Why Should I Take Protein After A Workout – Whether your primary goal is fat loss, fitness, or muscle building, you’re going to learn the best time to consume protein, as well as other tips to optimize your results.
Read on to learn everything you need to know about protein timing and other questions you may not know.
Why Should I Take Protein After A Workout
When you exercise, the wear and tear caused by the movement causes microtrauma to the muscle fibers. Since your muscles are mostly protein, your body relies on available amino acids and protein to repair small muscle tears.
You Asked: Should I Eat Before Or After A Workout?
Microtrauma increases your body’s need for protein after exercise. If you exercise regularly, that means your protein needs will always increase compared to people who don’t exercise [*].
Your body can repair itself using stored amino acids, but this method is less effective than drinking protein shakes or eating protein-rich foods [*].
And in the long run, due to limited amino acid stores, inadequate protein intake leads to incomplete recovery (from all exercise) and muscle growth (especially from weight training).
Over time, a lack of protein can lead to the loss of hard-earned lean muscle mass, and muscle loss is bad news for health and wellness [*][*].
Can Whey Protein Make You Fat? What You Need To Know
Simply put, training with a protein deficiency can be harmful and have the opposite of the intended effect: decreased fitness and loss of muscle mass.
But beyond the basics of supply and demand, optimizing your protein intake can improve your results even more.
In fact, not all protein is created equal. Along with your overall intake, the type and amount of amino acids (the building blocks that make up dietary protein) will affect results.
The higher the amount of essential amino acids (EAAs), branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) and leucine in a protein source, the more it will increase your recovery and muscle protein synthesis[*].
What To Eat After You Work Out
(Of all protein powders, whey protein has the most EAAs, BCAAs, and leucine, which is why we recommend it for athletes [*].)
Now, let’s dive into more controversial territory: the best time to get protein during exercise.
As for the long answer, let’s start by looking at some facts and myths about protein timing.
For example, you may have heard that you only have 30 minutes to drink a protein shake after you lift or your gains will be ruined.
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Although some studies partially support this idea, none of the studies are particularly strong [*]. Many of them suffer from inconsistencies or other issues.
Finally, those who make strong arguments for a post-workout anabolic window are not based on scientific evidence. That doesn’t automatically make them wrong, but they don’t have a solid argument either.
Our take on levels: For anabolism (muscle growth), it’s okay to drink a protein shake 30-60 minutes before lifting, but don’t stress if you accidentally shake the house.
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Post Workout Protein
Your body stores glucose as glycogen for energy. Unless you’ve been exercising hard recently or following a very low-carb diet, your muscles and liver store about 600 grams of glycogen[*][*].
Some people add carbs to their protein shakes to replenish glycogen lost during exercise, but is this practice necessary? If so, when?
Also, if you need to replenish glycogen quickly, a mix of protein and carbs seems to work faster than carbs alone [*].
Try a 4-to-1 ratio of simple carbohydrates to protein for quick glycogen replenishment. For example, 400 calories of 80 grams of dates, strawberries or oats (blended in a blender) with 20 grams of whey protein.
If I Have A Protein Shake After My Workout, When Should I Eat My Meal?
On the other hand, there are times when it is better not to replenish glycogen immediately after lifting.
Studies have shown that by avoiding carbohydrates and maintaining a glycogen depleted state after exercise, more fat can be burned, and this practice does not reduce muscle protein synthesis [*][ *][*][*].
So if your goal is to lose fat (or want to stay lean), lifting weights or doing HIIT to deplete glycogen, then eating protein instead of carbs after your workout will improve your results.
Some studies have even shown that post-exercise carbohydrates make no difference to muscle protein synthesis, or that low glycogen does not decrease muscle protein synthesis [*][*].
Health Benefits Of Protein Powder
If either carbohydrates promote muscle protein synthesis, the effect may be due to increased insulin levels or decreased protein oxidation, the latter of which you can get with adequate protein intake [* ][*].
