if anyone can understand what it means, how do you know when you have reached the catabolic stage while working and when to stop?
While I am sure you know that this is a complex topic...I will drop in some comments.
First, studies show that the average peak in anabolics during intense training is at 30-40 minutes, then quickly drops off. This can be prolonged with the during workout PWO described later.
The body is either building tissues or destroying them depending on what it needs. If it has all the carbs it needs, then it uses them for certain energy needs. If not, then it releases catabolic hormones to cause muscle breakdown because muscle can be converted to blood sugar.
Stress (lack of sleep, anger, depression, accidents, anything!)causes cotisol to be released. Cortisol is
catabolic. The body uses aminos acids for many functions and any time there is not sufficient dietary aminos present, then muscle catabolism occurs to get what is needed.
The body's primary focus is energy and repair. Building muscle is a bit further down the list.
Any time you go more than around 3 hours without a balanced meal (carbs at 2x the amount of protein and a reasonable amount of fat) the body has to catabolize for what it needs.
A very high protein meal can actually cause a release of glucagon. Glucagon is a hormone that
antagonizes insulin release. Glucagon also has another function. It causes the body to convert amino acids into glucose (a process called gluconeogenesis). That means, eat too much protein and those aminos become carbs!
But
if you eat some protein with carbs, insulin shoots up. If you eat too much protein with carbs, the insulin release may actually be lower.
During the post-workout period, protein breakdown does occur and is the dominant threat. Getting the insulin up allows muscle breakdown to diminish so that synthesis can dominate and we can quickly get back to building muscle!
The best Pre and Post W/O should actually looks like this:
0.2 g/lb high glycemic index carbs
0.1 g/lb protein from whey (
or Just 5 grams of BCAA or 15 grams of EAAs)
You would consume this mixture in water both pre and post
OR during and post. By rapidly increasing protein synthesis (muscle building) while simultaneously decreasing protein (muscle) breakdown, studies in 2000 showed that you could shift to a positive muscle protein (anabolic) balance within 1 hour after the workout.
<message edited by danmirage on Thursday, March 02, 2006 11:02 PM>