Research

Hormonal

Resistance exercise extends the duration of the muscle protein synthesis response to protein ingestion, thereby allowing for greater cumulative muscle growth compared to protein ingestion alone.

To maximize muscle growth, you must combine resistance exercise with protein intake. Exercise extends the time your muscles are sensitive to protein (up to 24-48 hours). Simply eating protein without exercising will not build muscle; the protein will be used for energy instead.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Muscle loading through resistance exercise prior to protein consumption extends the anabolic window thereby augmenting MPS... a phenomena that persists for at least 24-48h in untrained individuals.
Matthew S. Brook et al. · Experimental Physiology · 2020

Why this rating

Supported by multiple human studies cited (Bukhari et al., 2015; Wilkinson et al., 2017b; Miller et al., 2005; Burd et al., 2010).

Source

Contemporary stable isotope tracer approaches: Insights into skeletal muscle metabolism in health and disease

Matthew S. Brook et al. · Experimental Physiology · 2020

DOI 10.1113/ep087492

narrative_reviewCited 10×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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