Protein Pulsing - Results

Nutrition
1

Now that this protocol has been trumpeted around for a bit, I’m wondering if anyone who has been pulsing can report what they have been using and any results?

For the record, I started pulsing on 03/06/09 with whey hydrosylate and leucine. This consists of at least 2 daily pulses, with one always occurring immediately on waking. I was nearing the end of a fat burning phase and weighed 168lbs when I introduced this. Body fat percentage changes have been negligible since, although my waist girth has increased 3/8ins since 03/06/09. (The latter could also be as a result of increased core work and re-introduction of carbs following a long CKD.)

I’m now only 5lbs lighter than when I first started the diet back in April - yet my waist girth is more than 1-1/2ins down from that starting point.
So, while I can hardly posit any scientific proof pulsing has had a positive effect on body comp while trying to add lean mass/regaining minimum fat, I feel it has contributed.

2

Have your calories changed since you adjusted your diet to include the pulses?

3

PM ParagonA if he doesn’t see this. He’s had some good results from the Pulsing/Para/Peri Workout Nutrition thing.

He listed his results in one of Thibs forum threads.

LR

4

[quote]Davinci.v2 wrote:
Have your calories changed since you adjusted your diet to include the pulses?[/quote]

Yes. However during the initial 3 weeks at the end of the diet and into the transition phase my calories were still low, i.e. less than 2000.
Since then I have gradually increased calories. But even now I’m still averaging around 2800kcals per day, often less, while using a targeted carb approach involving a maximum of 100g per day.
Pre-diet I was averaging 3500kcals per day, was 5lbs heavier than now and, more importantly, 16% BF compared to 10% BF now.

5

My results with protein pulsing AND Thib’s para-wo-nutrition protocol were very good.

After six weeks my weight is up 11 pounds. My bodyfat droped significantly.

What’s funny is that my calorie intake is lower now than before this phase.

I did the following:

I work out 4 times a week on a 3-way split and use the full protocol 4 times a week. The workout days (Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat) I eat 4’100 calories, including the para-workout nutrition.
On Thursday, which is a non-workout day, I go low carbs and only eat 2’300 calories, which is very low for my weight (221 at 6’4).
Monday is my low-calorie, low-protein day. I only have one pulse upon waking up, but total protein is only 70 grams or so. 1’200 calories!
Sunday is my “free day”. I have a big breakfast on sundays, 4 pulses and a big supper.

Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat I have one pulse upun waking up, one mid-morning, one late afternoon.
I use 10g of Leucine followd by 30g of whey hydrolisate 15 minutes later.

I believe the reason why I gained so much weigh on so little calories is that the low-protein low-calorie day (Mon) as well as the low-carb day (Thu) really prime my body for a biggest-possible anabolic response. I believe Thu amd Wed are highly anabolic days. Cycling everything (carbs, protein, calories) did magic for me!
I also believe - though I cannot prove it - that going low carbs before my workouts (I work aut at 12:30pm) induces a very high anabolic response to the para-wo-protocol.

By the way, I’ve been working out for almost 2 decades and competed in both strengh contests as well as bodybuilding shows. I can’t believe I’m making my best gains ever after 19 years of lifting weights…

Tell my if you want more details.

And I appologize for the many language mistakes… difficult language, English is… :wink:

6

What did your split look like? Thanks and awesome results!

7

ParagonA

Thanks for the post. Very informative. I think the significant part of the pulsing strategy is that it does appear to add lean mass WITHOUT the need to consume excess calories. In fact, it even may be argued it’s possible to add lean mass while losing body fat at the same time.

I am intigued by your addition of the low protein day. I have yet to incorporate this but I am encouraged to try it after reading your post. I do try to have a low carb/calorie day once per week mainly to off-set any possible fat gain.

You are consuming at least double the amount of whey hydrosylate and leucine that I take. I use 3g of leucine and 12g WH. I also take them combined because I can’t be bothered with the additional hassle of two separate drinks 10mins apart. I know Biotest recommend using leucine this way but I’m unsure what significant difference you get by doing this.

