Anabolic Response and the Timing of Nutrition

            Go to any gym or training center and you will see everyone getting after it in one way or another and then the workout stops and everyone reaches for their nutrition.  Protein shakes for everyone and bro-tein shakes for the bro’s.  It is commonplace in sports and training that you much get your post workout nutrition to stimulate recovery and growth of your muscles and your entire
body.

            This study looks at ingesting an amino acid/carbohydrate drink prior to exercise and the effects that had on protein synthesis in the body (in the case of this study, they biopsied the legs).  What they found is that when a small amount of amino acids and carbs prior to workout increased protein synthesis in that group to a greater extent than the group who took the combination post workout.  They found that ~21% of the phenylalanine (an amino acid) was taken up in one leg (42% for both) in the PRE group compared to just~8% in one leg (16% for both) in the POST group.

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            They found that the net protein balance in the body after PRE ingestion increased during exercise, declined slightly and then actually increased a second time after exercise.  The length of the effect, plus higher blood flow during exercise in the PRE trial, resulted in significantly greater total uptake over the entire period.

Take Away:  Don’t abandon post workout nutrition, it is still very important to get your recovery in when in training.  Look to add a small protein shake or amino acid supplement (BCAAs) with simple, easy to digest carbs before your workout to increased the amount of protein synthesis occurring and maximize your results.

Timing of amino acid carbohydrate ingestion alters anabolic response of muscle to resistance exercise

Kevin Tipton

Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 281: E197-E206, 2001.