The Best Way to Build Muscle

Can you eat your way to stronger muscles?

Yes, but only with the right exercise and the right type of fuel.

Muscle Protein Synthesis

Muscle protein synthesis (MPS) is a metabolic process in which the body turns amino acid chains into muscle protein.

In order for muscles to get stronger, they must be broken down first. This is where resistance training comes into play.

Resistance training works by damaging the muscles. This sounds like a negative thing, but it’s simply an essential part of the process of building muscle.

Lifting Weights: The Best Way to Damage Muscles

Weight training is the best way to build stronger muscles because lifting weights causes micro-tears in the muscle fibers. The repair process is where the magic happens, as our bodies respond by healing the fibers and making new muscle protein, resulting in the muscle rebuilding stronger, and potentially larger.

We can’t get stronger or bigger muscles without the stress of some type of resistance exercise.

Now that we’ve established the integral role of weight lifting, let’s discuss how to optimize the muscle building process with the right type, and timing, of fuel.

Timing is Key

Muscle protein synthesis is stimulated by resistance training. You can optimize this process by taking in protein immediately after your workout ends. If you wait too long, your body stays in a breakdown state, which can lead to slower recovery and/or muscle breakdown.

So don’t wait longer than 30 minutes to give your muscles the building blocks they need for MPS.

And since not all protein sources are created equal, here are your best bets.

Choosing the Best Protein

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Of the 20 amino acids that make up proteins in the human body, 9 are essential, meaning we must obtain them through our diet.

Branched Chain Amino Acids are part of this group of essential amino acids. Read more about BCAAs here.

The three BCAAs - valine, leucine, and isoleucine - are the key players in MPS. Especially leucine.

2-3 grams of leucine triggers MPS by signaling to pathways that the muscle repair process can begin. It has also been shown to help reduce muscle damage from exercise.

Leucine may be the star of the MPS show, but isoleucine and valine also play vital roles. Isoleucine promotes myogenesis, which is the process of forming muscle tissue. And valine’s used to make glucose, which can help our body generate energy.

None of the amino acids act alone when it comes to building muscle. In order for even leucine to truly do its job of stimulating MPS, there must be adequate levels of other amino acids present.

Best Sources of Amino Acids

Since all nine essential amino acids are needed to optimize MPS, taking a BCAA supplement won’t cut it. Instead, it’s best to get the amino acids our bodies don’t produce on their own from high quality foods, including protein powder.

A 3 oz steak contains about 2.5 grams of leucine. Downing a steak during your cool down stretch is a savage move. Props if that's you! But most people don't want to throw down a steak right after a workout. This is where protein powder fits in nicely. Not only is it easy to drink, it also gets to the muscles quickly, has a mild taste, and won't sit heavy in your stomach.

So you can give your muscles the building blocks they need, and save the steak for dinner.