Your results you get from the gym will depend on what you eat before and after each and every training session.
In fact, the hour before training and the 3 hours after training will play a critical role in your success or failure at building muscle. This is the most productive window of time for nutritional enhancement.
From the time I've spent in the gym as a personal trainer, I can honestly say that most people don't reach their goals for one reason: they don't know how to eat to maximize muscle growth.
And the fastest way to start packing on muscle mass and increasing strength is to take advantage of the anabolic window of opportunity before and after weight training.
There are many reasons your meals an hour before training and up to 3 hours after will have a great impact on fat loss, muscle gains, and recovery.
First, you can reduce the effects of muscle tissue breakdown by providing your body with protein about a half hour before training. The combo of amino acids and glutamine from this protein source can help provide the muscles with the nutrients it needs, so it doesn't have to get them from breaking down muscle tissue.
If you fail to provide your body with the nutrients it needs after training, it attacks muscle tissue in order to get these nutrients. It's called catabolism, the opposite of anabolism (muscle building).Also, intense training depletes energy and nutrients that are stored in the muscles, which is why you want to replace these nutrients right after training. Your muscles are like sponges after training and will take in more nutrients after a workout than any other time.
Now, the nutrients you want after a workout are those that will help trigger muscle growth.When you eat the right kinds of foods after intense training, your body is in a prime state to release muscle building hormones like testosterone, insulin, growth hormone, and cortisol.
High blood insulin levels increase protein synthesis in your muscles by up to 50%. Weight training can stimulate protein synthesis up to 100% and amino acids taken after a weight training workout can increase muscle building by 150%.
But the best thing is, taking in amino acids right after a heavy, intense weight training workout can stimulate protein synthesis by up to 200%!That's why it's important to take a protein and carb combination right after training. It can be through whole food or you can use protein shakes mixed with juice or Gatorade.