Bigger Leaner Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Male Body

by Michael Matthews

If you haven’t eaten protein in the three to four hours preceding your workout, then it’s a good idea to eat 30 to 40 grams before you train. If you’ve eaten protein an hour or two before a workout, eating protein again won’t accomplish much. Eating carbs 15 to 60 minutes before working out will help you push harder in your training and may also aid in postworkout recovery and muscle growth. Eat 30 to 40 grams of any type of carbohydrate about 30 minutes before a workout. Choose whatever kind of carbohydrate you enjoy most and is easiest on your stomach. There are several theories about how eating fat before a workout can improve performance, but the scientific literature disagrees. It’s a good idea to eat 30 to 40 grams of protein within an hour or two of finishing a workout. Protein eaten after a workout causes more muscle protein synthesis than when eaten otherwise. Adding carbs to your postworkout meal will keep insulin levels elevated for longer, which is desirable from a muscle-building standpoint because insulin suppresses muscle protein breakdown. High-carb diets result in generally higher insulin levels, which results in generally lower muscle protein breakdown rates, which in turn produces more muscle gain. One other benefit to eating carbs after a workout is refilling your muscles with glycogen. This whole-body glycogen replenishment can give you a nice postworkout pump and mood boost, but it doesn’t appear to improve overall workout performance unless you’ll be...