Protein Intake Cycles For Building Muscle

By Al Wilson

Until a short while ago, bodybuilders’ main concern was to eat enough proteins for their muscles to become bigger and stronger. On the back of the latest research, however, the type of protein and the time it is consumed have been discovered to be an even more crucial factor in muscle building than the amount of weight lifted.

Not many sportsmen know that most of the supplements they use to improve their performance have been produced with studies conducted on chronically sick people as their basis. Although we're talking about slightly different things here, just as the examination of corpses was able to carry medicine forward at the time they were conducted, today we have a wealth of useful information from the work undertaken in hospitals on patients who have undergone major surgery, have suffered considerable burns or who are afflicted with chronic diseases that cause serious physical deterioration, such as AIDS or cancer.
The approaches taken by doctors to keep these people’s weight stable and prevent catabolism from setting in can be applied in sporting contexts as well. It stands to reason that if certain substances or compounds can preserve the muscles of a chronically sick person, then they’re of even more advantage to sportsmen, who are in excellent physical condition and subject their body to a tremendous level of exertion.
Bodybuilders have known for decades that the configuration of their muscles depends on the protein consumed, since the components of the muscles are the amino acids that are acquired following digestion of the protein. This is with the exception of water, which makes up 70% of muscle. Therefore, and on the basis that development doesn't take place during the workout but afterwards, outside of the gym, when the body sets about regenerating the tissues, many bodybuilders believe protein is more important than the working weights themselves for building an imposing physique. For this same reason, most bodybuilders consume massive amounts of protein, going on high-protein diets and incorporating protein supplements into their bodybuilding.
It's a fact, however, that most people don't seize upon this and their muscles grow no larger because their body isn't able to metabolise all the protein. In modern times there is a new theory involving the cyclical modification of protein intake; that is, the establishment of a specific programme of scheduled fluctuations in protein intake. With this approach, the body is believed to digest proteins better and the muscles to make a more appropriate use of them.
The main foundations of the approach reside in making the most of the body’s homeostasis, overcompensation and sensorial regulation systems. It is, in other words, based on the natural cycles that take place within the body.
But let’s take things a step at a time.

Capitalisation on the Natural Cycles
Homeostasis describes the system of processes by which the body establishes balance and normal conditions for itself. Under this system, it identifies any irregularities or excesses and puts them right to make the conditions more stable again. For instance, it has been proven that when lots of amino acids enter the blood, the rate of protein synthesis surges. But there is also confirmation that this heightened rate of anabolism only lasts between 20 and 30 minutes after the protein has been consumed. From that point on, the body gradually whittles this rate down to almost zero, even if you have administered more amino acids shortly after (1).
However much you repeat this administration, even if you make the doses bigger, it’s impossible to bring that rate of synthesis back up to the previous one again. The muscles become temporarily immune to the proteins, the amino acids transitorily failing to have any impact on them. The muscles depend on amino acids to become bigger. 

Temporary Muscular Sensitivity to Amino Acids
It had been taken for granted until now that the muscles continued to employ the amino acids at the same rate while these carried on entering the blood. But in actual fact this isn’t the case. It would appear that they become less sensitive to them and stop drawing the amino acids over to themselves and absorbing them.
According to this new theory, which has the backing of various scientists, the muscles’ response to protein and, what is one and the same, exposure to amino acids is non-permanent. The continuous entry of the amino acids into the muscles renders the receptors temporarily irresponsive to them. There are only two ways to bring them back round: going for long periods without eating, and training. 

Whey Protein v Casein
There is still debate over which of these two sources of protein is more anabolic, for they operate quite the opposite to each other. Scientists, however, have been able to come up with data that make things much clearer for us regarding the properties of each one.
From the independent studies that have been undertaken, we can draw the conclusion that casein is more anticatabolic than whey. In a twelve-week-long study, conducted in the U.S. on police officers who were overweight but had gone on a low calorie diet to slim down, one group was administered casein, another with whey. Both groups received the same amount. At the end of the study, the group that had been administered the casein was found to have shed more fat and less muscle than the one that had received the whey (2).
The reason for this seems to be the quicker rate at which their bodies digested the whey, the whey soon exiting the blood. Some, however, think that this disadvantage can be counteracted by consuming small amounts of whey at short but regular intervals (3). The problem is that doing this to combat catabolism won’t be enough to set the development in motion, for, as we’ve seen, this is triggered by the mass entry of amino acids into the muscles. The dose sheds its anabolic properties if we make it smaller, although when taken at regular intervals it can be successfully used in conditioning diets. Besides keep the muscles intact, it helps us to feel full rather than hungry (4).
So it would seem that whey in large quantities can heighten anabolism because the body digests it faster, whereas casein, which the body is very slow to absorb, holds off catabolism. Bodybuilders, however, must seek to secure both benefits, since they must encourage anabolism in order to build muscle, but also have to prevent catabolism from attacking their muscles.
As you can appreciate, then, to stick to a single source of protein would be a mistake.

