Pre-Workout Nutrition >> Post-Workout Nutrition

No that wasn't a typo in the post title. A pre-workout meal, even just a protein shake, is almost twice as beneficial as a post-workout shake. TWICE!

Physiologic Hyperinsulinemia Enhances Human Skeletal Muscle Perfusion by Capillary Recruitment

Feeding causes a spike in insulin. An insulin increase from food enhances glucose uptake by muscles (think: more energy in your muscles) AND increases capillary blood volume and decreases capillary blood velocity (think: more nutrient rich blood, staying longer in your muscles). Basically, a pre-workout meal (even protein alone causes a modest spike insulin) enhances muscle perfusion (nutrient delivery).

Timing of amino acid-carbohydrate ingestion alters anabolic response of muscle to resistance exercise.

In addition! Pre-workout and post-workout amino acid (protein) and carbohydrate consumption increases amino acid delivery to muscles within the two hours after exercise. BUT where they differ is that the pre-workout supplementation SIGNIFICANTLY increases amino acid delivery and uptake in muscles over the post-workout supplementation. Plus, you get the added benefit that this increase occurs twice: once during exercise and again after exercise (see graphs on page 5).

Fear Not Your Protein Powders

Many of you may have heard about the Consumer Reports study on heavy metals found in popular protein powders, drinks, and MRPs. But don't fall victim to the shoddy and biased work done by CR! Read below...

Dissecting the Consumer Reports “Health Alert on Proteins” [Part 1]

Some interesting snippets:
"The way the tests were conducted; the discrepancy in sample sizes, units, liquids, powders and MRPs is very easily confusing."..."For example, the Myoplex was not tested on a single ready-to-drink but rather three—which is 126 grams of protein total. And the Muscle Milk on a whopping 96 grams of protein."

"Personally I find it helpful to know that arsenic levels found in Myoplex are 10 times less than those found in 6 ounces of shrimp. And that a cup of boiled spinach has 10 times more cadmium than found in most of the tested proteins."

"The U.S. Government’s own website estimates “about 96 million Americans are drinking water that exceeds these limits on a daily basis.”"

"NSF International, the keepers of standards in all sorts of categories from your household appliances to nutritional supplements, has raised some serious issues about the testing methods used by Consumer Reports."



Also, to clear up another misconception, while a high-protein diet is contraindicated for people who ALREADY have a renal disease, it does NOT CAUSE kidney damage. This is analogous to people who are prescribed hormonal therapies. Testosterone therapy in men and estrogen therapy in women will NOT CAUSE prostate and breast cancer, respectively. It can only proliferate it if the condition ALREADY exists.