There’s at least one type of completion where muscle mass holds back your performance. Even with greater strength and more muscle, sprinters can’t win a distance race against marathon-trained athletes. According to research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, these athletes are separated by a protein called PGC-1alpha.

Aerobic endurance-trained effort is fueled by oxygen. Anaerobic exercises like weight lifting and sprinting let muscle produce energy without oxygen. This leads to the buildup of lactate which results in fatigue. Endurance training stimulates the production of the PGC-1alpha protein which alters enzyme composition to reduce lactate production.

True Strength Moment: Both competitive and recreational athletes tend to plan their training around performance in a single sport. This research illustrates the metabolic changes training can produce. Of course, there’s nothing that says a sprinter can do some distance work. Marathoners might have something to gain in the weight room. Rounding our deficits in physical ability won’t hurt your performance.

The time you spend sleeping is also the longest your body goes without nutrition. This potentially catabolic situation is best handled with a slow digesting protein before bed and a high-protein meal in the morning to break this fast.

Cortisol is a catabolic hormone produced in response to stress, including intense exercise, and it can decrease amino acid uptake by muscle tissue. A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research offers tips on controlling morning cortisol levels before competition.

Eleven swimmers had their cortisol levels measured upon waking on the day of an actual swim meet, and also on a pre-determined day with no competition scheduled. Although levels weren’t all that different day to day, cortisol tended to increase with feelings of tension and anxiety.

True Strength Moment: If you’re facing the best of the best, it’s only natural that you’ll feel some pressure in the build-up to competition. Athletes who train themselves to effectively control their emotions might also be able to dodge any potential side effects that elevated cortisol might add. Winning isn’t all in your head, but it takes more than muscle to succeed at the elite levels of any sport.

Among the many benefits of exercise is the way it helps you beat stress. But does that mean people who make a point of staying fit can handle stressful situations better? A study published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise suggests there may be some truth to that assumption.

Researchers assigned 8 subjects with a below average level of fitness and 8 very fit subjects to cycle on a stationary bike for 37 minutes at 60% of capacity. For the next trial, these same volunteers were given complex metal problems to solve while cycling for 20 minutes. Not only did the dual task increase anxiety for the less fit subjects, compared to their in-shape counterparts they produced greater amounts of the catabolic hormone cortisol.

True Strength Moment: Why are active adults who exercise regularly better able to handle difficult situations? These are the kind of people who are used to setting and achieving ambitious goals, so that could be a factor. Whatever the reason, their hormonal response to exercise makes it easier to recover and come back for more.

Pretty much anyone who’s into endurance exercise realizes the value of carbohydrate energy. But like strength athletes and their protein, there’s always the question of how much and what type produce optimal results. A study published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exerciseput different amounts of different carbs to the test using 51 cyclists and triathletes.

Trials started out with a 2-hour ride at 95% of capacity and finished up with a 20 km time trial. Subjects were told to post the fastest time possible. Carbohydrate drinks contained equal parts glucose, fructose and maltodextrin. Over 160 minutes of performance, researchers estimated that the optimal rate of consumption was 78 grams for every hour of effort.

True Strength Moment: To help your muscles recover from a cycling event like this one, you might consider ‘stacking’ that carbohydrate performance beverage with powdered protein. The relatively high BCAA concentration found in whey could help minimize the breakdown of muscle tissue during intense exercise.

Now that the holidays are over, it’s time to focus on getting into your best shape yet. Increasing your metabolism will help to burn excess body fat as you work hard in the weight room to build muscle. Here are some tips to help get your metabolism going strong:

Increase Training Intensity – Changing the look of your body requires more than fat loss. Developing muscle mass will play an important role in attaining this goal. To help the process along, try increasing your training intensity. This can be accomplished by adding more weight to the barbell or dumbbells, spending less time resting between sets or doing more reps.

Eat the Right Amount of Macronutrients — Your kitchen based efforts to lose fat and gain muscle will have to go well beyond cutting calories. It’s vital to eat the right amount of protein, carbs and fats. Getting enough protein (at least one gram for each pound of body weight) helps active adults recover from weight training. Balancing carbs and fats is also important for fueling exercise performance. Sticking to a low fat diet will allow for a moderate amount of complex carbohydrates.

Using Cardio Correctly – Adding moderate amounts of cardiovascular effort to your training program will help to reduce body fat, but it’s important not to overdo the cardio. Too much time on the treadmill or stationary bike can work against your efforts to build muscle. A good starting point is 3-4 days a week, beginning with 20-30 minute sessions.

There’s always been a lot of confusion about which protein to use, how much and when. The December edition of the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition published a review of studies to determine the validity of previous research. The conclusions outlined here should be of interest to anyone with a goal of developing muscle hypertrophy (size) and strength.

The research suggests weight lifters interested in building muscle size should try to consume 1.2 to 2.0 grams of protein per kg of body weight per day. Since 1 kg equals 2.2 pounds, 1 gram per pound of body weight is about right for the upper end of this recommendation. You should also try to consume 44 to 50 calories per kg of body weight per day, which works out to 20 to 23 calories per pound.

Whether you choose to drink a protein shake pre- or post-workout, the study suggests you can expect increased physical performance, recovery, muscle mass and strength. When choosing a protein, make sure each serving includes 3 to 4 grams of the BCCA leucine to promote protein synthesis. A quality whey shake should meet that need, and combining it with a fast-digesting carb like glucose or maltodextrin helps modulate protein synthesis. Essential amino acids and dextrose work best when consumed pre-workout.

True Strength Moment: Now that you have a better idea of what nutrition support to use and when, the research concludes with a recommendation for experienced lifters looking to enhance muscle size and strength: Plan a weight training routine lasting at least 10 to 12 weeks around compound movements for both upper and lower body.

Betaine was included in Platinum Hydrobuilder, ON’s all-in-one muscle recovery formula, because regular use can promote exercise performance. A recent study published in the Journal of Physiology illustrated this point using lab rats supplemented with and without beetroot juice, which is a rich source of dietary nitrate, magnesium, potassium, vitamin C and betaine.

For 5 days, some rodents drank water with beetroot juice added while others drank plain tap water. A 20 minute treadmill run at a 5% incline showed supplemented rats had improved blood flow to fast twitch Type II muscles. Boosting blood and oxygen delivery to muscles improved exercise performance.

True Strength Moment: Improving blood flow to Type II muscle fibers can benefit both aerobic and anaerobic forms of exercise since IIb intermediate fast twitch fibers can use either metabolism to power your training.

Related Product

Casein protein: An extremely slow digesting protein have demonstrated steady release of amino acids for an incredible 7 hours. While whey protein may increase protein synthesis to a very high degree,  micellar casein is much more important in preventing muscle breakdown especially when taken before bed.

Glutamine: 61% of your skeletal muscle is glutamine! Glutamine is majorly depleted during intense training sessions decreasing body’s immunity. Supplemental glutamine prevents  your muscle from being eaten up (catabolized) to provide glutamine to other cells of the body.

Anti-oxidants (Vitamins and Minerals): The post workout stress is highly catabolic. The  free radicals released during the workout are highly unstable ions eating away the muscle tissue. Stabilizing them is the top priority to kick-start the anabolic process. Anti-oxidant nutrients like Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Zinc, Phytochemicals etc stabilize the free radicals and keep check on their catabolic effects, especially post-workout.

BCAAs: Branched chain aminos are excellent anti-catabolics. No matter what, in the process of energy production during workouts, these are definitely used. Providing specifically BCAAs ensures the body doesn’t take them from the existing muscle tissue, hence preventing muscle loss.