Efforts to expand the limits of human strength and endurance 
have kept the scientist and the athlete occupied for centuries. 
The quest for another pound of muscle, or to lift next couple of 
kilos has been relentlessly pursued in the gym and the laboratory
alike. As the questions and conquests became more challenging, 
the answers have become more elusive and complicated. Few 
concepts and conclusions have withstood the test of time in 
exercise physiology. Even as we tackle the metabolic and genetic 
basis of skeletal muscle response to strength training, there 
are only some things that we know for sure.

Strength is the cumulative expression of the innumerable 
myofibrils orderly arranged to form the muscle. Strength 
training attempts to boost these protein motors and the 
biological machinery that supports them. Resistance exercises 
create a biochemical environment in the body wherein the 
turnover of proteins is optimized and the protein synthetic 
machinery is primed for growth. All that is needed to trigger 
a spurt of growth is a protein rich meal. This response occurs 
in all age groups, although it is less efficient in the 
elderly. According to Philips SM, Tipton KD and others, in 
young individuals, the muscle is receptive to protein and amino 
acids for 48 hours after a workout. The only limiting factor 
for the hypertrophy of skeletal muscles during this period is 
the availability of high quality proteins.

A few tricks can amplify the growth response to strength 
training. The synthetic machinery has a ceiling. It can only 
handle a certain amount of amino acids at a time (specifically, 
six grams of protein). However, as the response lasts for two 
days, Bohe J., in a dose-response study published in Journal of 
Physiology, 2003, recommended that repeated supplementation with 
three to six grams of high quality protein during the 48 hours 
after a workout can optimize the protein synthetic response 
without topping out the protein synthetic enzyme systems. 
Combining protein supplements with adequate carbohydrate 
(35g of sucrose with every 6g of protein) is also helpful. 
The carbohydrate acts as fuel for the muscle fibers sparing 
the protein for growth.

Research into the response of untrained strength athletes 
has come up with surprising results. The demand for proteins 
increases in both the trained and the untrained states. However, 
the relative protein requirement of an untrained athlete per kg 
per day often exceeds the trained counterpart. The initial 
phase of resistance training is exemplified by rapid growth and 
hypertrophy of skeletal muscles, before it hits the plateau. 
Another factor is the relative inefficiency of the protein 
synthetic machinery in the untrained state. Well-formulated 
protein supplements are thus necessary to sustain even the 
early phases of resistance training.

This is not to say that the protein requirements of the trained 
strength athlete are comparable to the sedentary population. By 
the time the maintenance phase of resistance training is reached,
the lean body mass would have expanded exponentially. The total 
quantity of proteins that are broken down and reformed during 
protein turnover in a trained strength athlete is still many 
times higher than normal levels. Philips SM, in his review on 
Protein Requirements in Strength Athletes, states that this 
requirement may be as high as 1.5 times baseline levels.

The hunt then is for a high quality protein diet that would 
supply all the essential amino acids required. Considering 
the various biochemical principles discussed, this protein 
supplementation should be rapidly absorbable so that amino acids 
delivery can be accurately timed to the post-workout period. 
Rapid absorption would also enable multiple doses of the 
protein supplement to be taken during this period. The protein 
supplement also needs to be in small quantities (3 to 6g) to 
prevent saturating protein synthesis pathways and to minimize 
protein waste through excretion.

Protein supplements that meet all of these requirements, such as 
Profect protein beverage by Protica Research, are used widely 
across weightlifting communities. The unique constitution of 
Profect enables it to provide not only all the essential amino 
acids, but also the specific amino acids used in muscle fiber 
synthesis. Profect promotes the synthesis of Glutathione, an 
antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals. These free radicals, 
produced during anaerobic workouts like resistance training, 
injure the cell membranes. Short term insults like muscle 
sprains to long term effects like aging and cancer have been 
attributed to free radicals. Supplementing the diet with 
Profect can boost the normal levels of the free radical 
scavenger, Glutathione and help avert free radical damage.

Undeniably, protein reigns as the supreme building block for 
strength training. The difference between you and your next 
pound of muscle can oftentimes be a measurement of the type 
of protein formula you use in your diet. 

Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm 
with offices in Lafayette Hill and Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. 
Protica manufactures capsulized foods, including Profect, 
a compact, hypoallergenic, ready-to-drink protein beverage 
containing zero carbohydrates and zero fat. Information on 
Protica is available at http://www.protica.com 

You can also learn about Profect at http://www.profect.com 

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