time of protein requirement

X

xander

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Does anyone know the time after a weights session that the body most needs protein to rebuild the muscle?

e.g. is it during the workout, immediately after, whilst sleeping at night, the next day, or a combination of these?

I know that even after eatin protein it takes a while to enter the muscles, so when is the best time to eat it?

I know its best to have a constantly great diet, but i cant afford supplements at the moment, so i am rationing cans of tuna for protein and I want to know when its best to eat them!

please dont guess, only answer if you really know the answer!

thanks

-Alex
 
really and truely, you want a constant supply of protein during the day, like roughly every 2 or 3 hours.

have a serving of protein as soon as possible after a workout. the popular advice is a fast digesting protein like whey.

also have a serving of protein before bed, something slow digesting like casein to last you through the night.
 
thanks but like i said money is bad recently so I cant aford to join a gym or buy decent food/supplements.

What I am doing is home exercices like dumbell curls, pressups, crunches on swiss ball etc, and I have cans of tuna for protein but Im not sure how long the tuna would take to digest. Last time I ate it immediately after the workout, but not sure if that was the best time.

Obviously when I get some money my program will change and I will hopefully go to the gym and have a whey/egg protein powder.

do you know of any other cheap food sources of protein? I like cheese but couldnt eat enough of it to get enuff protein, I dont eat meat so thats out of the question, and nuts get too salty after a while. I find tuna to be the best so far.
 
yeah, I dont like milk on its own but i have it with cereal, and in milkshakes, I dont really like cottage cheese but i do eat regular cheese, and I do like eggs, but ive heard that cooking eggs destroys the protein, and although they have the complete set of amino acids, theres not a great deal of protein in an egg, so I'd have to eat about 10 eggs a day!
 
i've never heard about cooking eggs destroying the protein.

i cheat a little bit. i use the liquid egg whites. i use them in my homemade protein shakes and in my oatmeal.

i'm also looking into milk powder to sneak some more extra grams of protein in.
 
Try some apple sauce or salsa on your low fat cottage cheese. My hubby thought it was sick till he tried it.
I do egg whites (in the carton), cooked in microwave for 2 min. with salsa. Salsa is the single mans main cooking staple. Goes on everything.
Make friends with a homemaker (like myself) locally, to watch the sales in the paper for you. I inform the single men in the gym where and when what is on sale and save em a ton. I have to laught tho when i hear they picked up 50 cans of tuna at one trip or 20 chicken breasts. LOL
 
ok, i knew that protein is denatured by heat, but i just looked it up, and although the protin structure changes, its nutritional value remains the same.

so cooking eggs doesnt matter!
 
sorry cougar but that doesnt sound very appetising to me!

Im gonna go pick up about 12 cans of tuna tommorrow - i found a place where they are cheap!
 
hey xander, do you dress up your tuna to give it a better taste?

some ppl add all kinds of stuff to it to change the taste.
 
Since muscle tissue is indeed composed of mostly protein and water, it seems only natural to consume protein throughout the day. However, there are KEY time periods in which you can get the best "bang for your buck" from a protein shake or supplement. GNC sells 20 g/serving powders with over 70 servings for only around 20$ (this should last you a while). Here are the best times to consume a protein shake:
1) BEFORE A CARDIO WORKOUT- The reason for this lies in the fact that protein protects the muscle from being burned for energy. It would be best to consume the shake (or eat the bar) at leat 20-30 minutes before the workout (this is the amount of time it takes for Whey protein, on average, to be digested and reach the muscle)
2) DIRECTLY FOLLOWING A RESISTANCE TRAINING WORKOUT- The reason for this is that the first hour to 2 hours following a weight training session is a critical time period for muscle reperation. You want to feed the muscle some protein (and plenty of water, but I will touch on this later) directly following the workout.
3) RIGHT BEFORE YOU GO TO SLEEP-While you are sleeping your muscles repair themselves. This is why it is extremely important that you get your full 8 hours of sleep each evening. Feeding the muscle protein before bed will help with the process of reperation. You are also avoiding the chance of actually burning off your protein while you are sleeping because your body is at rest and burning few calories.

I do suggest getting some sort of protein shake or bar. Whey protein is the fastest acting protein. If you are trying to build muscle, lose fat, or whatever the case may be, it is good to consume at least 1g of protein per 1lb of body weight. If you weigh 175 lbs, then you are required to consume 175 grams of protein a day. It is rather difficult to actually consume this much without a protein shake or bar. I'm not saying it cannot be done, but it is much easier if you have some help from a supplement.

---WATER---
You need to consume around half your body weight in ounces of water each day. Eg. 180 lbs is required to drink around 90 ounces of water each day. Muscle tissue (and the body for that matter) is composed of water mostly. Dehydration causes fatigue, strength loss, and many other things. Water also helps digest the protein shake.

Think of it like this, muscle is composed of water and protein for the most part...so FEED YOUR BODY WHAT IT IS MADE OF!

When going to purchase your shake I warn you that these people at supplement stores are going to want to sell you anything that is the most expensive, or simply as much they can push over on you. You only need a shake that has around 20-25g/serving. There are more expensive powders that contain around 50 g/serving. The 50 may sound better, but in actuality it is not. The muscle will only recieve around 25 g, and the rest will go to your kidney and other places, so it is actually a waste of money.
scott
 
Thanks scott, a very informative and to-the-point post :)

I am definitely going to get a whey powder, but i literally have NO money at the moment!!

GNC as in 'general nutrition centre'? I am in the UK and we have those here...what make of powder do you recommend? I have heard that Weider is the least overpriced.

abear - The tuna I get is soaked in unflower oil and tastes quite nice on its own, so I eat it mostly straight from the can. Some times I have it mixed in with pasta and a sauce, or sometimes with a bit of malt vineger poured on it - this helps digestion.
 
xander said:
abear - The tuna I get is soaked in unflower oil and tastes quite nice on its own, so I eat it mostly straight from the can. Some times I have it mixed in with pasta and a sauce, or sometimes with a bit of malt vineger poured on it - this helps digestion.
Click to expand...
sounds good. :)
 
Well, as soon as you come across around 20 dollars there is a good brand that I like called "On Whey", it is a 23g/serving whey protein powder when mixed with water, but mixed with milk it will bump you up to around 30 grams in one serving. Also, The GNC brand is good and relatively cheap. Just stay away from TWIN LAB, the company is going under and their shakes taste terrible.
scott
 
Im not sure we get the same brands over here in the UK but thanks for the info.
 
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