THE THEORY OF PROTEIN LOADING
The basic concept behind protein loading is that the homeostatic mechanisms controlling the human organism’s response to external stimuli will depend upon how much the stimulus disrupts the system. As for protein intake, there is a point, which varies from time to time and person to person, at which any additional protein will exceed the body’s capacity to metabolize. When this happens, the body eliminates the excess as fecal waste or, less often, stores it as fat. At the other end of the spectrum lies protein deprivation. All of which are critical to muscle building.

Recent studies have shown that positive nitrogen balance is not a necessary condition of muscle growth. In experimental conditions, for example, increases in muscle mass in specific muscles (total lean body mass cannot increase during protein deprivation) have been observed in starving animals.

One reason for this phenomenon is that, at the point at which protein deprivation occurs, the body will protect itself so as to minimize the further dissolution of muscle mass. The body will do this by adjusting the efficiency ratios that govern the metabolism of protein. Since intensive exercise greatly increases the rate at which protein is broken down in the body, it follows that the daily recommended allowance (0.8 grams for every kilogram of bodyweight) is grossly inadequate. On the other hand, to increase the intake of protein to, say, 4 grams per kilogram of bodyweight, would simply trigger the homeostatic mechanisms designed to eliminate the excess protein (which may be disruptive to the metabolic equilibrium).

One way of overcoming this problem is to increase protein intake by steps, until a maximum efficiency point is reached. At this point, the protein intake is reduced drastically to trigger the homeostatic mechanism at the deprivation end of the spectrum. This drastic reduction obliges the body to compensate by increasing the efficiency ratio for the absorption of all its protein sources, including the re-utilization of amino acids if necessary.

The process of protein augmentation by steps, to maximize the absorption and utilization of protein at every step, is what we refer to as protein loading. The traditional formula for protein intake recommends a static daily allowance, whereas protein loading recommends a carefully sequenced variation of daily allowance – a gradual buildup followed by a drastic reduction, which forces the body to “rethink” its rate of protein absorption.

This is a revolutionary concept, certainly, and as with any new approach to muscle gain it will stand or fall on its results rather than its theoretical basis. What we can say with certainty is that it has proved itself effective over more than a decade of controlled tests in our training clinics, where it has been used in conjunction with high-intensity weight training regimens.

THE PROTEIN LOADING DIET

One example of a protein loading weight-gain diet is given in the tables reproduced here. Once into the fourth week of protein loading, the daily intake of protein for some athletes will be in the neighborhood of 4 grams per kilogram of bodyweight for a short time. When you have reached this level, it’s time to move the minimum (or protein deprivation) level. Thus, in the fifth week, you repeat Week 1, in the sixth week, Week 2 and so on.

The diet in the table provides a balance of protein, carbohydrate and fat that – in combination with intensive weight training – has been found highly effective in increasing muscular weight. It’s critical that you drink plenty of water on this program and that you increase your fluid intake as protein consumption increases.

The diet may, of course, be varied according to the appetite and preferences of individual trainers, provided it keeps within the general principles outlined in the protein loading diet. Limitations of space require that the spectrum of dietary possibilities be left to readers’ ingenuity and common sense.

NOTE: Such a program, of course, is not advised for anyone who must limit protein intake for medical reasons.

Author: Rex Grogan
No part of the article Protein Loading Theory For Muscle Building may be duplicated or reproduced without written permission from GetRippedProducts.com.

Can you trick your metabolism into building more muscle? Protein loading is a very good method to help increase metabolism and muscle building.

The adage “you are what you eat” is nowhere truer than in the context of bodybuilding. We can exercise hard and often, employing the most sophisticated techniques, but – unless we fuel our bodies properly – our hard labor in the gym will be useless. Basically, we can get out of our bodies only what we put into them.

From more than a decade of clinical trials of our innovative weight-training system has come a new understanding of the ways in which dietary intake can be manipulated in conjunction with weight training to promote maximum muscle growth. We call this the Protein Loading Principle. And there is no better way in getting all the protein you need then with Cytosports Products line of protein supplements.

