RULE #6: WAKE UP FAST
When you wake up in the morning, your body isin a catabolic state. In other words, your body is literally eating your muscle protein for fuel. To halt this process you need to eat, ASAP. There's no time for showering or brushing your teeth. Head straight for the kitchen and don't even think about eating whole foods - they take too long to digest. You need two things: the fastest-digesting protein and the fastest-digesting carb.
For protein, that means whey protein isolate, or whey protein hydrolysate, which is even faster-digesting than isolate. This will rapidly supply your body protein to use for energy, sparing your muscles from further breakdown. The amino acids from the whey that aren't used for fuel will get to your muscle fibers and rebuild what was broken down at night, and that will put you in an anabolic state.
For fast-digesting carbs, the answer is waxy maize starch. Research shows that these carbs digest even faster than sugar. Getting carbs into your bloodstream fast is as important as protein for stopping the catabolic onslaught when you wake in the morning. With your liver glycogen totally depleted by your night's fast, waxy maize starch will rapidly signal your body to stop cannibalizing itself. This is why we suggest you get in a liquid breakfast as soon as you wake, and then 30-60 minutes later, a whole-food meal - your "second" breakfast.
RULE #7: MIX UP YOUR PROTEIN BEFORE & AFTER WORKOUTS
10 Rules for Eating for Mass
Within 30 minutes before workouts, you need rapidly digesting protein such as whey. Research shows that quick digesting proteins like whey taken immediately before workouts maximize muscle protein synthesis. In addition, whey contains peptides (small protein fragments) that enhance blood flow to your muscles. This can increase delivery of nutrients and hormones to your muscles during workouts and enhance your muscle pump.
Also consider adding some soy to your preworkout shake. Not only is soy protein isolate fast-digesting, but research shows that genistein, a soy phytoestrogen, increases nitric oxide levels. And since soy is very rich in arginine, it is a great way to further boost blood flow to your muscles during the workout.
After workouts, whey protein is king. Research shows that whey protein taken immediately after workouts rapidly ramps up muscle protein synthesis and, as a result, muscle growth. The spike it causes in insulin levels not only helps to further boost protein synthesis, but also blunts cortisol levels. This catabolic hormone competes with the anabolic hormone testosterone and increases muscle breakdown. Blunting it keeps you in a more anabolic state and promotes faster recovery from the workout and better muscle growth.
You should also consider mixing some casein protein into your postworkout whey shake. Although casein is as slow digesting as whey is fast, it also has been found to boost protein synthesis after workouts. In fact, researchers from Baylor University (Waco, Texas) found that trained lifters who, for 10 weeks, took a postworkout shake that combined whey and casein protein gained significantly more muscle mass than those who took a shake sans the casein.
RULE #8: SLOW DOWN YOUR CARBS BEFORE WORKOUTS AND SPEED THEM UP AFTER
As stated in rule 2, for most meals you should select slow-burning carbs. This also pertains to the preworkout meal. Research shows that when athletes eat slower-digesting carbs, they not only have more energy and less fatigue during exercise, but they burn more fat during training and experience less hunger throughout the day. Within 30 minutes of your workouts, eat slow-burning carbs, such as a piece of fruit, wholegrain bread or oatmeal, along with your protein shake.
The meal you have immediately after your workout, on the other hand, should consist mainly of fast-digesting carbs such as waxy maize starch. This will spike levels of the anabolic hormone insulin, which drives the carbs you eat into muscle cells, where they'll be stored as glycogen to be used for your next workout. Insulin helps amino acids get into the muscle cells to build muscle protein. It?s also critical to the delivery of creatine to the muscles (see rule 10) and increases muscle protein synthesis, one of the major processes by which muscle fibers grow.
Normally, you want to keep insulin levels in check for a variety of health reasons, but immediately following a hard training session is one time when an insulin spike is desirable.
10 Rules for Eating for Mass
RULE #9: SLEEP ON IT
When you sleep, you're actually fasting. As we mentioned in rule 6, when you have no food in your digestive tract, your body turns to your muscle fiber for protein (the amino acids from protein to be exact) to fuel your body. A slow digesting protein such as a casein protein shake or cottage cheese (also rich in casein protein) and healthy fats, such as walnuts, are your best choices just before bed. These foods help slow digestion and provide a steady supply of amino acids for fuel, thereby minimizing the body?s tendency to use muscle.
A protein shake containing micellar casein can take up to seven hours to digest. This means your body gets a slow and steady stream of amino acids through most of the night, preventing it from breaking down your muscles.
RULE #10: SUPPLEMENTAL MASS
In addition to using whey protein, casein protein, soy protein and waxy maize starch, there are certain specialty supplements you need to take to ensure that you gain the mass you wish during this wintertime program.
Branched-chain amino acids: The BCAAs comprise the three amino acids leucine, isoleucine and valine, which happen to be the three most important amino acids for repairing and building of muscle tissue. Leucine is the most critical of the three, as research shows that this amino acid can turn on muscle protein synthesis by itself. It's still best to take all three together though, as they work in synergy to provide a multitude of benefits that include muscle growth, increased energy during workouts, blunting of cortisol (a catabolic hormone that inhibits testosterone and increases muscle breakdown), and decreased delayed onset muscle soreness. Take 5-10 g of BCAAs with your first breakfast (protein shake), your preworkout and your postworkout shakes and dinner.
Creatine: Research confirms that one of the most effective supplements you can use is creatine. Plain and simple, taking creatine can help you gain upward of 10 pounds of lean muscle and boost your strength in the gym by at least 10%. Go with 3-5 g of creatine with your pre- and postworkout shakes.
Beta-alanine: In the body, the amino acid beta-alanine is combined with the amino acid histidine to form carnosine. Research confirms that when muscles have higher levels of carnosine, they have more strength and endurance, and that athletes taking beta-alanine increase muscle strength significantly, allowing for heavier lifting and, thus, more muscle growth. New research indicates that when trained subjects take beta-alanine in addition to creatine, they gain more muscle (and simultaneously lose some bodyfat, as well) as compared to those taking just creatine alone. Take 1-2 g of beta-alanine or carnosine with your pre- and postworkout shakes.
Carnitine: Once considered just a fat-loss supplement, carnitine is now known as an anabolic supplement, as well. That's because it helps to enhance muscle growth through a number of mechanisms. For one, carnitine increases testosterone levels after workouts, as well as the number of testosterone receptors inside muscle cells, which allows more testosterone to stimulate more muscle growth. In addition, carnitine supplements have been found to increase the ability of insulin-like growth factor-I to stimulate muscle growth. If that's not enough, it can also increase blood flow, which means it provides similar benefits to NO boosters. Take 1-3 g of carnitine with your first breakfast (protein shake), preworkout shake, postworkout shake and dinner.
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