After exercising, your body ramps up muscle recovery/building processes for approximately 24 to 48 hours (1). To get the most out of your workouts and to support this process, you should be providing your body with the necessary nutritional building blocks. First and foremost, this includes a high-quality protein containing all the essential amino acids your muscles need to recuperate and be primed for your next training session (2).

Following a nutrition program like Isagenix with high-quality protein throughout the day can lead to increased training ability, performance, and muscle adaptation as supported by Paul Arciero, Ph.D., and his clinical research on the Isagenix System (3, 4).

As outlined in Arciero’s work, an important consideration when following an exercise and nutritional program is to provide your body with the right amount of protein. Not surprisingly, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the protein needs of exercising individuals to support the metabolic adaptation, repair, and remodeling processes exceed the average requirements compared to nonactive people (0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight a day) (5). For example, serious weightlifters and bodybuilders have been reported to consume between 2 and 4 grams of protein per kilogram of their body weight a day (6). For a 170-pound man, that could be well over the amount of protein in an entire chicken!

While it’s likely you don’t need to be taking in that amount of protein, current recommendations for athletes and those engaged in more intense exercise range from 1.2 to 2.0 grams per kilogram bodyweight a day. For those using an Isagenix System, this amount can be achieved easily with the addition of IsaPro® or AMPED™ Tri-Release Protein taken after exercise. While some may think this is the amount of protein that isn’t needed, the extra 18 or 25 grams of protein provided by these products, respectively, are likely to be put to good use by the body.

In a recently published study in the Journal of Nutrition, researchers sought to examine the maximal anabolic response to protein ingestion in exercise-trained men (7). On multiple training days, subjects performed a workout before consuming meals with different amounts of protein after which multiple types of blood, breath, and urine samples were analyzed to calculate protein utilization. The researchers found that 2 grams of protein per kilogram body weight over the day maximized whole-body protein synthesis rates compared to lower protein intakes. While in the upper range of the current general protein recommendations for athletes and those involved in intense exercise, it still falls within the recommendations set forth by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

If you’re an athlete, a serious recreational exerciser, or even a weekend warrior looking to maximize workouts and recovery from intense training, add a serving of IsaPro or AMPED Tri-Release Protein after your workout. Beyond supplying great sources of protein, AMPED Tri-Release Protein also has other benefits, which you can find out about in this article.

References

  1. Phillips SM, Tipton KD, Aarsland A, Wolf SE, Wolfe RR. Mixed muscle protein synthesis and breakdown after resistance exercise in humans. Am J Physiol Metab. 1997;273(1 Pt 1):E99–107.
  2. Burd NA, West DWD, Moore DR, et al. Enhanced amino acid sensitivity of myofibrillar protein synthesis persists for up to 24 h after resistance exercise in young men. J Nutr. 2011;141(4):568–73.
  3. Arciero PJ, Ives SJ, Norton C, et al. Protein-Pacing and Multi-Component Exercise Training Improves Physical Performance Outcomes in Exercise-Trained Women: The PRISE 3 Study. Nutrients. 2016;8(6):332.
  4. Ives SJ, Norton C, Miller V, et al. Multi-modal exercise training and protein-pacing enhances physical performance adaptations independent of growth hormone and BDNF but may be dependent on IGF-1 in exercise-trained men. Growth Horm IGF Res. 2017;32:60-70.
  5. Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: nutrition and athletic performance. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2016;116(3):501–28.
  6. Bandegan A, Courtney-Martin G, Rafii M, Pencharz PB, Lemon PW. Indicator amino acid–derived estimate of dietary protein requirement for male bodybuilders on a nontraining day is several-fold greater than the current recommended dietary allowance. J Nutr. 2017;147(5):850–7.
  7. Mazzulla M, Sawan SA, Williamson E, et al. Protein Intake to Maximize Whole-Body Anabolism during Postexercise Recovery in Resistance-Trained Men with High Habitual Intakes is Severalfold Greater than the Current Recommended Dietary Allowance. J Nutr. 2020;150(3):505-511.