not about

muscle build building it's optimizing

muscle conditioning and that could be

for the endurance atlete that would be

better muscle to do endurance type

exercise and for the bodybuilder that

might be a bigger muscle that's the

that's what now everybody's being

advised for athletes that consume more

than those 75 grams of protein that you

can also add another meal moment and

that's for example the pre-sleep uh

evening snack for example if you

exercise in the evening you take a

protein Rich snack after that exercise

session in the evening and when you have

dinner for example at 4 5 or 6 and you

have a training session between 700 and

9 you have a protein Rich snake snack at

9: before you go to bed at say 11 and so

that's what a lot of athletes do just

have a nice distribution to throughout

the day the long-term studies longterm

semi longterm on um nitrogen balance or

on muscle protein synthesis are not that

clear there's some studies saying you

have better retention of your of your

protein and of your nitrogen when you

actually have a nice distribution but

we've also have a recent study that we

show that if you have a huge meal you

have a greater anabolic response when

you assess it over a more prolong period

of time now a lot of people are now

asking us like should I have one meal uh

no it's a study to show that the 6h hour

or the 4-Hour response to a single meal

can be longer if you give more protein

because all the protein still needs to

be digested and absorbed but that

doesn't change what I think now from all

the evidence that we have it's being

advised to have a nice even distribution

of your protein in your main meals so

let's talk a little bit about that that

study since you brought it up because um

it was surprising to to many people

maybe you can talk a little bit about

the difference in terms of the quantity

it was like 100 gram of protein versus

what has previously been shown maybe 30

I think grams of protein was was

something that's been shown in terms of

maximizing now this was muscle protein

synthesis yep that you were looking at y

so the older studies there are there's

two basically two dose response studies

that show in healthy young people um at

rest or after exercise 20 gram maximizes

muscle protein synthesis for somewhere

between uh 4 to 6 hours after the meal

so in that time period four to 6 hour

post Ral period we call

that some of that protein might not have

been digested and absorbed if you give

more than those 20 G so the 40 gam that

they showed in those studies didn't show

a greater response but they only

measured for four or 6 hours were

depending now we wanted to do a study to

show that if you give 100 grams which is

absolutely not something that I'm

suggesting that people should be

consuming that it takes longer to digest

everything and that you have a longer s

ulation of muscle protein synthesis over

a more prolong period of time so we also

measured not over 6 hours but over 12

and even 24 hours and then we see that

you get a greater response now the

interesting part of this study is is we

also assessed digestion and absorption

now that is difficult because how do you

do this now instead of infusing tracers

only and measuring the incorporation in

muscle that's how you measure muscle

protein synthesis we actually did an

experiment before that we Infuse the cow

with labeled amino acids so you have

amino acids with a chemical flag stable

isotope labeled we Infuse it in the cow

the cow actually incorporates it in the

milk so we have milk protein and we

extract the milk we extract the milk

protein so we have milk protein where

those labeled amino acids are

Incorporated and then we provide that

protein so we can see the digestion we

see those labeled amino acids coming out

of the protein being released to the

circulation then we take a blood sample

we can actually see those amino acids so

we see how much of the protein that you

ingest is released in the circulation

and then we can even see how much is Con

converted to muscle and then you see

that it takes much longer to get all

those amino acids in the circulation and

also to get a longer stimulation of

muscle protein synthesis so simply

regard also the fact that time is a is a

factor in all of this but of course we

most of us eat one meal and then four to

6 hours later the second meal and that's

why all the previous studies always

looked at 4 to 6 hour post prenal

periods unless it's your last meal of

the evening good point so the question

then is if you if it's your last meal in

the evening and you know let's say

you've already distributed your protein

intake fairly decently in your first two

meals some people we'll talk about a

minute time restricted eating and

caloric restriction but um and and let's

say you you want to go a little higher

for your maybe not all the way to 100

gram but you know 60 whatever then would

you have would you if you speculate on

this and this kind of this there's two

parts to this question would you think

that the the increase in muscle protein

synthesis would be higher if you had

ingested 60 gram of protein in that last

male versus

25 throughout the evening like we're

talking like 12 20 hours and also what

if you then wake up in the morning and

then you have a again your first meal is

that going to change the muscle protein

synthesis or are you better off having

that meal higher are you going to get

just are you really maximizing it I I

love those questions because the the the

three questions that you now asked is

probably seven years of my life so um

what we so one of the things how I

should start answering this is that we

see a lot of people in the hospital

losing muscle

and so they're admitted to hospital

losing a lot of muscle and we know that

the the loss of muscle or muscle mass is

an important predictor of clinical

complications readmission Health Etc so

we wanted to do something for patients

to reduce muscle muscle loss so we

thought like if we give these just in

less with athletes if we give these

elderly people another meal in the

evening can we minimize muscle loss or

stimulate muscle protein synthesis now

when you're in the hospital probably

hear the same thing you get your last

meal about 5 or 6:00 in the evening and

then the next meal is breakfast the next

day at 9:00 so you spend more than 15 16

17 hours in an overnight fasted state

which is maybe nice for for people

trying to lose weight or anything like

that but for people at risk of muscle

muscle loss it's not a good thing so we

started thinking about if you give

protein in the evening is it digested

