Tag: Protein Cycling

Bodybuilding Protein Cycling for Massive Gains

Mistakes, Protocol, Pros and Cons
           There is no bodybuilding without protein. Protein cycling(PC) is a strategy where bodybuilders alternate between high, low, and normal protein consumption. A high protein diet is a secret to hardcore bodybuilding, but it will not help you maintain the perfect body; protein cycling does. Your body needs various kinds of proteins to grow and strengthen muscle, both natural and from supplements. Protein cycling is based on measured protein consumption from various amounts of protein and different sources, normally within a two-week cycle.
               However, high protein consumption, for a long time, has been found to induce anabolic resistance. Athletes such as bodybuilders must pay attention to how their body rehydrates, replenishes, and repairs after every exercise. That will help you adapt to training faster than usual and reduces the chances of getting fatigued. Additionally, skeletal muscles normally mass with aging.
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            Anabolic resistance refers to reduced muscle ability to stimulate protein synthesis. Aging comes with anabolic resistance even though feeding-induced simulation remains constant. However, some elements of feeding resistance affect their protein intake significantly for some people.
Helpful Facts in Protein Cycling
        It is recommended that you take one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. Every fitness enthusiast must make sure this is followed religiously if they want to have an enviable body. Most fitness professionals have achieved a lot body-wise by ensuring their body is not short of proteins needed for MPS. Additionally, they can take only what will contribute to muscle growth without necessarily adding extra pounds of fat. If you weigh 250 pounds, you must take anywhere between 240 and 260 grams of protein daily.
             Although this might be difficult to achieve due to many factors, it is important to make sure it is done 4 days a week. Otherwise, you might not achieve the required muscle mass. Moreover, your exercise rate and intensity will dictate whether you will need slightly more or less of the recommended amount. Elite bodybuilders, for example, can take up to 2 grams per pound of their body weight. If a bodybuilder is looking to increase protein synthesis and nitrogen retention, they must take high-protein foods like beef, fish, chicken, etc.
Muscle Growth
             Rapid muscle growth does not only stop at taking more protein. It involves taking them properly and with carbs. Additionally, the diet must also include proper fat intake. The trick is trying to balance the three, not substituting one with the other. Like mentioned earlier, taking too much or too little protein might not achieve the desired results as far as bodybuilding and fitness is concerned. It doesn’t matter whether your body is natural or not; only take the protein it can accommodate.

              Also, people are wrong to assume that carbs are entirely bad, and proteins are entirely good. As long as the balance is maintained, then you’re good to go. Fats, on the other hand, are a bit different. The fact about fats is that you will get fat if you take more fat, but the reverse is not true. Depending on your routine, only take a certain amount of fat every day. For instance, you cannot take the same amount of fat when doing intensive exercises and when doing light ones like just training your shoulders. You will need more energy to do deadlifts and other full-body routines, and most of that energy comes from burning fat.
Protein Cycling Protocol
            It is no doubt that intermittent fasting and protein cycling is the best way to slow down aging for bodybuilders. Additionally, there is growing evidence that protein cycling helps prevent diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. While the average human takes about 70 grams of protein per day, bodybuilders need about twice to maintain their muscle mass. A typical bodybuilder protein cycling involves halving protein intake within the first five days and doubling it thereafter. Depriving your body of proteins within the first five days enhances autophagy, which is your body’s process of carrying out protein recycling.
            The greatest bodybuilders we have today have successfully stimulated greater protein retention through protein cycling. And that is exactly where the secret to their success lies. Unknown to many, protein cycling is not something easy to go about. The truth is that many people struggle to make this dream a reality, something that has greatly affected their fitness career. For bodybuilding newbies, we will show you the steps you can use for proper protein cycling.
Step 1: Reduce Protein Intake for the First 5 Days
             For about 5 days, reduce the amount of protein you take considerable, to maybe half the amount you used to take. However, it i0s recommended that you take not more than 1 gram of protein per 1 pound of bodyweight within those five days and see how your body responds to the change. It would help if you weren’t worried that you might shrink within those few days. No, it takes much longer for your muscle mass to show a significant reduction. However, be careful not to take too little protein during that period. You must not go below 0.5 grams per pound of body weight.
              Although your body may change its metabolic rate to accommodate protein deficiency, there is a certain limit as to how much change it can sustain. The resulting anti-catabolic effect from reduced protein metabolism has been found to enhance muscle growth. In essence, regularly reducing your protein intake induces muscle preservation by your body. At the same time, your muscles will be growing at almost the same rate as before. The result is increased muscle mass over a relatively short period.
Step 2: Increase Protein Intake After 5 Days
              Up your protein intake after the first 5 days. Remember that the first step involved reducing protein consumption to induce enzymatic anti-catabolism. Once you switch gears in this second stage and start taking more protein, your body accumulates more protein and builds more muscle. The enzymes that cause protein anti-catabolism will slow metabolism, while the surge in protein consumption will enhance more muscle growth. Bodybuilders with a bodyweight of more than 200 pounds should start taking between 1.5 and 1.8 grams of protein per pound at this stage. You should then increase the rate to 2 grams per pound a day for ten days if you’re on a two-week cycle. All this is geared towards helping the body achieve a hyper-anabolic state, highly enzymatic, and ideal for muscle growth.
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Protein Cycling Mistakes to Avoid
            Protein cycling may not achieve the desired results for you if you don’t do some things right. Here are some protein cycling mistakes to avoid.
 1. Taking More Than You Can Sustain
             Some bodybuilders are impatient and want instant transformation. While bodybuilding is all about gratification, be careful not to overwhelm your body with proteins. Most protein foods promise quick results to come with certain restrictions in terms of what amount of it to take and how to take it. It is very tempting to bypass such requirements do everything as you like. That is disadvantageous from many angles. One is that you may take extra calories in the process, which may not help you achieve the ideal muscle mass.
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