Rule 1 – Protein (WPI)
Dr Francesca Alves, PhD
Despite staying the same weight on the scales, your muscles are continuously breaking down and re-building protein every day! To increase the net size of skeletal muscle, the protein building (protein synthesis) must outweigh the protein breakdown [1]. During exercise (both resistance and cardio) skeletal muscles decrease muscle protein synthesis, whereas muscle protein breakdown remains relatively unchanged [1, 2]. This occurs because the body needs to re-prioritise energy towards fuelling the activity which consequently diverts energy and resources away from protein synthesis. After exercise protein breakdown and protein synthesis are both elevated – but only with the right nutrition, like Rule 1 protein, can protein synthesis out-whey protein breakdown resulting in a positive net-gain!
But how is protein synthesis controlled?
Imagine your muscles are like a busy construction site, and proteins are like the workers building various structures (like…thigh-rise towers, calf-eterias, posterior palaces…etc). Now, in order for the construction to happen smoothly and efficiently, there needs to be a way to control the workers. mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) is like the manager on this construction site. mTOR receives signals from different sources in your body, like the nutrients you eat and the energy levels available and the conditions are right, mTOR sends out instructions to the workers (proteins) to start building more structures (increasing protein synthesis and muscle growth)[3-5].
Numerous studies show that whey consumption post exercise increases mTOR activity which facilitates muscle repair and growth post exercise [3, 4, 6]. That is why Rule 1 Protein is the ultimate mTOR activator containing 100% whey isolate which is partially digested to decrease the time to activate mTOR. The 100% Whey protein isolate and hydrolysed whey protein isolate with 25 grams of protein also contains a high concentration of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), particularly leucine, which is a key amino acid for stimulating mTOR and muscle protein synthesis [5, 7]. Consumption of Rule 1 protein via mTOR signalling will help you out-wheyprotein breakdown post exercise to facilitate muscle recovery, regeneration, and growth!

References
1. Kumar, V., et al., Human muscle protein synthesis and breakdown during and after exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology, 2009. 106(6): p. 2026-2039.
2. Witard, O.C., L. Bannock, and K.D. Tipton, Making Sense of Muscle Protein Synthesis: A Focus on Muscle Growth During Resistance Training. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab, 2022. 32(1): p. 49-61.
3. Kakigi, R., et al., Whey protein intake after resistance exercise activates mTOR signaling in a dose-dependent manner in human skeletal muscle. Eur J Appl Physiol, 2014. 114(4): p. 735-42.
4. Farnfield, M.M., et al., Activation of mTOR signalling in young and old human skeletal muscle in response to combined resistance exercise and whey protein ingestion. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab, 2012. 37(1): p. 21-30.
5. Dodd, K.M. and A.R. Tee, Leucine and mTORC1: a complex relationship.American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2012. 302(11): p. E1329-E1342.
6. Farnfield, M.M., et al., Whey protein ingestion activates mTOR-dependent signalling after resistance exercise in young men: a double-blinded randomized controlled trial. Nutrients, 2009. 1(2): p. 263-75.
7. Moro, T., et al., Whey Protein Hydrolysate Increases Amino Acid Uptake, mTORC1 Signaling, and Protein Synthesis in Skeletal Muscle of Healthy Young Men in a Randomized Crossover Trial. J Nutr, 2019. 149(7): p. 1149-1158.