Q: Is it really necessary to drink the classic post-workout shake, so that we take advantage of the anabolic window? Is this a major factor for growth, gains and success?

A: Most people will have you believe that the so called post-workout shake has to be taken within 30 minutes post-workout (anabolic window). What this means is that if we don’t drink a protein shake or eat a meal based on protein within 30 minutes of finishing our workout, we will have to kiss our gains goodbye.

Many people have probably heard about the “anabolic window” concept, which is the time period that lasts an hour after training, where our body absorbs more protein than normal. Also, if we don’t ingest fast acting carbohydrates with said protein within this time period, we supposedly become catabolizing.

SEE ALSO: LUIS’S 11 WEEK TRANSFORMATION

This theory forces us to transform the post-workout shake and meal into a sacred ritual that must be followed, because if not, it will greatly limit our gains. Also, it makes us have a huge weight on our consciousness if we aren’t able to consume something post-workout, whether it be because of a lack of time or money.

Does the anabolic window exist? Yes, and in most cases it lasts between 24 and 36 hours.

In a study done in 2003, many scientists decided to approach this myth and made various tests to verify if said “anabolic window” did in fact exist. So, the scientists discovered something curious: The “anabolic window” exists, but it doesn’t last just one hour. No, it lasts a whole day (1). So, a workout is capable of increasing protein synthesis for a period of anywhere between 24 to 36 hours. This way, our body is capable of absorbing more protein during this time frame.

To finish, this study only shows that we don’t need to be slaves of “the anabolic window” because of thinking that in order to have our gains we must eat immediately after exercise.

Most people who train regularly practically live in an anabolic state. What we mean is that what we eat will always help muscle protein synthesis, since our muscles “live” in a state of growth and recovery due to weight training.

There is no need to complicate something that is already complicated on its own, and worry about said “anabolic window”. We should eat according to our goals a make sure we are covering our daily needs for macronutrients, that we train hard and this way ensuring we will achieve our goals, as long as we monitor our progress and adjust nutrition and training accordingly.

Now you ask: so we don’t need to eat post-workout?

What’s important is that we ingest the same calories as we did before, and we can inclusively continue to take our post-workout shake, but we don’t need to keep thinking this shake will make a huge difference since “the anabolic window” will last for 24-36h post training and not just 1h. So bear in mind that feeding yourself later on is irrelevant, as long as you ingest the same number of calories. The caloric balance that we ingest throughout the day is what will have the most impact on muscle gain and fat loss, not that post-workout shake.

Wrapping this up, when a workout plan suggests that a determined number of repetitions is best for muscle gain, many people consider that statement “a profanity”, because they say “muscles can’t count”, but the body having an anabolic stopwatch of 30 to 60 minutes seems acceptable to most. Ironical, if not contradictory.

Alan Aragon published an article about the post-workout anabolic window, if anyone is interested in reading a more detailed article about this theme. You can read it here: http://www.jissn.com/content/10/1/5

SEE ALSO: TRAIN WITH YOUR BETTER HALF!

Note: The photographs used belong to Dana Linn Bailey !

References:
1. Tipton KD, Borsheim E, Wolf SE, Sanford AP, Wolfe RR. Acute response of net muscle protein balance reflects 24-h balance after exercise and amino acid ingestion. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2003 Jan;284(1):E76-89.

If you ask why we use these titles for our posts about amino acids and proteins, the answer is simple: Since we are going to launch a “saga” of texts about this vast subject, why not celebrate a little by paying homage to the Star Wars saga…

Just to recap the previous post, for the more forgetful ones, a protein is composed of amino acids (various combinations), these amino acids and proteins are essential for the correct physiological functioning of our body.

SEE ALSO: FERNANDO’S (42 YEARS OLD) 15 WEEK TRANSFORMATION

Back to the base story.

Currently in the market, we can find many forms of protein in the butcher’s counter, in the deli, in the fish shop, etc…The truth is it isn’t hard to find a good source of protein when you take a trip to the supermarket, but still, when someone thinks about increasing their gains to 1000% (value that is merely an illustration and a hyperbole), frequently thinks about a protein shake and follows that with a great philosophical question: To take or not to take a shake?

After establishing that he wants to multiply his gains by 1000% and taking a protein shake, he comes to a new philosophical obstacle: which one should I take?

It’s around this time we are hit with a downpour of different types of protein, and almost drown in unnecessary complications.

Generalizing (!!) the existing proteins in the market (whey, beef,etc..), they can be concentrated, isolated, or a mixture. To understand the big difference between these types, you must analyze the degree of purity or the concentration of elements.

Basically, the purer the protein powder, the greater it’s speed of absorption will be, due to it’s facilitated digestion.