METABOLISM & MUSCLE BUILDING

To understand how protein loading works, it’s necessary to have a general idea of the processes of metabolism. Metabolism refers to the whole range of chemical and physiological processes by which a living organism produces energy to maintain its vital functions/These include the replacement of cells, recuperation and muscle development.

The reason there is no single caloric formula for weight gain (or weight loss, for that matter) is that individual metabolisms differ. What is optimal for one person concerning food intake may simply be inadequate for another. Your individual metabolism is thus critical to the determination of how much muscle you can gain and how quickly you can gain it.

Within the body are two aspects of the metabolic process: the anabolic or building-up process and the catabolic or breaking-down process. Muscle building depends largely on creating a positive anabolic state, that is, on ensuring that the energy intake is directed more toward the process of building up the body than to the loss of body mass.

The fundamental reason some people gain weight quickly and others gain it slowly is the speed at which these processes take place within the body. Building muscle is itself a way of influencing metabolism. The more muscular we are, the more energy we will need to maintain our body state. Our exercise regimen stimulates metabolism and keeps it elevated for several hours after the workout.

The intimate connection between exercise and metabolism suggests the possibility of manipulating the combination of exercise and diet in such a way that the body’s response can actually be modified to allow the anabolic effects to predominate, i.e., to increase strength and muscle size.

High metabolic rates create a special problem for those who wish to gain weight, since their bodies seem to require enormous quantities of food simply to maintain equilibrium. Since high-intensity exercise elevates metabolism, the obvious question arises: How can a bodybuilder with a high metabolic rate use high-intensity exercise and diet to gain weight? Won’t his already elevated metabolism become even more so, with the result that he actually loses weight?

The answer is relatively simple. To further elevate the metabolism of a person whose metabolism is already elevated is extremely difficult – just as it’s difficult to lower the metabolism of a person whose metabolism is already low.

The human organism works according to a principle called homeostasis. Homeostasis means that the organism will respond to demands upon it using as little energy as possible to do the job. This is the way in which the body preserves its natural equilibrium.

One way of facilitating this process is through certain forms of high-intensity exercise that encourage the slowing of an already high metabolism so that the body can accommodate the increased demands of the training with minimal disruption to the system’s equilibrium. The other – and complementary -approach is through dietary intake, and this is where protein loading comes in.

With the exception of the water component, protein represents 98-99% of the skeletal muscles. It has been estimated that a total “renewal” of the materials in the cells that compose our muscles takes place every six months. This constant process of cell replacement is hastened by intensive exercise.

HOW MUCH PROTEIN

According to the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) established by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the World Health Organization, only 0.8 gram of protein per kilogram of bodyweight is sufficient to sustain the body’s daily requirements. Though the issue has not been decided definitively, the evidence suggests that considerably more protein than that is required for muscle building.

Since nitrogen is a central component of protein, the interplay between protein production and protein breakdown in the body is measured by what are termed nitrogen balance studies. If the intake of nitrogen exceeds the amount of nitrogen excreted, a state of positive nitrogen balance exists and muscle growth is enhanced. Negative nitrogen balance occurs when nitrogen excretion exceeds the nitrogen intake.

Until recently, the orthodox view has been that muscle mass could not be increased if the body exhibited a negative nitrogen balance, and there has been widespread debate as to whether exercise alters protein metabolism sufficiently to hasten a nitrogen deficit.

Our own clinical studies suggest that high-intensity exercise decidedly increases the protein requirements of the athlete. This view is in accordance with that of Dr. Scott Connelly, who said: “Any setting of an amount of protein theoretically necessary must be set against the background of activity (caloric requirements)…. Without this, assigning someone an arbitrary daily protein need is ludicrous.” In addition, variations arise from the digestibility of different types of protein. For example, egg protein is deemed to have a higher protein efficiency ratio than soybean protein.

If training increases the level of daily protein requirement, and if sufficient protein is a major factor in the augmentation of muscle mass, how should we eat in order to achieve maximum growth? Protein loading suggests one answer to this question.

Author: Rex Grogan
No part of the article Protein Loading For Metabolism And Muscle Building may be duplicated or reproduced without written permission from GetRippedProducts.com.