• Home
  • About Jerry Brainum
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • FAQs: Frequently asked questions or problems

Applied Metabolics

Jerry Brainum | Nutrition, Health, and Exercise

The nutrient timing controversy by Jerry Brainum

January 1, 2015
By: Jerry Brainum
Filed Under: Anabolic resistance, Newsletter, Nutrient timing, Protein and carbs

 

 

A few years ago, a concept emerged known as nutrient timing. Simply put, the basis for nutrient timing was that by ingesting a combination of protein and carbohydrate within proximity of a workout, exercise recovery would be considerably enhanced. In addition, the provision of protein, usually in the form of a fast-acting source, such as whey, would provide a significant anabolic effect in muscle. Protein consumed alone, specifically essential amino acids, is enough to promote muscle protein synthesis, which is the underlying mechanism of muscle hypertrophy or growth. But researchers found that by adding carbs to protein, the release of insulin is enhanced above what normally would be promoted by consuming protein alone. Recent studies found that, for purposes of muscle protein synthesis alone, added carbohydrates (carbs) aren't required, since a rapidly-absorbed protein source, such as whey, is enough to elicit a significant release of insulin. On the other hand, there is more to promoting muscle gains than just enhancing muscle protein synthesis.

Muscle growth results from a combination of increased anabolic effects in muscle, coupled with a decreased breakdown of muscle. The latter effect is often called a catabolic effect. When anabolic effects, such as muscle protein synthesis exceed catabolic effects, the balance is tipped towards growth promotion. Shortly after you complete a workout, muscle protein reactions are upgraded, but so are muscle protein breakdown mechanisms. In fact, the breakdown phase is greater than the muscle protein synthesis phase, unless you take measures that will tip the anabolic/catabolic balance to predominately anabolic. This is where nutrient timing comes into play. By providing a rapidly absorbed protein source, such as whey, with a high glycemic index or rapidly absorbed carb source, you promote anabolism over catabolism. If all works out right, you get bigger and stronger.

Several published studies have confirmed that nutrient timing does work. In one study, bodybuilders were provided with a drink containing whey, carbs, and creatine. They consumed this drink either within proximity of a workout (such as before and right afterward) or ingested it several hours later. When ingested close to a workout, the bodybuilders gained twice as much muscle mass as when they consumed the same drink away from a workout. While this study provided the most dramatic example of how nutrient timing could foster muscle gains, other studies also confirmed the effect in various populations, such as both the young and the old. The first hint that ingesting nutrients such as protein and carbs immediately after exercise could provide benefits involved dogs trained on a treadmill.  The dogs were infused with a mixture of glucose and amino acids either immediately, or two hours after exercise. When the dogs were infused immediately, muscle protein synthesis significantly increased. But when the infusion was delayed for two hours, there was . . .

Join today and get access to this article and all past and present Newsletters, since September 2014.  Each month you’ll get a new issue sent to your inbox.  Subscribe today for only $10/month!

Click here to subscribe now & read this article.

Tagged With: anabolic resistance, muscle recovery, nutrient timing, protein and carbs

Only $10/month - Subscribe Today!

Subscriber Login

  • Lost Password

Boost Your Size, Strength and Leanness With…
Supplements That Work
Top Researcher Cuts Through the B.S.
and Shows You Which Ones Really
Pack On Muscle and Melt Off Fat

