heres the 3 hour thing

A group of well respected Finnish researchers recently assessed the effects of resistance training on blood amino acids, muscle protein synthesis and breakdown during recovery. The results showed that protein breakdown was actually higher three hours after training as apposed to one hour after training.

In this study, two groups of men were used; one group performed an intense leg training workout, the other served as a control group. A stable isotopic tracer of L-phenylalanine was used to measure muscle protein and synthesis rates in the thigh muscle in the hours after the weight training session. When blood samples were assessed during the recovery period, the researchers discovered that resistance training caused a marked decline in as blood amino acid levels and as these levels declined, muscle protein breakdown increased.

The study showed that muscle breakdown was in fact higher 3 hours after training as compared to one hour after training. The increase in muscle breakdown was equal to the increase in protein synthesis rates witnessed in this period. This resulted in a net negative protein balance in muscle (synonymous with muscle loss).

However, the substantial increase in muscle breakdown 3-hours after training was probably due to preventing the participants from eating. The bottom line here is to make sure you get your post-workout nutrition timing is correct or you could lose muscle from training, not build it.

For a complete, step-by-step nutritional guide to stimulating maximum gains from weight training follow The Anabolic Nutrient Timing Factor.