How Much Protein Do You Need Or "They Shall Call Me Jack The Butcher"

Sup kneegrows,

This is a pretty recurrent thread. If any of you guys happen to lift (which you may, but do you even?) you surely have come across this age old question before:

"Bro how much protein do I need?"

We all know protein is key. Yeah you heard that right you grass-loving hippie. If Nixon were still in office you'd be guilty of phaggotry and condemned to 25 steaks and a chicken wing.

In fact, if any of you apes studied Greek you should know that protein comes from a term from the aforementioned language, proteios, meaning primary. That adjective fits its noun pretty well, given protein helps in maintaining and building both muscle and the skeleton, catalyses metabolism reactions, transports shit throughout that pathetic excuse for a body you're trying to change, and above all, and the role we're interested in, it is necessary to GET JACKED.

We can agree now that it IS important, right?

This wolf knows where it's at. Then again, wolves are so badass they probably don't give a shit.

Ok, so now that we've put facts forward, does the average Joe need more? If by average Joe we understand somebody who does even lift, YEAH.

But how much is more? Many people (among whom I can count myself) fall short of their protein OPTIMAL intake. Some others, on the other hand, go way beyond that line. We'll see why neither is the best approach.

First of all, what does the body use protein for, besides structural reason? Mainly what we saw above, and also to provide a supply of energy through gluconeogenesis, that is, the synthesis of glucose from aminoaclike   Is this the best method, cost effectiveness? Hardly.

For structural (building mussels yo) reasons, let's see how much the body can process.

Some (Tarnopolski et al, Walberg et al) found that you could maintain positive nitrogenic balance with as little as 0.8g/kg. We have to say, though, that tested subjects were elite bodybuilders, with a very adapted metabolism already, meaning they break down much less protein in results to training (this has been backed up by many other scientists, like Rennie & Tipton, Moore et al, and Hartman, Phillips, Moore). 

Tarnopolski also found that after two weeks, no differences were shown when consuming 1.4g/kg or 2.4g/kg in total protein synthesis.
Phillips and Van Loon added two standard deviations and went as high as 1.8g/kg. However, in most instances the highest mean value taken from studies is 1.7g/kg. And that was seen in test subjects who were pretty likely to have better protein assimilation than normal people do, like elite athletes or bodybuilders.


So what do we have?

• 0.81g/lb or 1.7g/kg is a very sensible number to aim for. No, you don't train harder than the test subjects, and thus need more. If anything, you may need much less.

• AAS users have a much higher capacity to synthesise protein, and therefore should consume more. How much though...? Sadly, I haven't found any literature regarding this issue, but many people go for 3-3.5g/kg (and I think you're pushing it at 3.5-4) with excellent results.

• Should you take less? Unless on a tight budget (protein rich foods are usually the most expensive) you should try to aim for that. Whey protein can be found at very nice prices. Look out for deals and buy in bulk, it'll last for very long.

• Should you take more? Unless you don't keep track of your macros and you give two shits about being in a 1k kcal surplus, more protein will entail less carbs/fats, and thus worse power output.

• Should you eat always less than 30g because the body won't process more? Nope. Eat it all in once sitting if you will, although some research seem to point out that spreading your meals out helps raise your protein synthesis.
• Do you need to take that protein immediately after training? No. Read here why.

• Does that mean you're better off snacking on protein all day? Hardly. Some studies also show that the steadier the supply with little amounts of protein, the more it is oxidised instead of used for structural processes.

• I'm a vegetarian, wat do? Well, if you're a vegetarian, you can still have dairy products, and eggs. Literally you keep the best sources.

• I'm a vegan. Drinking milk makes sweet baby Jesus cry at night. Ok, you still have powders derived from pea, soy, or wheat protein. Keep in mind these will lack in certain aminoacids, so buying separately those would be good. In food sources, look for beans, lentils, chickpeas, tofu, etc.

Don't worry, little buddy, there's some hope for you too!

