Muscle Protein Synthesis
Muscle Protein Synthesis (MPS) is the process by which your body builds new muscle protein from amino acids. MPS happens in response to eating enough protein and to resistance training. The biggest single trigger is leucine reaching the 2.5 to 3g threshold in a meal.
Why It Matters
If you understand MPS, you understand the entire protein-supplement industry. The reason whey is popular is that it triggers a rapid MPS spike. The reason casein is taken before bed is that it sustains MPS over hours. The reason vegan proteins use blends is that single-source plants struggle to fully trigger MPS without higher absolute doses.
How to Spot It on a Label
MPS shows up in marketing as 'maximizes muscle protein synthesis,' 'fastest absorption,' or 'time-released MPS.' Look for leucine grams as the real underlying claim. Hitting the 2.5 to 3g leucine threshold per meal, three to five meals a day, is the practical goal.
Examples from real products
Related Terms
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