Snap Shot
Protein synthesis is your highway to building your dream physique. If no protein synthesis then no muscle!
By the way of protein synthesis the body takes the lovely steak you just slammed and begins to take the DNA of the protein and in return rebuilds the muscle. Many studies have shown that for protein balance to reach a positive after your workout, Leucine must be consumed.
As far as the amino acid family goes, Leucine has the greatest impact on protein synthesis over any other member.
Through the studies, they found that Leucine activates a major anabolic pathway know as mTOR. When it come to mTOR you almost have to think of it as the sensor that lets cell know that there is an amino acid there. With the sensor, it is extremely sensitive to the levels of Leucine.
It’s like walking into the factory on Monday morning and flipping on all the lights and machines so that the body can begin to build the proteins in order to build and repair your beaten down muscle tissue.
Now as far as activating mTOR, you must increase your ATP levels. You can increase your levels of ATP through supplementing with creatine. When ATP is no longer present mTOR is no longer sensitive and mTOR is vital to skeletal muscle hypertrophy. Once mTOR is activated, the protein synthesis can down one of two paths.
PATH 1
It phosphorylates with a binding protein called by a wonderful weird name out of a lab 4E-BP1 which is associated with the cell size within the muscle. After the initiation of 4E-BP1, it will then bind to another protein called by some lab name eIF4E which then prevents it from associating with a different lab named protein eIF4G to form the wonderful complex of eIF4E*eIF4G. This complex is worth so much to the wonderful muscle building process called protein synthesis. In other words mTOR allows protein synthesis to start by shutting down the protein 4E-BP1 and the complex is allowed to form and the process begins. It is a great supplement to take when dieting because it will help preserve lean muscle tissue.
PATH 2
This path is not as interesting as the first or should I say there is no way for me to explain this other than this because I’m not a genius. mTOR travels through the body and activates another goofy protein called S6 or rpS6/p70 S6. One thing I understood was that the rpS6 protein increases the synthesis of the mechanics to the protein synthesis pathway. Here is the simplest way I can put it mTOR not only increases protein synthesis but it also increases the capacity or threshold of the body.
By no means am I telling you this will have you looking like Arnold by the end of the week but it is a fantastic place to start. It will help with cognitive abilities and continue to take that physique to the next level. If you train intensely they recommend that you take a min of 50mg/kg bodyweight/day.
- Since leucine is shot directly into the muscles and not in the liver you should consume 2.5g-5g pre workout.
- During your workout, I want you to mix another 5g to your water jug for you to drink throughout the workout. Doing so can help prevent muscle breakdown.
- To keep your body in the anabolic state you’re in, I want you to add another five grams to your post workout drink and slam that down with your protein. Don’t question just do.
- If it is just your cardio day I want you to then you will only consume 2.5g before/during/and after as leucine helps prevent muscle breakdown.
- Finally, I want you to consume another 5g before you go to bed. As you sleep the body goes into a catabolic state because you’re starving the body.
Yes, of course, you can get all of this from your whole food sources and if you want it to take half your life to break down everything you shove into the gaping hole in the front of your face.
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