Watch out for this speed! While a concentrated protein can take between 1 to 2 hours to be completely digested, an isolate protein also takes slightly longer than an hour for it to be completely digested. What we mean is that the difference isn’t huge and immediate. It isn’t because you’re taking concentrated protein that you’ll have less gains than if you’re taking an isolate protein. Gains are made mainly due to training and good nutrition.

With this being said, it isn’t worth you timing the time you take to prepare your protein shake after the workout so as not to miss the “anabolic window”… This is as real as any other urban myth. Don’t be afraid to take your shake whenever you want, that won’t be the reason why you get or don’t get results have results.

At night…

The most feared time for all the lovers of this sport. The time where most cravings occur, right before you sleep. How will I fuel my body if I’m sleeping? Will I lose my precious muscle mass during my sleep?

The question you should be asking yourselves is: Should I believe everything people tell me? This question is very important because this industry unfortunately lives off myths instead of science. But why should we be to blame? We’re looking for solutions to achieve our goals and we decide to seek advice from those who look like they know best… the biggest guy in the gym? The answer will surely not be that linear.

It’s true that a protein shake can help during the night. One of the most commonly used proteins during this period is casein. Due to its structure, this protein is a true headache for our stomach, it takes anywhere between 5 to 7h to be digested. It´s common for people who complained about hunger during the night to feel satiety during that period with this type of protein.

To this end, protein is a good solution. If you suffer from this type of nocturnal appetite, it’s something to take into account.

SEE ALSO: MYTH- FLEXIBLE DIETS ARE POOR IN MICRONUTRIENTS!

There are also sequential proteins (mixtures), composed by different types of protein with different absorption speeds. These proteins are also intelligent choices for the night time, or for long periods where we won’t have access to food.

In conclusion, taking a protein shake is something you should consider to complement your nutrition. At first site, it all looks the same and cloned, but each one of them represents a different type, despite their function being the same. Many times it can be too consuming to ingest “fresh” protein. The prices of meat/fish are high, but powdered proteins offer a good solution in economic terms.

We remind you that it’s fundamental to follow a balanced diet for good health. Obtaining all our protein from just one source might not be the best choice, and it can cause intolerances. Like we said a moment ago, each protein has its own nutritional composition and that’s why we should vary our sources throughout our diet.

So, we highly recommend you take a shake as a form of supplementation, but not as the foundation of your diet.

Until next time.

A long time ago, in a distant galaxy, codons lived on planet cell. This simple race was created from a deoxyribonucleic matrix and worshipped the great Gods Biceptenegger and Dorsal Yates. To prevent a great tragedy, a codon named amino acid, sent many squads of codons in Proteinships to combat the force of the evil catabolizing forces and finally

SEE ALSO: FERNANDO’S (42 YEARS OLD) 15 WEEK TRANSFORMATION

To many people, when you talk about amino acids and protein, it sounds something like what we wrote above. In reality, everything that relates to natural cycles and natural synthesis has a touch of scientific fiction.

But let’s put the fiction aside for a moment… Proteins are composed of amino acids. So that it’s easier to understand, let’s imagine your body is a bicycle and that each amino acid is a metallic element of the chain. That chain is what we are going to call protein and every protein has a specific sequence of amino acids. Without the chain you can’t ride your bike, so the same applies to our body. No aminos, no party!

Every protein plays a different role in our bodies. Crazy though it may seem, there are genetic diseases that are linked to the synthesis (in excess or in deficit) of certain proteins. But don’t be scared, because your whey (or other protein sources) is hardly responsible for that.

Did you notice we talked about genetics? That’s because everything comes down to our cells and our DNA. Protein synthesis is intrinsically connected to this problem, so don’t blame your glutamine or BCAAs if you aren’t gaining 30kg of muscle per day (a value that’s merely an illustration and is a hyperbole).

For many people who ask what a protein is or how to find a protein, 90% of the time, the name ends in “ine” (in English). But you can always search in your search engine (for the ingredient) because you should be able to find a trustworthy source of information.

The differences between taking amino acids and protein, if we make it simple, are only three: An amino acid is found in a free form and a protein, contains amino acids, but they are connected (the chain example we talked about earlier). The speed of absorption (digestion) is greater when substances are in free form. Also, concentrations of certain amino acids can be higher or lower in different proteins (that’s why a rich and varied diet is important, even in terms of sources of protein)

SEE ALSO: WHY WE SHOULD EAT PIZZA!

Proteins and amino acids are quite vast subjects and you can’t touch on all the aspects in a small article. That’s why we’ll be launching a sequence of articles about the immensity of these concepts/substances to facilitate the choice of the most effective supplement.

