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Eat Protein and Carbs After Lifting Weights to Get Stronger |
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Written by Superhuman
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Wednesday, 16 January 2008 |
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Muscle tension and blood levels of amino acids and insulin are key factors triggering muscle growth. They activate signaling pathways inside the
cells that promote protein synthesis in the muscles and modify muscle protein breakdown, remodeling and repair. Chemicals called ribosomal protein S6 kinase and the target of rapamycin (mTOR) are important cell-signaling molecules that are sensitive to small changes in energy status and are major forces in protein synthesis. They work like biological computer programs to line up amino acids needed in the production of new muscle tissue. Dutch researchers showed that feeding a protein-carbohydrate supplement before and after weight training activated protein-signaling molecules better than a carbohydrate supplement. This was a sophisticated study that used radioactive tracers to trace the activity of chemicals important in building new muscle tissue. Athletes should consume a carb-protein supplement before and after training to maximize protein synthesis. (Journal Nutrition, 137: 1880–1886, 2007)
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