So summarising! 1.7g/kg is plenty. If you are really concerned about protein synthesis, trying to spread your intake in more meals could be good, but don't lose sleep over that if it interferes with your life. On the long term, since we don't live for this (unless I have drawn the attention of a professional bodybuilder, or any strength athlete), the best diet is that you can stick to for the longest time.

Peace,

J

Sources:

Walberg JL, Leidy MK, Sturgill DJ, Hinkle DE, Ritchey SJ, Sebolt DR. Macronutrient content of a hypoenergy diet affects nitrogen retention and muscle function in weight lifters.  Int J Sports Med. 1988 Aug;9(4):261-6

Tarnopolsky MA, MacDougall JD, Atkinson SA. Influence of protein intake and training status on nitrogen balance and lean body mass. J Appl Physiol. 1988 Jan;64(1):187-93.

Phillips SM, Van Loon LJ. Dietary protein for athletes: From requirements to optimum adaptation. J Sports Sci. 2011;29 Suppl 1:S29-38.

Hartman, J. W., Moore, D. R., & Phillips, S. M. (2006). Resistance training reduces whole-body protein turnover and improves net protein retention in untrained young males. Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism, 31, 557–564.

The Anabolic Window, Or "Hurry Bro I Gotta Have My Shake!"

Greetings,

Gather round, brethren, for today a most ubiquitous issue haunts us. Tread lightly. Catabolism lurks in the shadows, ready to feast upon our hardly achieved gainz.

Bullshit.

I know this may be a dying myth, but also a pretty resilient at that. Plenty of people still live by the 30 minutes rule. "Take the shower at home bro I gotta have my shake or otherwise this session will have been useless!"

Allow me to present a rebuttal. But before that, let's properly define the "anabolic window", as proposed by most supplement companies and 135lbs soaking wet gurus. The anabolic window is a period of time during which you have to eat, especially protein, not to hinder gains. Some even claim that gains can be null without this post workout shake/meal. Some have even claimed that timing the intake may even play a bigger role than net daily energetic balance towards changes in body composition. We have before us, then, a really wide spread notion.

This wouldn't have happened if he had had his low GI high fructose corn syrup with casein, by Bull Hit Nutrition.

This seems to be a very favorable notion for supplement companies that live on their customers' naivete. Indeed, who else could have spread such a myth? Who benefits from it? Exactly. Some critical thinking is usually good, boys. Throw some sets into your routine.

Fortunately, many actually educated people fight on our behalf day after day. Many nutritionists and coaches have been trying to debunk this and other myths in the last decades, much to the aforementioned companies' dismay. Let's see what some of them have to say.

Among other variables, the most often preached benefits of the post workout shakes are their seemingly uncanny glycogen stores refilling properties, and the ability to raise protein synthesis.

Glycogen stores repletion

Given the traditional target of these companies' advertisements are bodybuilders, powerlifters, and weightlifting practitioners in general, a sport where most of our fuel will come from glycolysis, glycogen repletion should be something to be concerned about.

In several studies (MacDougall et al, Robergs et al), an elbow flexion at 80% 1RM, from 1 to 3 sets in the different studies, showed results indicating that the glycogen stores had been depleted, from as little as 12% from a single set to as much as 24.1% from 3 sets of 12RM.

It's been noted that a super compensation occurs when adding a carbohydrate shake immediately after training, and apparently delaying it for two hours can reduce this glycogen re-synthesis for as much as 50%.

What's the point of working out if you miss your anabolic window bro? May as well start doing cardio.

However, these same studies show that routines ranging in the 5-10 sets of volume per muscle group depleted as much as 30-40% of the glycogen. Therefore, unless a trainee were to workout several times a day, his glycogen stores would have time to recover. When upping the volume to 20+ sets, almost total depletion occurred, but these high volume routine are usually arranged in a low frequency protocol, as well.

Other study (Parkin et al) compared the differences in glycogen levels after 8 and 24h in groups that had taken a high GI carbohydrate shake immediately after training, and another one which had a normal replenishing meal hours after having trained, and found no differences.