Until then.

The more saturated a fat, the less likely it is to get rancid when it’s used for cooking. The term rancid refers to the chemical break of a fat, due to its oxidation. Ingesting these fats (once they’re rancid) increases the likelihood of cardiac diseases and atherosclerosis.  To avoid eating rancid fats we should cook with oils higher in saturated fat.

The problem is, contrary to what most people think, extra virgin olive oil can’t stand very high temperatures (only up to 320º F), so, it isn’t good for cooking at high temperatures. So, despite thinking olive oil is a good option for cooking, there are other oils that can withstand much higher

In order for us to make a good choice for a cooking oil, the table below shows the percentage of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats in various types of oils. For example, coconut oil would be a good choice for cooking, since it’s 91% saturated fat, as a pose to safflower oil which has only 75% saturated fat.

SEE ALSO: MYTH-HYPERTROPHY TRAINING DOESN’T BURN FAT!

We shouldn’t let oils reach their boiling pont while we cook. The boiling point is when an oil reaches a temperature where it starts to break very rapidly. This way, the oil can become darker, thicker or even gain a bad smell. Obviously it’s best if we choose a cooking oil with a higher boiling point.

After a normal meal, insulin release by the pancreas sends a signal for the shutdown of fatty acid release from adipose tissue (fat tissue), by this way increasing the fatty acid absorption.

SEE ALSO: LUIS’S 11 WEEK TRANSFORMATION

One of the most common explanations about why we gain weight is having high insulin levels, due to it’s involvement in “fat storage”. That’s where the argument about a low carb diet being m0re efficient for fat loss comes from. Supposedly, because of the insulin response they provoke, carbohydrates make you fat, despite their energetic contribution through the calories they contain.

Supposedly, it doesn’t matter how much we eat, as long as we avoid carbohydrates, we’re going to lose fat. Despite these claims being very imprecise, they are one of the great myths within the nutrition world, and they make many people do low carb diets, where due to the drastic drop in ingested calories, people actually lose a lot of weight.

Another growing dogma in the fitness world is that we better restrict our intake of foods that contain carbohydrates, when we are about to train, due to the fear of the carbohydrate’s effect on insulin, and the fear that because of that body fat won’t be burned during exercise. Once again, some representatives of the “low-carb” diets state that carbohydrates are what really matters in fat loss, due to their action over insulin, leaving exercise as a backup plan as a means to burn energy and control our weight. So where does all the extra energy come from when we consume protein and fats in excess? What are the effects of the very own protein on insulin stimulation, or insulin’s role in promoting satiety? These questions are forgotten many times and aren’t considered by those who defend that insulin is a fat storing hormone.

SEE ALSO: CHOCOLATE AND CINNAMON COOKIES RECIPE!

In reality, it’s better if we consider insulin like a “traffic cop”, meaning that it signals where the nutrients should go. It’s also the main hormone that tells the body what to do with the energy that came from the food ingested. For example, when carbohydrates or protein are ingested, insulin tells the body to burn carbohydrates or protein instead of using fat. Specially when we ingest fat, the lack of a response of insulin orients the body to burn the fat we just consumed.

To sum things up, we burn what we eat. Only after this process will we burn the body fat we have stored. At the end of the day, the equation for the amount of fat mass that goes in and out of our cells in 24h doesn’t depend on insulin spikes.

References:

1. Acheson KJ. Diets for body weight control and health: the potential of changing the macronutrient composition.Eur J Clin Nutr. 2012 doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2012.194.
2. Belza A, et al. Contribution of gastroenteropancreatic appetite hormones to protein-induced satiety. Am J Clin Nutr. 2013 doi: 10.3945 / ajcn.112.047563
3. Henson et al. Associations of objectively measured sedentary behaviour and physical activity with markers of cardiometabolic health. Diabetologia. doi: 10.1007/s00125-013-2845-9.
4. Saltiel AR, Kahn CR. Insulin signalling and the regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism. Nature. 2001. doi:10.1038/414799a
5. Soenen S, et al. Normal Protein Intake Is Required for Body Weight Loss and Weight Maintenance, and Elevated Protein Intake for Additional Preservation of Resting Energy Expenditure and Fat Free Mass. J Nutr. 2013. doi:10.3945 / jn.112.167593
6. Westerterp-Plantenga MS, et al. Dietary protein – its role in satiety, energetics, weight loss and health. Br J Nutr.2012 Aug;108 Suppl 2:S105-12. doi: 10.1017/S0007114512002589.
7. Wolfe R. The underappreciated role of muscle in health and disease. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006;84:475-82.