Building Muscle: Is It A Protein Thing?

 Upper body strength.   August was the month when I became obsessed with improving my wimpy arm strength.

It all started after reading about a research study done with a group of x-c skiers at the University of New Hampshire. “These findings identify the importance of the upper body component to cross-country skiing performance…the upper body time trial was able to predict cross-country performance during the season.” 

  I had to read this study twice.  And then a third time. My favorite types of off-season training – running and biking – were not looking good. Yes, the researchers did find a high correlation between VO2max and skiing performance. But the highest correlation and best predictor of rank during the ski-racing season was an upper body time trial done on roller skis.

 “Do more rollerskiing…get to the weight room.” Admonitions from past coaches echoed in my memory bank.  I had never given strength training more than a half-hearted attempt.  Now it was time for a radical attitude change. Snow would be flying in three short months – and my arms were about as strong as -- well, as strong as they ever were.  There was no time to lose.

   I hustled and got some professional muscle building advice from my partner at work – he’s an exercise physiologist and weight lifting addict. Then I got busy and researched the best diet to support building muscle strength.  Was whey protein “the way”?   Did I need to cut down on carbs?  Here’s what I found out.

 Eat Protein, Get Huge

 That’s what one website banner selling whey protein supplements clamed. “It’s the best protein,” my co-worker, Larry, assured me. The problem is, he looks like Arnold Schwarzenegger and drinks whey shakes faithfully. Maybe there was truth in advertising.

  “If I don’t drink this,” Larry explained as he whipped up another shake, “I lose weight.”  That fact, I told him, was why his special whey protein was working so well.  “It’s not that it is whey,” I argued, “it’s the supply of calories.”

 According to Kevin Tipton, PhD, who runs the Division of Metabolism at Shriners Burn Institute in Texas, most people do not realize that total calorie intake may be the determining dietary factor as to whether or not muscle growth can occur. “Look,” I argued, “you drink two of these a day; that’s 600 extra calories.” I went on. “You could probably have some chocolate milk, and it would work just as well.”

 He looked disappointed. “I like these shakes,” and he added, “and they’re convenient.” For him I knew this was true.  He ate all the time.  For me, all those extra calories could mean trouble.

 “You know if you’d just lift more,” he raised his eyebrows, “then you’d raise your metabolic rate.” We’d had this discussion before. “Look,” I said, “you’re right and I’m right.”  Then I showed him a couple of research articles. “Read these,” I said,  “then you’ll see why your shakes are working so well.”

 My quest for upper body strength had turned up a few clues as to why I may not have been successful in the past.  What does it really take to build muscle? Here is what the experts tell us.

Conditions For Building Muscle

 When I began my muscle building mission, I started with some self-analysis: where had I gone wrong in past attempts?  One obvious mistake Larry had gleefully pointed out to me: failure to adequately stimulate muscle growth.  “You can’t just go to the gym and do reps” he’d shake his head, “it takes more effort. Lift to the point of fatigue.” I knew that. But this time I was going to put science into action.

 Then there was the dietary aspect. First, and probably the most universally agreed upon recommendation for building new muscle is to maintain a positive nitrogen balance. That means calories in must be greater than calories expended.  Of course, they have to be the right kind of calories, or body fat instead of muscle will be gained.  Intense anaerobic exercise like weight lifting burns up primarily carbs. Getting my extra calories from chocolate chip cookies was not going to cut it. 

Protein was another concern of mine. Did I get enough?  According to protein metabolism expert, Mark Hargreaves, PhD., at the School of Health Sciences at Deakin University, Australia, the maximum amount of protein an athlete would need is about 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. For a 70-kg (154 pound) male, that is equivalent to 112 grams/day. This level of requirement is easily met in a normal balanced diet. But there was more: timing.  Saving up most of my daily calories for the evening meal was another bad habit I was going to have to break. Timing, it seemed, was as important as calories.

Timing Meals for Maximum Gain

   In order to grow muscle, a ready supply of amino acids and carbohydrate needs to be available. Training in a fasting state will result in protein breakdown.  This doesn’t mean you have to gulp down a 300-calorie protein supplement drink. According to Hargreaves, a cup of yogurt, sports bar, or glass of low fat milk is sufficient as a snack before exercise.  These foods all contain some protein and some carbohydrate.

  After performing resistance exercise, carbohydrate is needed to restore glycogen depleted from the muscles during exercise. In a training session where multiple sets of high intensity resistance exercise are done, muscle glycogen may be reduced by as much as 40%. For quick recovery, exercise should be followed with a high carb drink to replace both fluid and glycogen.

A second reason to take in some carbohydrate following exercise has to do with the hormonal changes that occur as a result of carbohydrate metabolism. The breakdown of carbohydrate into glucose will cause insulin to be released into the bloodstream.  The presence of insulin is required to stimulate the synthesis of proteins in the muscle. A snack or meal that combines carbohydrate and protein following exercise is the best choice. Keep in mind that a pure protein supplement will not raise insulin levels to any great extent.  If an athlete does choose to go the supplement route, it is important to choose one that has carbohydrate as well as protein.  Avoid high fat snacks because they will slow the rise of blood glucose, and indirectly insulin stimulation. 

Putting Commitment into Action

 To sum it all up, I found a dyno muscle building routine should look something like this: snack on something high carb, moderate protein before a work out, use a carbo based sports drink during the workout, and follow with a nutritious complex carb, moderate protein snack.  Last, don’t forget to rest.  That’s it.  Upper body strength will appear.

 Whey protein shakes haven’t made it into my diet yet, but raisins and cottage cheese are regulars.  If that combo doesn’t do it for you here is a list of suggestions you can try: fruit yogurt, cereal and milk, high protein PowerBar and fruit juice, bagel with a dab of peanutbutter, a Luna bar and soy milk, vegetarian Subway or turkey Sub, a bean burrito. Spaghetti. Pancakes. A slice of pizza made with low fat mozzarella cheese.

 The list goes on and on.  Just keep the fat content down, and the carbs and protein up. And of course, enjoy.

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