Muscle Receptors: A Key Factor
Until very recently, it had been a theory based on observation of the reaction of the muscles to amino acids, but now scientists have established that the muscles have special receptors in them for these nutrients. In fact, special leucine receptors have been discovered in them, so at least certain amino acids, like leucine, will be able to operate like hormones, if not all. When leucine meets with its receptor, eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4e), it triggers protein synthesis (5).
But the problem is that these receptors aren’t very sensitive and large amounts of protein are required to stimulate them. On top of that, once they have been stimulated they quickly become less sensitive to the amino acid and the effects wear off, so their anabolic operations are short-lived. This down-regulation on the part of the receptors is the body’s normal response to many other stimuli.
It’s a bit like perfume or aftershave: whenever you’re close to someone wearing aftershave or perfume, the fragrance tends to smell strong but ‘disappears’; that is, it smells less strong, once you’ve been with that person for a couple of minutes. The only way to smell it again is to move away from that person for a few minutes and then go back over to them. The continuous exposure causes our senses to become temporarily oblivious to that perfume or aftershave.
There are two tried-and-tested ways of increasing the sensitivity of muscle receptors to amino acids: going for long periods without having eaten, and exercise.

The Role of Carbohydrates in Development
Since proteins are digested in the stomach in acidic conditions, and carbohydrates require more baseline, or alkaline, ones, some people have argued that eating proteins and carbohydrates together may provoke a clash between the two in the digestive system, which would upset the proteins and prevent the amino acids from entering the blood.
However, a recent study in this respect has clarified that the addition of 30 grams of carbohydrates with a portion of protein bestowed greater anticatabolic properties on the casein and, at the same time, kept amino acids from being taken apart in the liver (6). One important thing to highlight is that the addition of complex carbohydrates to the whey slows down the rate they’re absorbed by the body, which isn’t the case when they’re monosaccharides (a term for simple carbohydrates). This corroborates the fact that when you wish to slow down the rapid absorption of the whey by the body to strengthen its anticatabolic properties, you must combine it with maltodextrin or some other complex carbohydrate.

Take full advantage of higher muscle receptor sensitivity for full development
Scientists have illustrated that when we get up in the morning, having slept and not eaten for several hours, protein consumption will boost protein synthesis (anabolism) to an extent that isn’t possible during the rest of the day. This is with the exception of when we’ve finished a workout, circumstances in which the rate of protein synthesise becomes even higher (7).
At the same time, a number of studies have made it patently clear that the response depends on the dose and type of protein. It was proven that slow-release proteins triggered no muscle building and that 30g of protein, a dose deemed normal by many, wasn’t enough to stimulate the receptors either. Therefore, quick-release proteins in doses of more than 30g are called for, but they must be consumed at the right time. If not, the muscles will make no use of them because their special receptors will have grown insensitive to the amino acids. In such circumstances this means that to consume a higher amount would simply be a waste or, worse still, a surplus that could be transformed into fat.
On the other hand, it must be borne in mind that the body governs the sensitivity of receptors in cycles, and this is determined by the level of exposure to the amino acids and amounts in which they are so. If we draw all these facts together, we’ll see that it’s perfectly possible to regulate, to a certain extent, the quantities our body can absorb of amino acids by alternating between phases in which we bombard the muscles with amino acids, and phases in which they endure a lesser exposure to them. The body reacts similarly to when we engage in carbohydrate loading and depletion.
You’ll already be aware of how the body reacts when there are no carbohydrates in the diet: overcompensation with the massive but temporary accumulation of the macronutrient when it is supplied with them again. Carbohydrate loading and depletion is a widespread practice amongst bodybuilders and other sportsmen. They do it to increase their glycogen reserves. But in order to do this, first they must lower their carbohydrate intake to the point where there are virtually none in the diet, and train more than usual to expend all the reserves in their body. The outcome of these dietary modifications is that the body is deprived of carbohydrates and has no glycogen stored in the muscles. All of this leads to the rebound effect, or overcompensation, of it soaking them all up like a sponge, and of storing more than it usually would had it not been for the depletion of them, once we start consuming carbohydrates again. This effect is, however, not indefinite. As soon as the carbohydrates go back to being a regular part of the diet, the body concludes the overcompensation processes and stores the same amount of glycogen as before.
You can achieve a similar effect if you plan out thoroughly the type of protein you’re going to eat and when you eat it. If you know how to organise your protein intake you can urge your body to absorb and synthesise more, meaning the muscles will grow larger, since they’re the storage unit for amino acids. It's not enough to constantly flood the system with high amounts of protein if, at the end of the day, your muscles aren't going to absorb them. That would just be a waste and would even be stored as fat by the body. 

