Forget the myths; the secret to muscle growth isn’t just in the gym, it’s also on your plate.

The impact on body composition, especially in muscle building is not massively different when we compare meal timings, protein quality and quantity. However, for those specific people who intend to build more skeletal muscle, then the quality, quantity and timing of your protein intake can affect your body’s ability to enter muscle protein synthesis through mTOR pathways.

Assuming your resistance training routine, form, eccentric loading, and cardiovascular fitness are already at a high level, then we can make slight dietary adjustments to enable our body to create more tissue at a faster rate than gen pop. But first, we need to fully grasp the importance of the basics:

1. Without a goal centric, individualised workout plan you will be missing out on your full potential. For example, someone with an overdeveloped lat to shoulder ratio preferably should not be having an entire workout focused on back development, as this would only exacerbate the disproportion. This is the issue with pre-made programmes found on the internet and social media. So, I would recommend learning and curating a workout programme that suits your goals and proportions.
2. If you do not know how to train with intensity and correct loading, then meal timings should not be your worry. It does not matter how on point your meals are if you do not train correctly. For instance, if your aim is to build your quad sweep, then trying to improve your one rep max or overloading the hack and having an eccentric under one second per rep is pointless.
3. Without a cardiovascular fitness readily equipped to handle high loading, high reps and intense workouts, no amount of pre-workout or creatine will allow your body to train or recover properly. Therefore, I would recommend improving this side of your fitness before considering adequate muscle growth.

If you have fully grasped the fundamentals, then we can move onto the minute specifics. For instance, I have already mentioned two very important topics when it comes to muscle building, these being muscle protein synthesis (MPS) and an mTOR pathway.

Essentially, these two biological functions have a hierarchical relationship with mechanistic target of rapamycin pathway (mTOR) acting as a regulator of MPS. When mTOR is activated, it enables the translation of mRNA (messenger RNA) into proteins, which can then be directly incorporated into our muscle fibres.

But, for us to activate this pathway, and enable adequate MPS, we must have three signals. Firstly, we require nutrient sensing signals such as, … which activate processes such as ATP production or mTORC1 (). Secondly, we need a growth factor such as insulin or IGF-1. Finally, we need mechanical stress which enables the calcium, Akt and focal cohesion signals to activate. Without all three of these pathways working cohesively, our ability to build muscle is extremely hindered.

A good analogy I like to use for this is to treat mTOR as a construction manager and mRNA as the blueprints. For this construction manager to start working, they need three things: enough materials on site (nutrients), permits (growth factors), and labour (mechanical tension). If these elements aren’t set, then our construction manager cannot complete their project. That’s why the basics of bodybuilding are so important; they ensure all parts of this “construction project” are in place and working together.

So, now we understand what needs to happen, we must learn how to properly conduct our diet to encourage warranted growth. Firstly, we have our amino acids, the building blocks of protein molecules, with the most important one being leucine. Due to its ability to readily activate mTORC1, it can encourage a quick and easy protein translation. Essentially, our body has a leucine threshold, classified as the minimum amount required to stimulate MPS, which under current scientific knowledge, is about 2-3 grams per meal, with the first being the most critical.

Due to leucine being one of the three branched-chain amino acids, alongside isoleucine and valine, it has a primary responsibility in activating our mTOR pathway. However, unlike our isoleucine and valine, this amino acid directly activates the mTORC1 pathways instead of losing potency contributing to muscle metabolism and energy. Put simply, two out of the three mentioned amino acids must undergo consumption before activating any MPS pathway, causing a loss of potency, and therefore, reduced availability.

So, to find our intended outcome, we must focus on reaching our leucine threshold. Now, whilst this is easier for younger, more active persons to obtain, it is still something necessary to guide our body to build muscle and stop degeneration no matter how experienced an individual is.

As a result, I recommend high leucine foods during most, if not, every meal of the day. Yes, including breakfast, which in fact some studies claim to be the most important for activating MPS.

However, I understand that to most people outside the bodybuilding world, having chicken or beef for breakfast sounds psychotic. But, as shown from this list below, a breakfast comprising of whey or beef protein alongside cottage cheese or salmon, would be more than enough to reach your minimum leucine threshold after breaking a fast.

Food	Leucine per 100g (raw weight)
Parmesan	3
Beef	2.6
Chicken Breast	2.5
Pork	2.5
Tuna	2.4
Turkey	2.4
Whey Protein	2.4
Soybeans	2.4
Salmon	2.3
Cottage Cheese	2.3
Lamb	2.2
Egg	1.7

Building muscle isn’t just about lifting weights, it’s a science that starts with mastering the basics and extends to the precision of your diet. While meal timings and protein quality indeed matter, they are only the finishing touches of a foundation built on effective training, intensity and cardiovascular fitness. Without these fundamentals, you cannot expect to fully optimise your situation and unlock full potential.

Understanding the role of leucine and the mTOR pathway is key to maximising muscle protein synthesis. By ensuring each meal meets the leucine threshold, you provide your body with the tools it needs to repair muscle effectively. Whether it’s a post-workout shake, leucine-rich breakfast, or a high-growth factor dinner, every meal is an opportunity to fuel growth.

So, before diving into the specifics of protein timing or supplements, focus on the essentials: a goal-centric training plan, proper form, protein rich diet, sleep, and enough complex carbohydrates to increase insulin levels into growth levels. Only then can you fine-tune the details to achieve the muscle growth you’re striving for. And remember, muscle building is a marathon, not a sprint. Patience, consistence and knowledge are your greatest allies.