Muscle Protein Synthesis
Now that we’ve discussed muscle hypertrophy, we’ll move on to muscle protein synthesis, which is exactly what it sounds like. It is the process of building muscle from protein. Muscle fibers are made up of long strands of proteins along with some other cellular components and these fibers are stimulated to grow after a strength training session. They are even further stimulated if protein is consumed post training. This protein consumption ideally occurs 30 to 60 minutes after training as this is when cells are most receptive to nutrients that help build muscle. This elevated state usually lasts for 24 to 72 hours and it’s in this window of time that regular protein consumption and rest is necessary.
This timeframe is also what we would designate as our recovery window. During this time muscles are growing and they need to be given the rest and nutrients necessary to recover. Walking or running or other low to moderate intensity cardio style activities can be beneficial during this time because these activities promote blood flow, which helps take nutrients to the cells as well as clears metabolites from the cells, but no strength training in the muscle hypertrophy rep ranges should be done. However, folks that are training low rep ranges (1 to 5) can train consecutive days in a row as muscle cells are less impacted by this type of training, but these training sessions should be short and to the point.
The goal during this period of muscle protein synthesis is to maximize recovery so that the body feels ready for the next training session. This window of recovery is highly individual and some people might feel ready to go after a 24 hour period, while others might want to wait 48 or 72 hours between training sessions. You really have to feel it out for yourself and pay attention to whether you feel recovered when you start a training session. Personally, I give myself 48 hours between sessions, since in my experience I feel ready to go again in that timeframe. As people age, this recovery window might get a little wider as recovery from strength training bouts usually slows with the aging process. This might be related to less than optimal digestion and nutrient absorption, lower hormone levels, as well as less metabolic efficiency. Whatever the reason and whatever your age, listening to your body and really feeling out whether you feel recovered for your next training session is important. Experience will help you determine this, so if you’re new to strength training, start slow with 2 full body sessions per week, spaced apart by 72 hours (i.e. - Monday and Thursday) and build up from there. Also, consuming adequate protein regularly will help your muscles grow, so this needs to be a priority. The literature generally agrees that 1.4 to 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight spaced out in 3 to 4 meals a day is optimal. Ideally this would be high quality protein, meaning types that have all the essential amino acids and are easy to digest and absorb.
The takeaway here is that you should pay close attention to the timeframe that you feel recovered enough for a workout. If your muscles still feel weak and drained, then they need more recovery. There’s no one size fits all recommendation here, so keep in mind to pay attention to how you feel and also account for stress and sleep and other factors that could contribute to less than adequate recovery. Figuring out how frequently you should train will help you get the most out of your workouts. Also, dialing in your nutrition and specifically protein consumption will contribute to optimal recovery. Down the line I’ll talk about my recommendations for protein consumption, but for now focus on getting regular meals that include high quality protein foods for optimal muscle protein synthesis.
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