Protein synthesis

What else, right? La pièce de résistance of every anabolic window theorist. Fuck glycogen depletion, what boys out there really care about is how much will their bulging biceps make up for their underdeveloped lower limbs (feel free to think of it as a double entendre). Protein synthesis is the really only important matter. Well, let's see what science says.

First of all, muscle protein synthesis is highly increased (as much as 200%) post exercise when using resistance training. This is counteracted by the catabolic (oh, NNNNOOOOEEES!!1!!one!!) effect of faster proteolysis.

It's generally acknowledged that eating post workout raises protein synthesis, although the existence of the anabolic window is argued still. One study (Levenhagen et al) showed a threefold increased when consuming a shake with protein, carbohydrates and fats immediately after training, whereas waiting 2 hours to take it showed only a 12% increase. These results, however, were attributed to increased mitochondrial/sarcoplasmic protein fractions instead of contractile elements (Brad Schoenfeld & Alan Aragon) due to the aerobic nature of the exercise in the study.

On the other hand, Rasmussen et al found no difference in amino acid net value when the shake was taken 1 or 3 hours afterwards. Conversely, Tipton et al found no difference when the protein shake was taken 1 hour before or after workout. Yup.

You'd better hurry and crawl in while it's open like you're Frodo at the Black Gate!

So what to do, after all this? Needless to say, it seems that the research fails to prove vehemently the existence of the infamous anabolic window. However, and the foregoing notwithstanding (I wanted to sound smart yo), bashing on the people who choose to take advantage of the anabolic window seems very arrogant. Research doesn't prove its definite existence, (if we take the definition of 1 hour window, a replenishing meal following workout as late as 3-4 hours later is still highly advised), but it doesn't prove it wrong either. As it is, trying to take any small benefit may be good, as long as the benefits are worth the hassle.

So what do we have?

• In low volume (circa 5-10 sets/MG), high frequency routines, there's not much need to worry about glycogen depletion because of the smaller portion of the stores these protocols use.

• In high volume (20 and upwards) there's a real concern, but the lower frequency makes up for that.

• Having a protein shake immediately afterwards may help raise MPS. I'd advise taking it if we can, although given the lack of definite proof I wouldn't go out of my way to do that.

• Many studies showed that what caused a dramatic change in MPS was the net protein intake, and not its timing. I'd advise aiming for 1.8g/kg of bodyweight, which is so far the maximum proved to be used by the body for structural reasons. Here you can see how much protein you need.

Stay safe,

J

Sources:

 MacDougall JD, Ray S, Sale DG, McCartney N, Lee P, Garner S: Muscle substrate utilization and lactate production.

Can J Appl Physiol 1999, 24(3):209-15.

 Robergs RA, Pearson DR, Costill DL, Fink WJ, Pascoe DD, Benedict MA, Lambert CP, Zachweija JJ: Muscle glycogenolysis during differing intensities of weight-resistance exercise.

J Appl Physiol 1991, 70(4):1700-6. 

 Parkin JA, Carey MF, Martin IK, Stojanovska L, Febbraio MA: Muscle glycogen storage following prolonged exercise: effect of timing of ingestion of high glycemic index food.

Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1997, 29(2):220-4.

 Levenhagen DK, Gresham JD, Carlson MG, Maron DJ, Borel MJ, Flakoll PJ:Postexercise nutrient intake timing in humans is critical to recovery of leg glucose and protein homeostasis.

Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2001, 280(6):E982-93.

 Tipton KD, Rasmussen BB, Miller SL, Wolf SE, Owens-Stovall SK, Petrini BE, Wolfe RR: Timing of amino acid-carbohydrate ingestion alters anabolic response of muscle to resistance exercise.

Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2001, 281(2):E197-206.

 Tipton KD, Elliott TA, Cree MG, Aarsland AA, Sanford AP, Wolfe RR: Stimulation of net muscle protein synthesis by whey protein ingestion before and after exercise.

Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2007, 292(1):E71-6.

From Suffering Ariseth Glory

Yeah. What did you think?

