Eating protein after working out doesn't change most amino acid levels in your muscles - only the branched-chain amino acids like leucine increase with bigger protein meals.

Scientific Claim

The ingestion of protein after resistance exercise does not significantly affect muscle tissue free amino acid concentrations for most amino acids in healthy young men.

Original Statement

“Muscle tissue free phenylalanine concentrations (the amino acid used for the assessment of whole-body amino acid metabolism) did not differ between treatments (Figure 3A). In contrast to the clear dose-response increase in plasma total amino acid concentrations, muscle tissue free amino acid concentrations were not impacted by protein ingestion (Figure 3J).”

From study:The anabolic response to protein ingestion during recovery from exercise has no upper limit in magnitude and duration in vivo in humans

Evidence Quality Assessment

Claim Status

appropriately stated

Study Design Support

Design supports claim

Appropriate Language Strength

definitive

Can make definitive causal claims

Assessment Explanation

The study directly measured muscle free amino acid concentrations and found specific patterns of change. The descriptive language is appropriate for this study design.

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

The anabolic response to protein ingestion during recovery from exercise has no upper limit in magnitude and duration in vivo in humans

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

2023 Dec 19

Contradicting (0)

No contradicting evidence found

Source Study

The anabolic response to protein ingestion during recovery from exercise has no upper limit in magnitude and duration in vivo in humans

Score: 36

DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2023.101324

Similar Assertions

Eating protein after working out doesn't change most amino acid levels in your muscles, but it does increase the levels of branched-chain amino acids like leucine, especially with bigger protein meals.

98%

When you eat a big protein meal (100g) after working out, your muscles absorb more of that protein for building than when you eat a smaller meal (25g) - about 13% of the big meal gets used for muscle building.

90%

Eating a big protein meal (100g) after working out keeps your blood amino acid levels high for the whole 12 hours, while a smaller meal (25g) only keeps them high for the first 5 hours.

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Eating protein after working out doesn't change how fast your muscles break down protein - it just helps build more muscle without affecting the breakdown process.

88%

When you eat a big protein meal (100g) after working out, your body releases more protein building blocks into your blood than when you eat a smaller meal (25g) - about 53g vs 16g over 12 hours.

88%