Right now, a couple of questions on the subject of protein and muscle growth.

Q. How much protein is desirable for adding muscle? I’ve seen recommendations covering anything from 1 to 2.5 grams of protein each pound of bodyweight, and I’ve also noticed some individuals claim that virtually no additional protein is needed? Who’s correct?

A. Protein expert Dr. Peter Lemon recommends 1.6-1.7 grams of protein per kilo of body mass daily for anyone engaged in resistance training. As a result, a 70-kg guy would ingest around 136 grams of protein every day. Most bodybuilders will try to get a rather larger number – around 2.2 grams for every kilogram (1 gram per pound) – which would give our 70 kilogram man 154 grams of protein on a daily basis.

The larger figure mentioned (2.5 grams per pound) is too high. Regardless of whether you’re using the best muscle building exercise, surplus protein is going to be burnt off to provide energy, utilized for ureagenesis or converted into sugar, and will not be transformed into new muscle.

Q. For hypertrophy, I’ve heard that whey protein will work particularly well when it is taken prior to or right after training. Is this fact true?

A. Nutrients consumed at specific times, especially pre and post your workout, can certainly better help with muscle restoration and healing when compared to same nutrients consumed during other periods during the day.

Bodybuilders have been using this approach for a long time, although it’s only just lately that studies have shown precisely how well it works. For the investigation, Australian scientists recruited a group of guys to participate in a ten week monitored strength-training program. The men were split into 2 groups. One group consumed whey protein, together with carbohydrate and creatine, immediately before and after exercise, while the second group took them at other times throughout the day.

Subjects who took the supplements immediately before and after exercise demonstrated greater gains in strength and muscular mass in comparison to the control group. After 10 weeks, folks that had consumed the protein close to working out had put on two to three kilograms (four to seven pounds) of muscle tissue, in contrast to 1 to 1.5 kilograms (2 to 3 pounds) in the control group.

Q. Some of my female clientele don’t want to build muscle mass; they merely wish to look more toned. What is the proper way for them to achieve this?

A. Whenever most people discuss tone of muscle, they mean a hard, solid, defined appearance. For most of us, a more toned body is one with less fat and more muscle mass. Your clients could have excellent muscle tone, but if they’re storing large amounts of fat then nobody is going to be capable of seeing it. So, they’ll want to get rid of the subcutaneous (“under the skin”) fat stored above the muscles. This will require an integrated programme of good nutrition, cardiovascular exercise and resistance exercise.