Most sporting activities are based on the application of strength. Many such as running, cycling and swimming are based on movements that are repeated thousands of times over. Others such as sprinting and weight training may be based on far fewer movements. However in both cases strength is an essential component in allowing the movements to be made without strain. More strength will always lead to better performances as long as there is not too much weight gain associated with it.

Gaining strength isn’t always about bulging muscles. Those involved in long duration training and events such as road cycling, 10k runs and marathons use mostly type I muscle fibres that do not expand much as they become stronger. For those involved in shorter more powerful exercises and events such as weightlifting and sprinting then the types of muscle fibre they use (type II) may well grow as strength increases.

To maximise strength gains it is important to eat the right nutrients at the right time. You need to do two things. 1) Avoid your muscles breaking down, and 2) Give your body the best nutrients to help it to build muscle strength.

1) Muscle breakdown. Known as catabolism, when you exercise hard, muscle proteins are degraded. At the same time you create an energy deficit. Your body tries to rectify the energy deficit and will use any available energy source, including muscle proteins, which it breaks down using the hormone cortisol. To avoid this you need to ensure that your body has enough energy available in the form of fats and carbohydrates. There are two ways of achieving this. Either be well rested before exercise or consume enough carbohydrates during and immediately after your exercise.

Advice to avoid muscle breakdown: So if you have exercised hard or for a long time then eat carbohydrates such as pasta, rice, potato and sweet items within the first 45 minutes after completing your exercise. If exercise duration is longer than about 90 minutes it is advisable to consume carbohydrates during exercise as well. Also try to sleep for at least 8 hours per night when exercising hard. These measures will reduce levels of cortisol and subsequent muscle breakdown.

2) Muscle building. Known as anabolism, this is dependent on the body using its own hormones, growth hormone and insulin, to stimulate the release of insulin-like growth factors (IGF). IGF directly stimulates muscle growth using amino acids from proteins in our diet. During exercise we break the muscle down in the hope that the body will overcompensate, and build us up further using these hormones. The hormones are most abundant during rest, specifically when we first go to sleep. At this time there is a burst of hormones released that help to build muscle.

Advice to build muscle: As a general rule it is best to eat most protein late in the day. This exploits the fact that your muscle hormones peak shortly after you go to bed. The proteins provide the raw materials (amino acids) for muscle building. Good sources of protein include meat, fish, cheese and eggs. However from a health perspective it is normally best to limit the amount of saturated fat in your protein. To do this limit the amount of beef, duck, lamb and cheese, preferring organic chicken, turkey, fish and eggs instead.

Next time DrDobbin looks further into the subject of building strength, examining whether supplements of specific nutrients such as the amino acid glutamine can help reduce muscle breakdown and assist you to gain strength.

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Robin Dowswell (aka. DrDobbin) is a Milton Keynes based Nutritional Therapist who specialises in sports nutrition and eating with respect for the environment. He can provide one to one consultations that help clients towards greater health and improve their performance levels. For more information please see his website www.drdobbin.co.uk.