Nutrition and Training for Maximum Muscle Growth

Muscle growth requires a combination of muscle tension, calories, amino acid availability, anabolic hormones and rest. Researchers from McMaster University in Canada, in a review of literature, concluded that systematically managing these factors was the key to maximizing muscle hypertrophy. Protein intake increases muscle hypertrophy. Combining adequate protein intake with weight training increases muscle protein synthesis for about 24 hours. Whey and milk proteins work better than soy for promoting muscle hypertrophy. These proteins are high in the amino acid leucine, which is critical for activating chemical pathways (mTOR) that build muscle. The latest scientific research shows that the key to muscle hypertrophy is to combine maximum muscle tension by training close to failure, and consuming adequate amounts of high-quality protein. (Nutrition & Metabolism, 9:40, 2012)