Otherwise, there is no rush to consume carbohydrates during or after exercise, and waiting to eat carbohydrates will promote fat loss without compromising muscle growth.
Some studies have shown that consuming protein before exercise can increase your EPOC, meaning you’ll burn more calories post-workout than if you drank a protein shake [*][*].
One study found a difference of 6 calories (kcal) between protein and protein groups at 2 hours, while another found an increase of approximately 80 calories (kcal) [*][*] after 24 hours of pre-exercise protein supplementation.
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As you may have noticed, there is no clear evidence that the timing of protein before or after exercise significantly affects muscle growth, glycogen (for the most part), or calorie burn associated with EPOC.
And at least one head-to-head study shows similar results when it comes to predictions. post time [*].
But just because research on the timing of protein before and after exercise doesn’t show a significant difference, that doesn’t mean you should dismiss the idea of protein intake during exercise.
First, as the authors of the 2018 issue of Frontiers in Nutrition noted, there is no practical advantage to delaying protein intake after exercise, only potential downsides [*].
Drinking Protein Shakes After Exercise For Weight Loss
In general, there is a good chance that consuming protein during or after exercise is more effective than consuming protein an hour or more after exercise [*].
And endurance athletes, listen up: A meta-analysis of 11 studies found an immediate 9% increase in protein and carbohydrates pre-exercise compared to carbohydrates [*]. You don’t need protein and carbs before every training session, but evidence shows it’s a winning formula for competition.
Now that you’re up to speed on the research, here are some common sense tips: If you’re an athlete, a fitness enthusiast, or just want to build muscle by lifting weights (how else?) – vs. post-workout protein time!
At best, studies measure the average response of large groups of people, not your own. If you want to get the most out of protein timing, measure your response in terms of performance, fat loss, or muscle building.
Protein Before Or After Workout?
You can’t control every variable, but you can still get a good idea of what works for your body.
Eating more protein each day beyond the bare minimum for survival as indicated by the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for protein will improve your performance[*].
And surprisingly, even if you eat more protein than your body can convert into muscle, it can actually reduce protein breakdown in your muscles [*].
When it comes to building muscle, “pure muscle protein synthesis” means the results you can sustain – your gains, that is.
The Pros And Cons Of Drinking A Protein Shake After A Workout
Eating plenty of extra protein can reduce muscle protein breakdown and increase overall muscle building throughout the day [*]. Think of it as maximizing your profits while minimizing your losses.
A liquid protein shake like whey protein is a convenient way to make sure you’re getting enough protein to support your goals. They are also a great way to experiment with increasing your protein intake.
And if you’re worried about consuming too much protein, know that a high daily protein intake may not be a problem if you’re dehydrated or have pre-existing kidney disease [*].
At Levels, we recommend a protein shake with 40 grams of whey protein after a workout for men and women to gain lean muscle or recover from intense workouts.
Is It Better To Drink A Protein Shake Before Or After A Workout?
When it comes to daily protein intake for muscle, strength, or intense training, we recommend starting with 25-30% of calories from protein, increasing further if needed.
So if you eat 2,500 calories a day, we recommend 160-190 grams of total protein per day to build muscle.
The frequency of protein shakes you consume is secondary to total protein intake when it comes to training.
Basically, you can eat less than one whey shake on lift days (post-workout) or drink 2-3 shakes per day to get enough protein.
Ways To Speed Recovery After Exercising (infographic)
As mentioned above, supplemental protein intake at some point during or after exercise, high-quality protein intake, and adequate protein intake are the keys to good results.
But what about strategic protein consumption at other times? How does it affect your strength, recovery or muscle building?
One study found that a 3-hour protein intake schedule was superior to 1.5 or 6-hour intervals among men who exercised after a strength training program.
Essentially, this means that eating protein at the right time and frequency will benefit your strength training results.
Research Spotlight: Does Protein Timing Matter?
In contrast, another recent study showed that protein excess throughout the day may have no beneficial effect on people.
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