Health tips abound in the area of exercising and building muscle. What to eat, what to drink, what supplements to add to the regimen. Here is a story of health secrets regarding how to build strong, healthy muscles. It concerns when you should eat protein to maximize its effect.

When people exercise on a regular basis, their muscles experience a continuous cycle of muscle breakdown (during exercise) as well as remodeling and growth (especially with weightlifting). Athletes have long experimented with ways to enhance muscle growth. One trend of late is using high-protein beverages during and after exercise. Many studies show possible benefits with them.

Of specific interest is the effect of the essential amino acid “leucine” contained in these products. Two papers hone in on this in the latest “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.”

It is reasonable to think that eating foods with high-quality protein (e.g. milk) during and/or immediately following exercise would help muscles get stronger. Muscles need to be both encouraged and nourished on the path to growth.

In the first study, researchers investigated whether, after exercise, taking one large dose of whey protein (25 g) Continue reading →