Some questions about MPS

Nutrition Discussion
1

Hi barbell medicine folks, I hope the holidays treated you well.

I just read the article from 2014 “7 Rules to Optimize Muscle Protein Synthesis” and I have a few questions.

  1. When does MPS occur?

-i.e. Does it occur after a certain threshold of protein containing sufficient BCAA’s is consumed?

  1. Can MPS only occur after a workout?

As the Stress recovery adaption process is constant I would assume a cycle of MPS can occur at anytime for an individual in frequent training (outside of the 3-5 hour refractory period).

  1. Can there be a non optimal cycle of MPS?

Based off the article I assume that there is a certain threshold of BCAA’s that will set off MPS. If a non maximal cycle of MPS begins will additional protein consumed, say an hour later, contribute to maximizing the cycle?

  1. My Dad drinks a supplement that contains leucine during his workout and doesn’t eat for a half hour/hour after his workout end. Would the leucine consumed during the workout contribute to his next cycle of MPS?
2

I don’t have a scientific background, but the following are my best understanding of MPS

  1. I believe for MPS to occur you need 2-3 grams of leucine. I am not sure in the other factors involving in initiating it.

  2. A workout is not required to initiate MPS. It certainly can happen after a workout, but it can initiate without a workout. I think sedentary people have MPS, just not as often.

  3. I believe a MPS cycle can last up to three hours. Additional protein can extend the MPS. If you had two meals with 15 grams of protein each a hour a part, I would assume you could still initiate MPS even though neither meal had 20 grams of protein or 2 or 3 grams of leucine. How far can the meals be spread and combine to initiate MPS, I don’t know.

  4. If he already has a lot of protein in his system from say a pre-workout protein meal the leucine could initiate MPS immediately. I would assume if the supplement and meal were consumed within a hour to each other they could combine to start MPS though I don’t know for sure.