Whey Protein Instead of Leucine Before Meal To Trigger Protein Synthesis?

Diet and Nutrition
1

Hi lifters!
I have a “technical” question. I’ve read Thib’s article “the hardgainer prescription” and for some time I’ve followed his tip to take 10-15g of Leucine before meals to better trigger protein Synthesis. Would you think that a scoop of whey protein would do the same trick?

2

Not to give an unhelpful answer here, but…

If @Christian_Thibaudeau says something works, it works.

So I would say if the powder has 10-15g of leucine in it, then yes, it would work.

3

Oh yeah, i just wanted to know if there was a cheap way to do the trick, Leucine (at least here in Italy) is very pricy.

4

For leucine to act as a trigger for muscle protein synthesis I believe the leucine threshold is somewhat shy of three grams. Postulate that maybe not all powders are created equal and have varying levels of bioavailability I’d reckon that 5 grams of leucine and some whey (which also contains leucine) is a more bank friendly alternative that will also supply you with other amino acids for synthesising muscle tissue. If ingested before a wholefood meal I’d forego the whey and have more meat.

5

Thanks for the good informations.

6

If you are looking to gain size I’d actually recommend the protein after eating. Eat your normal meal, once you finish, chug a scoop of protein. If you eat it just prior it may limit your appetite for the meal. (I stole this from Wendler).

1 Like
7

Thanks, I wasn’t aware of this advice from Wendler.