The Muscle’s 24 hours growth cycle, the period of muscle’s activity involvement in energy production, recovery and growth needs appropriate amounts and types of nutrients at appropriate times to facilitate the metabolic machinery of muscle to function at its best.
According to the metabolic demand at any given time, the muscle machinery can be directed to produce and restore muscle glycogen or synthesize muscle protein. Each of these operations require different types of nutrients, and if we are able to provide the right nutrient mixture to the muscle at right time, we can greatly increase recovery from exercise and improve muscle growth, strength and power.
There is a huge “BULK NUTRITION” mentality. If protein is good, then more and more protein must be better. An evidence indicates that very few strength persons fail to get enough protein to support muscle growth. Then why do so many people plateau in their training…? The answer is when nutrients are consumed, which is what Nutrient Timing is all about. By consuming the same amount of nutrients in the below mentioned phase, we will be able to avoid plateau effect and achieve far greater gains in muscle strength and muscle mass.
3 Phases of Nutrient Timing
- The Energy Phase :
This phase comes in action during the workout. The primary metabolic objective of the muscle during this phase is to release sufficient energy to facilitate muscle contraction. The importance of consuming carbohydrates during exercise both to prevent depletion of muscle glycogen stores, which helps extend endurance and to maintain blood glucose levels, which helps to delay fatigue. Research has shown that when carbohydrates are consumed with protein, specific amino acids and vitamins, the muscle glycogen will be spared and achieve greater muscular endurance, reduces the rise in the catabolic hormone cortisol and helps the muscle to prepare enzymes for a faster recovery following the workout.
- The Anabolic Phase :
This phase is the forty-five minute window after a workout where the muscle machinery, in the presence of right combination of nutrients mixture, initiates the repair of damaged muscle protein and restore muscle glycogen stores. Immediately after exercise, muscle cells are supremely sensitive to the anabolic effect of the hormone insulin. This sensitivity reduces rapidly and after some hours muscle cells becomes insulin resistant. Insulin resistance is a condition that peculiarly slows muscle glycogen recovery, repair of existing muscle and synthesis of new muscle.
- The Growth Phase :
This phase extends from the Anabolic Phase to the beginning of the next workout. In this time when the muscle enzymes are involved in increasing the number of contractile proteins and the size of muscle fibers, as well as helping the muscle to totally restore muscle glycogen depleted during the Energy Phase. During the growth phase, intake of carbohydrate and protein is essential to maintain optimal muscle growth and recovery. The latest research shows that a high intake of protein can be of significant benefit to the strength person if protein is consumed at the correct time. By following up the nutrient timing system, we will be capable to maintain a high anabolic state and restore muscle glycogen, repair/heal muscle tissue damage and synthesize new muscle.