The basics of muscle training and protein intake | The amount and timing of protein intake required to increase muscle mass

Strength training and protein intake for muscle mass

How to eat protein to build muscle

We all know that muscles play an important role in all sports movements, such as running, jumping, lifting, and throwing. In order for muscles to exert force, muscle mass is required. In order to increase muscle mass, it is important to consume adequate protein.

Learn more about how training, diet and nutrition relate to building muscle mass.

Muscle mass is determined by the balance between muscle protein synthesis and breakdown, so in addition to stimulating muscles through training and exercise to increase muscle mass, muscle protein synthesis must be increased by "sufficient nutrient intake." So what does "sufficient nutrient intake" mean? For people who play sports, it is important to consume enough protein from meals and supplements.

Protein intake and timing

In particular, to increase muscle mass, it is necessary to take in the "right amount" of protein at the "right time". However, to increase muscle mass efficiently, it is important to take in carbohydrates and vitamins as well as protein. This is because if you only take in protein after hard training, the protein will be used as an energy source and will not be used to synthesize muscle protein. For this reason, it is important to take carbohydrates in combination with protein.

How should you take in protein to increase muscle mass? There are many points to consider, but we have summarized them in the following four points.

① Ensure adequate protein intake per meal
② Ensure adequate protein intake per day
3) Consider the timing and amount of protein intake after exercise
④ Take in enough energy

Many people take in a lot of protein to increase muscle mass. However, simply taking in a lot of protein does not necessarily increase muscle mass. To increase muscle mass efficiently, you need to take in the right amount of protein at the right time.

Protein requirement per meal

Recent research has shown that in order to increase protein synthesis, it is necessary to consume more than 1g of protein per kg of body weight per meal (about 1g or more for a person weighing 0.24kg). It has been reported that people who consume less than 70g of protein per kg of body weight at breakfast in particular have less muscle mass (Yasuda et al., J Nutr. 17). Therefore, being conscious of the amount of protein consumed per meal is the first step to efficiently increasing muscle mass.

For example, if you have two slices of bread and coffee for breakfast, you will only be consuming 2g of protein. However, if you add one egg (11.2g) or three sausages (1g) and replace your coffee with 7.4mL of milk (3g), the amount of protein you will be consuming from breakfast will increase to about 7.1g. *The amount of protein is in brackets.
In order to increase muscle mass, it is necessary to consume sufficient protein at each of your meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Many people tend to eat a light breakfast, so be sure to pay particular attention to it.

Protein intake and timing after strength training

In addition, you need to be careful about your total daily protein intake. The protein intake for athletes depends on the type of sport, intensity, and content of the exercise, but it is recommended to set it in the range of 1 to 1 g per kg of body weight (ACSM position stand 1.2). Regardless of the type of sport, you should set your protein intake according to the content of your training, such as setting a higher amount for strength training, which puts a lot of strain on the muscles, and a lower amount for endurance training.
It is difficult to get a lot of protein in one meal, so by making good use of supplementary foods, you can get enough protein.

The best time to take protein after strength training

Many people have been advised to take protein within 30 minutes after strength training. Many studies have shown that taking protein within 30 minutes after training increases muscle protein synthesis. So, does it have to be taken within 30 minutes after strength training? The answer is "it doesn't have to be." After strength training, muscle protein synthesis remains elevated for a while. So it's fine to take protein during this time.

Rather than forcing yourself to do it within 30 minutes, you may feel more relaxed if you think, "Give yourself a little extra time and do it as soon as possible after training." A good guideline for protein intake is about 20g. Also, if you feel full after consuming protein and can't eat enough afterwards, consider using amino acids, which are the breakdown products of protein.

That was all about protein intake to increase muscle mass for power output. I think many people are conscious of taking in protein on a daily basis, but why not reconsider whether your method was correct and what you can do to improve it?

*Click here for tips on using amino acids to increase muscle mass

<Supervisor>Shota Sasaki

Lecturer, Department of Health and Nutrition, Faculty of Human Sciences, Hokkaido Bunkyo University.
After completing her doctoral studies in applied life science at the Graduate School of Life Sciences, Kyoto Prefectural University (2011), she obtained her doctorate (academic), and worked as an assistant professor at Obihiro Otani Junior College before assuming her current position in 2019. She is a certified sports nutritionist and registered dietitian. She is also the editor of "Nutrition for Skiers" in the monthly magazine Ski Graphic.

To date, she has provided nutritional support primarily to junior and female athletes involved in speed skating and ice hockey. Currently, she is providing nutritional support to students aiming to become registered dietitians, as well as high school baseball and track and field athletes. Although still in the early stages of development, she is also working on a research project to find nutritional intake methods specific to sports played in cold environments. She aims to be a bridge between research in the field of sports nutrition and the field itself.