NaturalAnabolicsCVRshad.jpg

Read More / Purchase

Search

Newsletter Archives

Categories

  • 5-alpha reductase inhibition (1)
  • acid-base nutrition (1)
  • Aerobic exercise (4)
  • Aerobics and fat loss (7)
  • Alpha GPC (1)
  • amino acids (5)
  • Anabolic drugs (5)
  • Anabolic resistance (4)
  • Anabolic steroids (18)
  • Anti-aging (16)
  • Antioxidants (3)
  • Ashwagandha (1)
  • Athletes and steroids (6)
  • August 1 (3)
  • binge eating effects (1)
  • Black market drugs (1)
  • bodybuilding Coaching (1)
  • Bodybuilding Nutrition (15)
  • Bodybuilding posing (1)
  • Bodyweight strength training (1)
  • Book review (2)
  • Brain function (2)
  • Branched-chain amino acids (3)
  • Caloric restriction (1)
  • Carbohydrate loading (2)
  • Carbohydrates and exercise (5)
  • cardiovascular disease (4)
  • Cell hydration (1)
  • cellulite (1)
  • Chronobiology (1)
  • Citrulline (2)
  • Coconuts and health (1)
  • Coffee (1)
  • Cold weather exercise (1)
  • Concurrent training (2)
  • Contest prep (23)
  • Cortisol (1)
  • Covid-19 (4)
  • Creatine (7)
  • Cross-fit training (1)
  • Curcumin (1)
  • D-aspartic acid (2)
  • Dental health (2)
  • Depression (1)
  • Designer steroids (2)
  • Detox diets (1)
  • Detoxification diets (1)
  • DHEA (1)
  • DHT and health (1)
  • Diet fads (2)
  • Dieting and Metabolism (2)
  • diuretics (1)
  • Drugs in supplements (2)
  • ecdysteroids (1)
  • Effects of inactivity (1)
  • Eggs (4)
  • Erectile dysfunction (1)
  • Ergogenic aids (13)
  • Essential Fatty Acids (2)
  • Estrogen and men (1)
  • Estrogen in supplements (2)
  • Exercise concentration and focus (1)
  • Exercise frequency (3)
  • Exercise recovery (15)
  • Exercise techniques (12)
  • Fast food nutrition (1)
  • Fat loss (45)
  • Fat-burner supplements (5)
  • female Bodybuilders (1)
  • Fish oil (2)
  • GLP-1 agonist drugs (1)
  • GLP-1 agonist natural alternatives (1)
  • glycogen (1)
  • Growth hormone (8)
  • Gym air pollution (1)
  • Hair Loss (1)
  • Hard Gainer (1)
  • Health effects of extended sitting (1)
  • Herbal testosterone supplements (4)
  • High intensity training (14)
  • High protein diet and health (5)
  • Hormesis (1)
  • hormones (17)
  • IGF-1 (4)
  • Inflammation (1)
  • Insulin (2)
  • Intermittent fasting (7)
  • Intestinal microbiome (2)
  • Joint supplements (2)
  • Ketogenic diet (3)
  • Kidney health (1)
  • Late night eating (1)
  • longevity (12)
  • longevity research (7)
  • Low carb (13)
  • Male sexual function (1)
  • Marijuana (1)
  • Massage (1)
  • Meat Science (1)
  • Mental health (2)
  • metabolic stress (2)
  • Milk (3)
  • Mitochondria (2)
  • Mumie (1)
  • Muscle Cramps (1)
  • Muscle hypertrophy (29)
  • Muscle injuries (2)
  • Muscle pump (1)
  • Muscle soreness (1)
  • Muscles and Aging (1)
  • Muscular strength (7)
  • music and exercise (1)
  • Myostatin (1)
  • Natural anabolics (7)
  • Natural bodybuilding (16)
  • Natural sun protection (1)
  • Natural Testosterone boosters (1)
  • Newsletter (102)
  • Nicotine (1)
  • Nitric oxide (2)
  • nootropics (1)
  • Nutrient timing (8)
  • nutrients and aging (2)
  • Nutrition (45)
  • Nutrition conference (1)
  • Omega-3 fatty acids (1)
  • Optimal training techniques (10)
  • Osteoarthritis (1)
  • Paleolithic diet (1)
  • Physique contest preparation (15)
  • Placebo effect (1)
  • Prohormones (1)
  • Prostate health (1)
  • Protein and carbs (4)
  • Protein and longevity (1)
  • Protein needs for bodybuilding (10)
  • Protein nutrition (5)
  • Protein oxidation (1)
  • Protein supplements (17)
  • Resistance training and aging skin (1)
  • Resistent starch (2)
  • Sarcopenia (2)
  • Sauna baths (1)
  • Science meeting studies (3)
  • Selective androgen receptor modulator drugs (5)
  • Shoulder pain (1)
  • side effects of estrogen in men (1)
  • Skin Health (2)
  • sleep (4)
  • Sodium (1)
  • soy health effects (1)
  • Sports Medicine (2)
  • Squat exercise (1)
  • Stimulant supplements (2)
  • Stress (1)
  • Stretching (2)
  • Sun tan pills (1)
  • Supplements (39)
  • Tendon injuries (1)
  • Testosterone and food (3)
  • Testosterone and heart health (6)
  • Testosterone boosters (1)
  • Testosterone metabolism (9)
  • Testosterone replacement therapy (4)
  • The best time to exercise (1)
  • Thyroid function (1)
  • Time course for muscle gains (1)
  • TMAO (2)
  • Training principles (28)
  • Training techniques (22)
  • Training to failure (4)
  • ursolic acid (2)
  • vegan nutrition (2)
  • Vegetarian nutrition (5)
  • Viruses and fat gains (1)
  • Vitamin D (2)
  • Women and Nutrition (2)
  • Women's health (9)
Copyright © 2025 appliedmetabolics.com
Affiliate Sign Up & Login | Sitemap
Website by Nine Planets