while you sleep does this all work while

while you sleep now that's difficult

because you can't take muscle biopsies

when somebody sleeps and not wake the

person up and you also can't ingest

protein while you're sleeping so what we

did is and that's when we started doing

studies with the older people the great

volunteers much better than most of the

athletes that they call us and then they

actually say like look I was in your lab

last year can I come back do you have a

new study running and then then I would

say something like oh yeah you can come

over what we'll do we put a nasogastric

tube down your nose in your gut we take

a muscle biopsy then we put you to bed

in the hospital then at 2:00 at night

while you're sleeping we'll tiptoe into

into your next to your bed put 40 Gams

of pro protein in your gut and then wake

you up in the morning at 7:00 with a

muscle biopsy and then they respond like

where can I sign sign up and when can I

come over so these are cool studies but

they showed that if you give um 40 grams

of protein in the evening that protein

is digested and absorbed while you sleep

because we use that intrinsically

labeled protein so we could follow it

and it's actually converted to muscle

now that study was weird because when we

published that that was a nice proof of

principle study I got a lot of coaches

and and people calling me and asking me

where they could buy those naso gastic

tubes and I said like like no this is a

proof of principle study just have a

protein Rich snack in the evening so

just to make that clear we actually

follow that up with an ad lead study

where we showed that having a protein

Rich snack in the evening is digested in

absorbed and stimulates muscle protein

synthesis overnight and so that amount

of protein will help you reconditioning

more

efficiently that's the first answer to

your or the question to your first first

question now the second was is it of

benefit on top of knowing that you'll

have breakfast and lunch the next day so

we also did that study we provided

protein in the evening or we didn't

provide protein in the evening and

looked at the response to breakfast now

response to breakfast in both conditions

was exactly the same to my surprise

because I expected if you give a lot of

protein the evening before then the

response to breakfast would be minimized

but it wasn't it was exactly the same so

it does give me some insight that at

least in the first 24 hours you have a

greater benefit when you provide

sufficient protein to maximize the

reconditioning what about people so Tim

restricted eating you mentioned a lot of

people are do practice time restricted

eating and they're eating in an 8 Hour

window and they're fasting for 16 hours

and you've done some research in this

area as well so can you eating that that

large evening you know that large

protein Bolis with your last meal you

know what if it's earlier and it's not

like right before sleep because you have

your your feeding window your eating

window and then you have your fasting

window do you think based on your your

study with a 100 grams of protein really

extreme case that that protein will be

digested longer and incorporated into

muscle for muscle protein synthesis So

based on the theory that you need an

anabolic stimulus every every main meal

in order to get the optimal 24-hour

response then you would actually have to

conclude that intermittent fasting of

Tim restricted feeding is not a good

thing but uh we've done a study a more

longer term study EMA did that with

labeled water and she did that when um

in in

where I had a visiting professorship

position there and we didn't see a

difference in muscle protein synthesis

with the time restricted eating versus

the the non-time restricted eating so

it's possible the explanation is that if

you have a period to where there's less

uh or there's no food intake but you had

a greater meal as the last one that that

actually also had a greater response

over a more long period of time just

like the 100 G study so it's possibly

that that evens it out the other big

question is of course why would you do

Tim restrictive eating or um um

intermittent fasting um the other thing

on on that study was we didn't see

differences or that project I should say

is we didn't see a difference in fat

loss so and I have a lot of people

calling me and saying like but the time

restricted eating uh intermittent

fasting really works for me now I I did

it myself as well works really well why

because in the morning I go to work I

don't think about food because I'm too

busy and everybody's just walking into

my office by around 4:00 I get like a

little bit Bish so I start eating

something and then I get home around 6

and around 7 I open up the computer to

see what crap emails I got and then I

start having my main meal and snacking

if I decide to not eat after

6 I will eat much less than I actually

ire so I'll lose weight so basically

because More than 70% of my energy

intake is after 7:00 at night time

restricted eating would be great for me

but if I would eat all the food that I

would eat after seven throughout the day

I would lose or I would not lose that

fat mass and I would not lose weight so

it's a good way for people to cope with

a lower energy intake right I think

there's now been many many studies that

have done that have found that people

naturally

doing time restricted eating you know in

they're free living conditions on on

average reduce their calorie intake by

about 200 calories per day and and

that's just you know natural because

people don't snack or they don't eat

that dessert or they skip you know

because they are trying to to restrict

their their meals into a shorter time

period but and I think you've even shown

this and other studies many Studies have

shown while if you do keep calories the

same you will not lose fat-free mass and

weight right um then glucose the glucose

homeostasis is still improved by not

eating in a huge you know like by

restricting your time eating window

shorter to let's say eight hours you

know in some cases 10 but mostly eight

even shorter than that six hours so

there are there are people also that are

very interested in their glucose

homeostasis that you know want to eat

within a a shorter time window as well

but the question then goes is well if

they're skipping meals or skipping

snacks then they're potentially skipping

protein intake right if someone is doing

the Tim restricted eating schedule where

they're eating within an 8- hour window

then they really do need to make sure