Cycles for Better Protein Usage
The things to really remember from everything we’ve discussed today are the following:
• More than 30g of quick-release protein must be consumed to rouse the muscle receptors with amino acids and trigger anabolism.
• Slow-release proteins, like casein, have anticatabolic properties, but no matter how much you consume it doesn't stimulate the receptors and, therefore, will fail to spark muscle development.
• Once muscle receptors have been stimulated by amino acids, the effects begin to wear off, even if you hit them with another dose of amino acids or quick-release proteins.
• In order to awaken the receptors again you must avoid consuming protein for a couple of hours, or weight train before consuming some protein.
• The time that muscles can absorb more amino acids or more protein is immediately after we've finished our workout, and just after we get up, first thing in the morning. In any case, to seize upon this anabolic window you need quick-release protein, like whey, and in sufficient quantities.
• When muscle fibres lose their sensitivity to protein, it won't be possible to trigger anabolism, no matter how much you consume.

With all these elements at hand you can devise your training programme and your diet in a way that leads to the best possible development. With regard to weight training, if possible you should undertake two short workouts. These will provide you with unbeatable opportunities to get some quick-release proteins into you at the end of the workouts, the time when more protein makes it to the muscle fibres and the muscles make better use of them. This way you'll open up two anabolic windows instead of one. And you’ll also be able to focus all your attention on one particular muscle group and double your chances of building up.
But as we have seen, not all proteins are the same when it comes to getting muscle-building underway. I would recommend alternate usage of Future Concepts' ergoceuticals (the company's term for its products); in particular, the two with nutritional value: WP R10 and WP P11.
WP R10 is designed for usage as an anticatabolic formula and can be drunk at any time during the day. There are three different sources of protein in the formula: whey, of which there is an isolate and a concentrate, and casein and egg. WP R10 is a powerful anticatabolic precisely because the amino acids in this trio enter the blood at a steady and constant rate for several hours after the proteins have been digested.
Protein accounts for more than 50% of the total content of the product. There are 30% complex carbohydrates in the formula, coming from maltodextrin, and there are 7% unsaturated fatty acids (the healthy ones) in the form of conjugated linolenic acid (CLA), omega 3 fatty acids and medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs).
In addition to the three macronutrients, Future Concepts has incorporated a number of other ingredients. You have digestive enzymes there for a more comfortable digestion; lisophosphatidylcholine and quercetin for the body to absorb more protein; and pyridoxine to metabolise amino acids and peptides.
WP R10 has also been equipped with ingredients to block lipogenesis, the formation of fat, by keeping insulin levels stable and hindering the enzyme citrate lyase from turning excess carbohydrates into fat. Then there are others that urge lipolysis, the employment of fat as energy, by releasing adrenalin and noradrenalin from their cells.
And there are three muscle-building compounds in WP R10 that merit special attention for encouraging the body to release more hormones into the system. They bump up testosterone, growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF1) levels and keep them stable.
Moving on to the second of the two, WP P11, the emphasis has been placed by the company on developing a highly anabolic formula. For this reason, WP P11 is only to be drunk after working out, and first thing in the morning before breakfast.
The composition of the formula is notably different to that of WP R10, for hydrolysed whey isolate is the sole source of protein. The short peptides in the whey quickly enter the blood, producing a surge in amino acid levels that sparks anabolism, and does so in conditions in which the muscle receptors are especially sensitive to the amino acids.
The carbohydrates in WP P11, dextrose in this case, make up 30% of the ergoceutical. These are simple carbohydrates and have a glycemic index of 100, which means they generate maximum insulin secretion. 