You also have more frequent pulses. Are you eating 30mins or so after each pulse with 3-hour intervals between pulses?

PS Don’t apologise for the English mistakes - I’m Scottish so don’t speak it ‘properly’ either!

8

[quote]ParagonA wrote:
My results with protein pulsing AND Thib’s para-wo-nutrition protocol were very good.

After six weeks my weight is up 11 pounds. My bodyfat droped significantly.

What’s funny is that my calorie intake is lower now than before this phase.

I did the following:

I work out 4 times a week on a 3-way split and use the full protocol 4 times a week. The workout days (Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat) I eat 4’100 calories, including the para-workout nutrition.
On Thursday, which is a non-workout day, I go low carbs and only eat 2’300 calories, which is very low for my weight (221 at 6’4).
Monday is my low-calorie, low-protein day. I only have one pulse upon waking up, but total protein is only 70 grams or so. 1’200 calories!
Sunday is my “free day”. I have a big breakfast on sundays, 4 pulses and a big supper.

Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat I have one pulse upun waking up, one mid-morning, one late afternoon.
I use 10g of Leucine followd by 30g of whey hydrolisate 15 minutes later.

I believe the reason why I gained so much weigh on so little calories is that the low-protein low-calorie day (Mon) as well as the low-carb day (Thu) really prime my body for a biggest-possible anabolic response. I believe Thu amd Wed are highly anabolic days. Cycling everything (carbs, protein, calories) did magic for me!
I also believe - though I cannot prove it - that going low carbs before my workouts (I work aut at 12:30pm) induces a very high anabolic response to the para-wo-protocol.

By the way, I’ve been working out for almost 2 decades and competed in both strengh contests as well as bodybuilding shows. I can’t believe I’m making my best gains ever after 19 years of lifting weights…

Tell my if you want more details.

And I appologize for the many language mistakes… difficult language, English is… ;-)[/quote]

On your workout days, do you anything after your first pulse or do you wait a few hours and start your para-workout protocol?

Thanks and great results!

9

[quote]ParagonA wrote:
My results with protein pulsing AND Thib’s para-wo-nutrition protocol were very good.

After six weeks my weight is up 11 pounds. My bodyfat droped significantly.

What’s funny is that my calorie intake is lower now than before this phase.

I did the following:

I work out 4 times a week on a 3-way split and use the full protocol 4 times a week. The workout days (Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat) I eat 4’100 calories, including the para-workout nutrition.
On Thursday, which is a non-workout day, I go low carbs and only eat 2’300 calories, which is very low for my weight (221 at 6’4).
Monday is my low-calorie, low-protein day. I only have one pulse upon waking up, but total protein is only 70 grams or so. 1’200 calories!
Sunday is my “free day”. I have a big breakfast on sundays, 4 pulses and a big supper.

Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat I have one pulse upun waking up, one mid-morning, one late afternoon.
I use 10g of Leucine followd by 30g of whey hydrolisate 15 minutes later.

I believe the reason why I gained so much weigh on so little calories is that the low-protein low-calorie day (Mon) as well as the low-carb day (Thu) really prime my body for a biggest-possible anabolic response. I believe Thu amd Wed are highly anabolic days. Cycling everything (carbs, protein, calories) did magic for me!
I also believe - though I cannot prove it - that going low carbs before my workouts (I work aut at 12:30pm) induces a very high anabolic response to the para-wo-protocol.

By the way, I’ve been working out for almost 2 decades and competed in both strengh contests as well as bodybuilding shows. I can’t believe I’m making my best gains ever after 19 years of lifting weights…

Tell my if you want more details.

And I appologize for the many language mistakes… difficult language, English is… ;-)[/quote]

What makes up the bulk of what you eat on your low calorie/low protein day? Fruit and veg? I will be following a very similar plan from Monday, cycling mainly carbs with a low protein day. Going to try keep calories around 3500 per day though.

