Good question. Here is one answer:
The time course for elevated muscle protein synthesis following heavy resistance exercise.
MacDougall JD, Gibala MJ, Tarnopolsky MA, MacDonald JR, Interisano SA, Yarasheski KE.
Source
Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario.
Abstract
"It has been shown that muscle protein synthetic rate (MPS) is elevated in humans by 50% at 4 hrs following a bout of heavy resistance training, and by 109% at 24 hrs following training. This study further examined the time course for elevated muscle protein synthesis by examining its rate at 36 hrs following a training session. Six healthy young men performed 12 sets of 6- to 12-RM elbow flexion exercises with one arm while the opposite arm served as a control. MPS was calculated from the in vivo rate of incorporation of L-[1,2-13C2] leucine into biceps brachii of both arms using the primed constant infusion technique over 11 hrs. At an average time of 36 hrs postexercise, MPS in the exercised arm had returned to within 14% of the control arm value, the difference being nonsignificant. It is concluded that following a bout of heavy resistance training, MPS increases rapidly, is more than double at 24 hrs, and thereafter declines rapidly so that at 36 hrs it has almost returned to baseline."
Also, bear in mind that protein synthesis seems to occur more rapidly in highly trained people than in untrained people although a lot more research needs to be done in that area.
I have found that doing full body workouts each day to be too exhausting on my nervous system, thus negating growth. Therefore, I split my workouts over two days and get in 3 to 3 1/2 full body workouts per week. Therefore, I have heightened protein synthesis somewhere in my body every day. What really matters though, is what you put into your body post work out to take advantage of the increase in protein synthesis.