Omega 3 fatty acids are the only fats in the formula because they're the ones that will bring on the most anabolism. They do this by making the muscle cells more receptive to insulin.
WP P11 is highly anabolic because it floods the system with a torrent of amino acids just when the muscles are most receptive to them, which is right after training. To reinforce its operations, WP P11 has been equipped with special compounds that get the body building more muscle by acting upon the endocrine system. The formula bumps up insulin levels but, at the same time, also those of testosterone, GH and IGF1.
One of the other operations of the formula is to ward off catabolism, which tends to set in more fervently while we're sleeping at night and when we've taken intense exercise. In this regard, there are a number of special elements incorporated into the formula to combat the catabolism. Phosphatidlyserine is one of them. And the formula counteracts the destructive operations of free radicals as well by placing up an antioxidant barrier of glutathione (the body's most powerful natural antioxidant), alpha-lipoic acid, N-acetyl-L-cysteine and ascorbic acid.
Finally, Future Concepts has made part of WP P11 a set of extremely important substances and compounds for thrusting the redevelopment of tissues and assisting in the body's revitalisation process. The body tends to undertake these operations at a much swifter pace just after we've done a punishing workout, which is why there are compounds in there to mend and revitalise cartilage and connective tissues. And there are other ingredients in the formula that will attend to the liver.
To summarise, if you wish to capitalise on your body's natural capacity to put proteins to use and develop the muscle, WP P11 is the perfect bodybuilding formula for those non-constant circumstances in which the muscles become more receptive to amino acids. These circumstances come about after a workout, and first thing in the morning, for which the formula has been specially designed.
This is no theory. It's something that scientists have proven with the latest research. A dose of WP P11 in the morning, diluted with water, and then another once your workout has come to its end will see your body put the muscle together much quicker than it did before.
WP R10, on the other hand, is the finest anticatabolic formula because it provides the bodybuilder with all the essential elements to put the brakes on catabolism during the day. In the case of WP R10, you should drink a shake mid-morning (between breakfast and lunch), then another in the evening to prevent catabolism from striking and taking apart the muscles. 

Consume Protein in Cycles for Maximum Muscle Development
If you really wish to fulfil your natural capacity to build muscle, make use of the knowledge science has bestowed upon you. Don't just snaffle proteins down you without rhyme or reason. Be sensible with your protein intake. If we know now when the muscles can absorb more amino acids and put them to better use, and what type of proteins settle these demands best, then what need is there to stab in the dark at it anymore?
Use Future Concepts ergoceuticals and opt for the choice that is sure to bring you development. They’re the only protein formulae to have been based along purely scientific lines.
You'll notice the difference ... and how!

Bibliography
(1) Bohe, J, “The early rise of muscle protein synthesis during constant amino acid infusion is reversed over time”, Faseb. J. (2000) 14: A93.
(2) Demlig, R.H, “Effect of a hypocaloric diet, increased protein intake and resistance training on lean mass gains and fat mass loss in overweight police officers”, Ann Nutr Metab (200) 44; 21.
(3) Dangin, M., “The digestion rate of protein is an independent regulating factor of postprandial protein retention”, Am. J. Physiol. Endocrin. Metab. (2001) 280: E340-8.
(4) Long, S.J., “Protein intake and appetite control: differences between casein and whey as fast and slow proteins”, Proc. Nutr. Soc. (2000) 59; 54.
(5) Anthony, J.C, “Refeeding leucine stimulates translation initiation on skeletal muscles post absorptive rats”, Faseb J. (1999) 13: A1205.
(6) Gaudichon, C., “Compartmental modeling of the postprandial dietary nitrogen distribution of milk and soy protein meals in humans”, Faseb. J (2000) 14: A744.
(7) Flakoll, L.J., “Ingestion of a postexercise nutrient supplement containing protein, carbohydrate and fat produces a dose-responsive increase in whole body protein accretion”, Faseb. J.14: A299.