With regard to the pulsing/parawork out. I’ve had good results. Picked up 6kgs and my bodyfat went from 18% to about 12%. I’ve been using 2g Leucine with either 25g or 50g of WH to pulse. Been doing 3 or 4 pulse’s on workout days and 5 or 6 on off days so far. I start trying to add size from monday though so should be upping everything. (5g Leucine and 50g WH at the least)

I’ll keep posting here so you can see how it goes…

10

@zonis20

The first 5 weeks were an accumulation phase with high volume and moderate intensities. My split was:

  1. chest / back
  2. shoulders / arms
  3. legs
    Since I work out 4 times a week I repeat each workout every 5 days. Week 6 was a deloading week. Less volume, only 80% of weights of week 5 and MORE food. Duing the deloading week you want supercompensation to occur, therefore you should eat more, though you might be tempted to eat less since the workouts are so easy.

@JamesBrawn007

I have my breakfast 30 minutes after my morning pulse:
6:00am 10g Leucine
6:15am 30g WH
6:45am 6 egg whites, 2 yolks, 300g of orange and berries, 3 caps Flameout, 1 cerving Superfood

The I have another pulse at 9:15. Just the pulse, no meal following.

I start my para-workour protocol at 11:30 with 3 caps Alpha-GPC (I use the full protocol with 2 FINiBARS, 2 scoops SWF, 2 scoops SR and another scoop during my wo).
Then I’ll have a double serving of whey 60 minutes after my workout followed with a solif meal 45 minutes later (200g chicken breast, 100g whole wheat pasta, 250g broccoli).

In the later afternoon I have anoher pulse. Just the pulse.

Additionally I take 5g of Leucine 15min before supper.

I love Scottland, by the way. Travelles through the country twice :slight_smile:

@wutan
See above. I don’t have any additional carbs besides my morning fruits before my workout. I do believe - but it’s just my feeling, I can’t prove it - that this maximizes the anabolic response to the para-wo protocol.

11

@Dwigs

Since I have a low-carbs day on Thursdays, my low-protein, low-calories Monday is a bit higher in carbs. I mainly want to cycle protein that day, i.e. go vow in protein.
I have a normal pulse first thing in the moring. Followed by 200g of fruit.
30g of nuts and almonds both mid-morning and mid-afternoon.
Lunch is a green salad with additional carrots, tomatos, basil and 5g of olive oil.
Dinner is green veggies and olive oil.
Before bed I have 150g of probiotic yoghurt.

That’s little food and I wake up very hungry on Tuesdays. I believe Tuesday and Wednesday are my most anabolic days of the week!

12

@Dwigs

PS: great results by the way!!

13

[quote]ParagonA wrote:
I don’t have any additional carbs besides my morning fruits before my workout. I do believe - but it’s just my feeling, I can’t prove it - that this maximizes the anabolic response to the para-wo protocol.
[/quote]
Paragon A,

Do you think that eating above a certain amount of fat during the meal following a pulse would cause the preceding pulse to be less effective? i.e. Would eating 6 whole eggs be less effective than 4 egg whites and 2 whole eggs due to the fats slowing protein absorption?

I am current eating 6 whole eggs in order to get the calories in, but wondering if I should switch to egg whites for this reason or just not worry about it.

Thanks,
DT

P.S. Sorry for the hijack JamesBrawn!

14

Was there a topic of Thibs explaining the protein pulse/meal set-ups low caloire/low protein days etc? I’ve been searching around and can’t find where it all started, just people having great results.

16

[quote]ParagonA wrote:
@Dwigs

Since I have a low-carbs day on Thursdays, my low-protein, low-calories Monday is a bit higher in carbs. I mainly want to cycle protein that day, i.e. go vow in protein.
I have a normal pulse first thing in the moring. Followed by 200g of fruit.
30g of nuts and almonds both mid-morning and mid-afternoon.
Lunch is a green salad with additional carrots, tomatos, basil and 5g of olive oil.
Dinner is green veggies and olive oil.
Before bed I have 150g of probiotic yoghurt.