they're they're not losing their their

their protein correct yes and so if they

maintain the normal protein intake then

they should be fine uh because it's

possible that more protein per meal has

a greater effect like the 100 grams but

the other part is also I mean let's not

I mean it's it's funny but we always end

up talking about nutrition and then we

don't talk about the physical activity

um because I mean the same thing when

people ask me like what should I eat to

to to lose weight and I always say less

uh because there is no magic bullet but

the physical activity we know from all

hypercaloric diets that if you actually

are are on a hypercaloric diet that two

sessions of resistance exercise

throughout the week prevents the lean

mass loss

so maybe instead of focusing on the

protein focus on physical activity in

order to maintain your fat-free mass by

doing two resistance exercise sessions a

week much more important than than the

protein so let me rephrase my question

for someone who's doing time restricted

eating in an 8 Hour window fasting for

16 hours and they're engaged in

resistance training at least three times

a week minimum and they're taking in

their protein they're not they're not

missing their protein and can they and

they they're in the resistance right and

yes can they gain muscle mass can they

gain it yes yes sir okay that's an

absolute yes I mean there's even studies

that um so again

um8 g of protein you can actually gain

muscle on8 gram of protein maybe you can

gain more muscle on 1.2 but you can

still gain muscle on A8 gram protein per

kilogram body mass per day the body is

much smarter than we think if you

actually do exercise and we ingest the

same protein that we can track

throughout the body we see that the same

amount of proteins of course digested

and absorbed but more goes to the lag

that it exercise so there's also an

efficiency effect physical activity

makes you more of what you just ate so

more of the protein is actually

converted when you perform physical

activity so the body gets smarter how it

handles protein I have a question so if

we we were talking about protein

distribution and perhaps you know being

beneficial to more evenly

distribute protein but how does physical

activity because you said physical

activity sensitizes I mean your your you

said it sensitizes muscle to amuno acids

um how does that does that change

whether I mean you would think that in

the background of someone who's

Physically Active does all these other

little differences matter I think so I

mean all it's all those little things

that matter I mean to look at the

cyclist it's the bike it's the helmet

it's the it's the it's it's the

nutrition it's the it's the training

it's the mental coaching and all of this

together make better lead so it's all

these small things but um so what is

interesting to see is that you have an

anabolic response to feeding you have an

anabolic response to exercise you have

an anabolic response a greater anabolic

response when you compare the two now

the nice thing is that uh I think number

question number one the most the

question I was being asked the most is

do I need to take the protein before or

after the exercise session which is

almost the same question you asking

should I do the exercise before the meal

or after the meal meal it's basically Al

also the same thing it doesn't really

matter that much because exercise makes

the muscle more sensitive to the

stimulation of muscle protein synthesis

through food intake but it does so for

up to 24 to even 48 hours so if you do

an exercise session today your response

to breakfast tomorrow morning will be

greater but also lunch tomorrow

afternoon and also dinner tomorrow night

and so after that you have your second

exercise session so it's not about what

should go go first but it's a

consistency of training and meals in

between and the training will make your

meals more efficient in how they

optimize muscle reconditioning well the

thing that's so interesting about this

recent study that you published on on

the higher dose of protein and that

being incorporating into muscle is so if

you have that 24-hour anabolic window as

you're as you're saying and you're going

to be more sensitive to amino acids

throughout that 24 hours of course then

every meal so if you have you know 10

meals on the extreme end okay every 10

you know 10 me 10 times of protein

you're going to be sensitive to that

protein because it's still within that

24-hour window however if you don't have

time because you're working as you you

know said to eat three or four or five

meals throughout the day it's also nice

to know that you can go a little further

than 30 gram in those let's say three

meals and perhaps still get a similar

amount of muscle protein synthesis in

fact let me ask you to speculate let's

say a person with did two people or the

same person and you did a crossover

study where they do both conditions

they're they're doing their resistance

training their anabolic windows 24 hours

they're sensitive to the amino acids the

first time they're eating you know let's

say what 80 grams of of protein they're

doing that within five meals or they're

going to do it within three do you think

they'll have the same amount of gains in

muscle mass um um this is I mean this is

cool study but I think if there's

differences they will be too small to

pick up that's one if you would have

each of those meals would have 20 gram

so it's depending on total protein

intake if you do for example 5 * 20 or 2

* 50 does that make sense I don't think

you'll find any difference there if you

would do uh I would be more less sure

about my case if you would do 20 times 5

G versus uh 3 *

33.3 okay so that maybe maybe there's a

difference that you don't reach that so

so-called lucing

threshold but to be honest if there's

the day before there's physical

activity a good training session with

the lags

involved I'm not so sure whether we

would be able to pick up a difference

there okay so it is it pure theory of

course yeah speculation essentially it

you know it sounds like certainly in the

context of training in the background

that you can skew your protein somewhat

with yes your meals and and and still

not be missing out on what you otherwise

would gain in muscle mass rather not

worry about that but don't miss that

training session absolutely that's the

essential thing that's the that's the

Baseline right you have to more people

talk about nutrition the less they're

actually doing the training that's what

you often see I know it's true it's

absolutely true