Protein Powder Supplement Tips
For Quicker Muscle Building

Read Whey Protein to Build Muscle Mass Part I

Using a protein powder supplement at specific times of the day can dramatically boost your muscle building progress, allowing you to build muscle mass faster than ever before.

The Importance of Pre-Workout Supplementation With A Whey Protein Powder Supplement

Whether you do aerobics or weight training, doing so on an empty stomach will significantly raise your cortisol levels and your body will begin burning muscle tissue for its energy needs.

A simple way to prevent this from happening is to consume a small solution of carbohydrates and a whey protein powder supplement.

I know, you’ve been told over and over again how important it is to train on an empty stomach. Just bare with me for a moment, I’m not suggesting you eat a seven course meal before your workout.

A study published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport (Tarpenning, K.M., et al. (2001) Influence of weigh training exercise and modification of hormonal response on skeletal muscle growth 4:431-436) looked at both the short and longer term results of drinking a carbohydrate drink before and during weight training sessions.

The first part of the study involved seven men, average age 21.

They fasted four hours before beginning a weight training session that involved a nine-station weight training routine.

It involved performing three sets of 10 reps per exercise, using 75% of each subject's one rep max.

Before the workout the subjects drank a zero calorie placebo drink. Before the next workout session they drank a formula containing 6 percent carbs.

Cortisol levels rose only 7 percent when the group ingested the carb containing formula. It rose 99 percent when the group took the zero calorie placebo drink.

During the long term part of the study, two groups of men drank either the zero calorie placebo or the 6 percent carb solution.

The same results occurred during the long term study. Those using the carbohydrate solution had significantly lower cortisol levels.

Lowering the release of cortisol during training will help to preserve and build muscle mass, leading to quicker progress, as well as fat loss.

In addition to the carbohydrates, consider ingesting a fast digesting protein like a whey protein powder supplement.

This will help prevent muscle breakdown, and keep you in positive nitrogen balance, which is essential to keeping the muscle you have and building more mass.

This is extremely important for two reasons.

As mentioned previously, when you first wake up in the morning, your body is most likely in a catabolic state, eagerly awaiting protein so it can shift gears, enter a positive nitrogen balance and begin rebuilding itself leaner and stronger, with more muscle and less fat.

Secondly, besides lowering cortisol levels in your body, ingesting some protein immediately prior to your workout ensures that your body makes the most of its post workout opportunity by already having started the process of protein synthesis.

After your workout, your body is craving carbohydrates and protein to begin the recovery process.

Taking in a small amount of carbs and protein before a workout, as well as a protein/carb drink immediately after your workout will help to ensure that your body gets the nutrients it needs.

Nowadays, you can also get some great pre-workout drinks such as Mass Stack by MHP, No-Xplode by BSN (just add a protein powder supplement), and SuperPump 250 by Gaspari Nutrion

The Importance of Post Workout Supplementation

I cannot overstate the vital importance of the post workout meal, or more specifically, the post workout drink.

You see, after a hard training session, your body is primed and ready to absorb all the nutrients it needs to help your body begin recovering from the muscle breakdown that has occurred during your training session.

Why a drink? Because your body is craving nutrients immediately following a hard training session and it needs them quickly.

Your body will digest the nutrients in liquid form much more quickly than a solid fool meal.

During this time your body is ready, willing and able to quickly and completely absorb the protein that it needs.

This will help to optimize protein synthesis, leading to a positive nitrogen balance, gains in muscle and strength, and the loss of body fat.

Of course, you need to constantly supply your body with the protein it needs to maintain and build muscle mass.

However, the time right after a hard training session intensifies your body's ability to absorb the protein it needs.

This slightly alters the idea of the 6 meals a day plan. However, it can also greatly improve and speed up your rate of progress.

With this modification, you will really be taking in 8 or 9 meals a day on the days that you train. Don't worry, it's not as difficult as it may seem at first glance.

For example, I take a serving of whey protein immediately upon waking in the morning (approximately 20 grams of protein and 115 calories). About a half hour later I eat my breakfast (around 7 am).

More meals follow at 10 am, 1 pm, and 4 pm. At 6 pm I take another serving of whey protein with an 8 ounce glass of 100% juice (or I may take a specific pre-workout formulation like NO-Xplode (with a protein powder).

I proceed with my weight workout about 6:15 pm.(continued below)

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Immediately after my weight workout (around 7 pm), I take my post workout drink.

For this meal you want fast acting protein and fast acting carbs.

This is one of those times you gladly want your body to release insulin, to help shuttle the much needed carbs and amino acids into the muscles.

Try taking in 30 to 40 grams of a whey protein powder supplement and 12 to 16 ounces of 100% juice.

Another great way to do it is to use a drink specifically designed to take advantage of the post workout opportunity as I mentioned earlier.

Then around 10 pm I take my final meal, which includes a combination protein that includes both whey protein and micellar casein. You see, micellar casein is a slow digesting protein that is very anti-catabolic.

Taking in a protein powder supplement that includes micellar casein allows you to supply your body with the needed amino acids for a much longer period of your sleep time, helping to minimize, if not prevent, your body from entering a catabolic state while you sleep.

The more you can lessen the breakdown of muscle tissue while you sleep (catabolism) the quicker you'll muscle building and fat loss progress will be.

So, if for whatever reason, my last meal doesn't occur relatively soon before I go to sleep, I always take a serving of a micellar casein/whey protein product right before bed.

If you train first thing in the morning, you will make a few minor adjustments. Add some carbs to your protein powder when you wake and then make your post workout meal a liquid one if you are weight training.

If you did aerobics, you can still enjoy a solid food meal.

Following is an example of a typical day for me when my weight training is done in the evening.

• 5:30 am - One serving of whey protein

• 6:00 am - 6 egg whites, a serving of mixed vegetables, a tablespoon of flaxseed oil

• 9:00 am - Protein Powder Supplement Shake

• 12:00 pm - Chicken Breast, mixed vegetables, 1 tablespoon of Udo's Oil Blend

• 3:00 pm - Protein Powder Supplement Shake

• 5:00 pm (pre-workout) - One serving of whey protein, 8 ounces of grape juice or a specific pre-workout formulation like SuperPump 250

• 6:00 pm (post-workout) - One serving of a specific post-workout formulation.

• 9:00 pm - Cottage Cheese, mixed vegetables, 1 tablespoon of Udo's Oil Blend

• 10:00 pm - 1 serving of a micellar casein/whey protein powder supplment mix

On a non weight training day, the 6 and 7 pm feedings would be combined into a whole food meal such as a lean cut of steak, a big salad and a tablespoon of flaxseed oil.

Now, this meal plan changes slightly depending on my goals at the time such as focusing on building more muscle or turning my body into a fat burning machine.

If you want to boost your muscle building efforts, make sure you put as much thought into your protein powder supplement and nutrition plan as you do with your weight training program.

If you do, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with extra muscle mass in no time.

There are plenty of muscle building articles available, including a variety of weight training routines, muscle building tips, muscle building diets and more. Check out lots of Muscle Building Articles