This should be common sense to all of us, and yet I feel that more and more people, every passing day, choose to delude themselves into thinking they can do nothing and expect everything.

So I thought that explaining what Ex Duris Gloria means, and represents, would be a nice point to start off with. For all of you who know as much Latin as I know about nothing, it could be roughly translated as "From Suffering Ariseth Glory". The snobbier version of no pain, no gain. Now, did you ever really sit down for a while and think of its meaning?

Nowadays, we are bombed on a daily basis with beauty standards we have to fit in. Some will choose to play, and some will rather pass. We'll cover our causes some other day. But for all of you who chose to fit in, and strive for that physique, are you really on the right path?

We have two main currents within the field. First, the meathead dominated one, whose champions preach arranging your life around fitness, even though they don't even live off it. They could be the hardcore branch, and that also applies to training. They sometimes babble real utter bullshit, like "If it ain't hurt you ain't growing".

    She probably got used to pain because her parents beat her as a child with a pink rubber dick.

Now, I guess for all of us humans with 46 chromosomes, it's needless to say you should stop if it hurts. Feeling discomfort due to lactic acid buildup is a different thing.

But what I really wanted to address today is the opposite branch, the softcore posse. "3 minutes abs sculpting routines for busy businessmen" and "60 second to Rocky Glutes" templates are everywhere. Pictures with body changes which supposedly happened in a matter of 1-2 months. These are scams. That goes without saying.

Regardless, lots of people do little and expect a lot, as aforementioned. I'm not even speaking of people on the "3 minutes beergut bulking diet", but people who train consistently. One of the questions I'm asked most frequently is "will I overtrain?" Just like we do in MFQH, I've always recommended high frequency fullbody routines. The one I've traditionally used in fact has a template similar to ChAoS and PAIN  (another great blog you totally got to check out, by the way.  There you go).

The problem with such routines is they need to be based on compounds to be most effective, and people don't want to squat heavy, or pull heavy. As great Ronnie put it, "everybody wanna be a bodybuilder, but nobody wanna lift heavy ass weights".

I've always defended working balls to the wall in the gym. You don't progress? Up the frequency. Nothing yet? More volume. Odds are you're undertraining more often than you're overtraining. Yes, you can squat more than once per week. Yes, it will benefit you, probably.

As I said, it doesn't need to involve pain, but it definitely requires putting your work in, and people usually do little in that regard, whether out of laziness or to avoid the feared overtraining. Most usually, they're simply underestimating the capacity their bodies have to adapt to the stress and grow stronger.

So, are you experiencing the suffering glory shall arise from?

If you're not, you're always on time to opt out and choose one of those 3 min transformations. It's called make-up.

I swear you can change that much in 3 minutes. Lay off the dumbbell.

See ya around,

J

Do You Know Why You're Here?

Welcome to Ex Duris Gloria.

You have been probably threatened or even blackmailed into visiting this. Perhaps you know the author, and you're simply trying to do him a favour. Perhaps you're even some snobbish wanker who was googling latinisms to try to impress the nerd overweight boys in your Solving Premature Ejaculation 101 seminars.

No problem.

Let's just make sure you don't regret it. To this effect, you'd better keep your mouth shut and eyes open. We have a long way before us, and trying to fight those who champion the causes of broscience, bullshit, and mediocrity, will always resemble the Battle of Thermopylae. But hey, it feels nice being the good guys.

So now that you've stumbled upon us, what can you expect here?

Meta-analyses of scientific research.

Overviews of general misconceptions.

Myth debunking.

Bluntness and general badassery.

Of course, since I tend to lose my focus more than a four year-old kid with ADHD during a lecture on International Law, you can also rest assured we'll also have lots of rambling and ranting.

This blog is brother (that's right, there are no sisters here) to MFQH, probably the best fitness related blog and forum in Spanish. And don't you forget that.

Visit us here

Eventually, and if everything goes according to plan, I intend to translate every article into Spanish. For now, this will have to do.

Stay around,

J