The MPS Advantage
Muscle protein synthesis takes a hit when you're losing fat. Here's how to keep MPS high to preserve and build muscle when dieting.
A 2010 study confirmed what we've always known: it's hard to maintain or build muscle while dieting to lose fat, at least if you're an experienced lifter.
The study found that when a person adopts a diet with a 20% calorie deficit, he or she also experiences a 20% decrease in muscle protein synthesis, the process by which muscle repairs and grows. For non-lifters, it's worse. They experience muscle loss because muscle protein breakdown (MPB) exceeds muscle protein synthesis (MPS).
Let's put some practical numbers on that. If a 200-pound weight-lifting man's maintenance intake is 3000 calories per day and he adopts a 20% deficit, he's now eating 2400 calories daily. According to the study, his MPS rate could also drop by about 20%.
So, how can we minimize or prevent that drop?
Maximizing MPS While Losing Fat
1. Take Care of Workout Nutrition
The most pronounced spike in MPS occurs in the hours following resistance training, typically peaking within 1-4 hours post-workout. Protein synthesis contains two phases: initiation and elongation. The first phase relies on leucine to kick off the process. The second phase needs calories to keep the protein synthesis rolling.
Some dieters toss out their workout nutrition drink to "save calories," but this is a mistake. Without the master amino acid for muscle repair and growth (leucine) and adequate calories, MPS isn't being "fed." In fact, it's being blunted.
Strategic carbohydrate intake (around workouts) can spare protein by reducing reliance on muscle breakdown for energy, indirectly supporting MPS by maintaining anabolic insulin levels.
Ideally, use Surge (Buy at Amazon) around the workout period. The formula contains 5 grams of fermented leucine, the same quality used in medical-grade IV drips, along with HBCD, the "athlete's carbohydrate."
2. Get Your Protein
Dieters first focus on lowering their calories, which makes sense. However, the second area of focus should be on protein intake.
If we combine the conclusions of multiple studies, we find that 0.91 to 1.09 g/lb/day better preserves MPS during calorie restriction. That means a 200-pound man would shoot for 182 to 218 grams of protein per day, even while dieting. This higher intake provides more amino acids (especially leucine) to stimulate anabolic signaling pathways like mTOR, counteracting the reduced anabolic response seen in the first study mentioned above.
Consuming protein in evenly spaced doses throughout the day maximizes MPS by maintaining a steady supply of amino acids, but post-exercise protein is particularly effective. In short, eat one of your protein meals an hour or two after training, or have two scoops of MD Protein (Buy at Amazon), which has the added benefit of high leucine.
Likewise, save some of your allotted protein calories for pre-bed. Research shows that consuming 20-40 grams of slow-digesting protein (like the micellar casein in MD Protein) before bed elevates MPS rates overnight. MPS during sleep can increase by around 20% with this strategy compared to fasting.
Reference
- Pasiakos, et al. Acute energy deprivation affects skeletal muscle protein synthesis and associated intracellular signaling proteins in physically active adults, J Nutr. 2010 Apr;140(4):745-51