That’s little food and I wake up very hungry on Tuesdays. I believe Tuesday and Wednesday are my most anabolic days of the week![/quote]

Well I must say respect for being able to eat that little in a day, I think I’d resort to chewing on my arm! Do you believe that its important to have the low protein day between 2 lifting days? I’m going to lift on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and was thinking of having the low protein day on Sunday as all recovery should be done by then?

And you have seemed to get pretty decent results yourself, well done! Me, I still got plenty to go! Got the pepto pro CH today so will be able to do the para nutrition a bit better now than before.

17

Is “pulsing” in reference to “The Protein-Pulse Eating Plan: An Interview with Brian Batcheldor,” or more generally, CT’s use of the term/methodology in “Questions About Para-Workout Nutrition”? Could we list other sources where people can read up more on this topic?

Links to the two articles above, respectively:

18

[quote]Dan Thompson wrote:
ParagonA wrote:
I don’t have any additional carbs besides my morning fruits before my workout. I do believe - but it’s just my feeling, I can’t prove it - that this maximizes the anabolic response to the para-wo protocol.

Paragon A,

Do you think that eating above a certain amount of fat during the meal following a pulse would cause the preceding pulse to be less effective? i.e. Would eating 6 whole eggs be less effective than 4 egg whites and 2 whole eggs due to the fats slowing protein absorption?

I am current eating 6 whole eggs in order to get the calories in, but wondering if I should switch to egg whites for this reason or just not worry about it.

Thanks,
DT

P.S. Sorry for the hijack JamesBrawn! [/quote]

I think this has been discussed in Thib’s forum. Fats will slow protein digestion and absobtion, but I don’t really know if this is so bad. The pulse itself should be anabolic and initiate the anabolic cascades. I personally do not see a reason why one should not eat whole eggs following a pulse. But I’m not the expert and don’t have any scientific data at hand to prove my point. I would suggest you read Thib’s posts in his forum and trust what’s written there.

19

[quote]Dwigs wrote:
ParagonA wrote:
@Dwigs

Since I have a low-carbs day on Thursdays, my low-protein, low-calories Monday is a bit higher in carbs. I mainly want to cycle protein that day, i.e. go vow in protein.
I have a normal pulse first thing in the moring. Followed by 200g of fruit.
30g of nuts and almonds both mid-morning and mid-afternoon.
Lunch is a green salad with additional carrots, tomatos, basil and 5g of olive oil.
Dinner is green veggies and olive oil.
Before bed I have 150g of probiotic yoghurt.

That’s little food and I wake up very hungry on Tuesdays. I believe Tuesday and Wednesday are my most anabolic days of the week!

Well I must say respect for being able to eat that little in a day, I think I’d resort to chewing on my arm! Do you believe that its important to have the low protein day between 2 lifting days? I’m going to lift on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and was thinking of having the low protein day on Sunday as all recovery should be done by then?

And you have seemed to get pretty decent results yourself, well done! Me, I still got plenty to go! Got the pepto pro CH today so will be able to do the para nutrition a bit better now than before.
[/quote]

IMHO it’s not the best idea to have the low protein day the day after a hard workout. The day after the workout a whole lot of recovery is going on. I’d rather have it on Sunday. So you can recover properly from your Friday workout and your body will be nicely primed for a maximum anabolic response on Monday.

20

[quote]Higgins wrote:
Was there a topic of Thibs explaining the protein pulse/meal set-ups low caloire/low protein days etc? I’ve been searching around and can’t find where it all started, just people having great results.[/quote]

I don’t know. It’s been mentioned many times but as far as I know, the logic behind a low protein day has nowhere been explained ?
We run some studies on protein cycling back in the early 90s. If you are interessted, I’m sure you’ll find some deeper information on PubMed.

I personally believe that cycling out protein (not completey, I have around 70g of protein on my low-protein days) for one day a week will increase anabolism during the rest of the week.