Strength and Nutrition

The “30-minute anabolic window” is a myth from the ’90s. Protein synthesis after strength training remains elevated for 24-48 hours, and the muscle needs protein throughout this entire period: 30-40 g per serving, three to four times a day, for a total of 1,6-2 g per kg of body weight. Eating 100 g of protein in one sitting means half of it will go to waste. Protein powder is food, not magic; it is only needed when you cannot get enough from your meals. In-depth analysis — protein around training, the basics — protein on a low-carb diet.

With this method, strength training often falls at the end of the fasting window. It works: strength is slightly lower than after eating, while muscle growth is the same when protein is consumed in the first meal afterward. What does not work is a hard workout after 18+ hours of fasting while stressed and without salt. Both options are covered in — fasted or fed, the basics — fasting and training.

Hundreds of studies: increased strength in a set, increased muscle volume, and in women over 45 — stronger bones and improved cognitive function. 3-5 g of creatine monohydrate per day, every day, without a “loading” phase, at any time. The first month — plus 1-2 kg of water in the muscles: this is fullness, not fat. Safe for the kidneys in healthy people — proven over decades. In-depth analysis — creatine for women.

Muscle soreness is a dull pain in the muscle after 24-48 hours, symmetrical, easing with movement, and resolving within 2-3 days. An injury is sharp, located in a joint or a specific spot, appears at the moment of injury, does not ease during warm-up, and may involve swelling. The first means growth; the second means stop and see a doctor. Between the two is overtraining: pain everywhere and all the time. In-depth analysis — muscle soreness or injury, recovery — recovery and muscle pain.

After 45, muscle responds less effectively to protein: a serving that triggered synthesis at 30 no longer does so. The threshold is 35-40 g of complete protein per meal, three times a day, for a total of 1,8-2 g/kg. That is 150-200 g of meat or fish each time — more than most women eat. Plus leucine: it is found in the greatest amounts in meat, eggs, cheese, and whey protein; plant sources require portions one-third larger. Creatine after 45 has evidence not only for muscles, but also for bones and memory. Without enough protein, strength training after 45 does not work — there is nothing to build with, and this is the most common reason for “I train, but my body does not change.” About perimenopause and nutrition — nutrition during perimenopause.

Sports nutrition is an industry that sells what a plate provides for free. Not needed: BCAAs with adequate protein from food; pre-workout formulas — coffee does the same; mass gainers and carbohydrates “for energy” — on a low-carb diet, energy comes from fat; isolate “immediately afterward” — an ordinary dinner works just as well; L-carnitine, glutamine, and “fat burners” — there is no evidence. Needed: 1,6-2 g/kg of protein from food, 3-5 g of creatine, salt, and water. That’s all. Supplement review — five supplements that work, what does not work.