Thread: Question on Growth

Your body stays at the same weight when you eat an amount of calories equal to what is known as your maintenance level. Eat below your maintenace level, you lose weight; eat above your maintenance level, you gain weight. Whether you gain or lose muscle or fat is determined by the quality of your diet. When muscles grow, it is called hypertrophy; muscle shrinkage is called atrophy. You can probably Google the terms and get some good information on them.

Immediately after training, your muscles are broken down and your body is starving for nutrition to build itself back up. I don't know if there's some sort of time limit within which you must get the required nutrition, but you should try to eat a good meal as soon as possible after each workout. Go ahead and browse the Diet and Nutrition section of the forums for more information on what to eat and when.

Thanks.

Originally Posted by 911=InsideJob

Now obviously you need a certain amount of nutrition and sleep to grow. So what happens if you don't get enough of either? Do you muscles stay the same size or is it possible they can get smaller?

Also how many days do you have to get your nutritianal requirments and sleep before it's "too late" for your muscles to become bigger after training?

Thanks.

You should do your best to get as many nutrients as you can in your body after a training session. Protein synthesis is enhanced for somewhere around 24-48 hours after a workout, so that first day or so after finishing your workout is the most important time, with the first hour or so before and after your workout being most important of all.