Question
I’m running Progenadrex and really happy with the results. 10lbs gained so far in 8 weeks and all of it looks to be in the muscles. My lifts have gone up quite a bit too.
I’ve been eating big, but have a question on that. What’s the most important thing to focus on – calories or protein?
Answer
This is perhaps the most mis-understood issue in bodybuilding, and the reasons are both complex and multi-faceted.
First, let’s take a look at this focus on protein consumption.
Protein Consumption
It’s true your body needs protein to build muscle. What’s at issue is just how much, how bio-available it is and how long amino acid levels are elevated to support protein synthesis. All too often left out of the discussion is timing, which I consider to be the most important variable.
The ideal protein for all purposes would combine an immediate release of Essential Amino Acids, coupled with intact protein sources that release slowly over time. There are a lot of whey’s on the market for example, but although whey is considered a fast protein – it takes between 60 and 90 minutes to peak and then amino levels rapidly fall off. Not fast enough for intra-workout use, which is where protein can make its greatest contribution.
Also related to timing, it’s been shown that a bolus then refractory period of amino acids produces the best results. Believe it was Dr. Berardi who discovered this, or at least brought it to the forefront. That sure flies in the face of the “if you don’t get protein every 2 hours, your muscles will vanish” nonsense.
Most trainees have gone astray believing ultra high protein diets are beneficial. In fact, they’re detrimental. Overlooked is this fact: Protein burns up 1 and 1/3rd its weight when it’s the dominant macro-nutrient in your diet. However, pair that protein with a carb or fat source (but not both) and the situation changes. Now you’ve given your body a fuel to burn, and the amino acids will be “spared” to do their job – build more muscle.
Calorie Consumption
This brings calories to the forefront: You need a certain amount of “extra” calories to build muscle. When I was asked to explain this recently, I cited the following example;
Give me 4,000 calories a day and 150g of protein, vs 2,000 calories a day and 350g of protein. I’ll grow more muscle every time. So would any trainee.
That’s about as simple as I can make it.
