Protein shake before or after a workout: A well-researched guide

If you are unsure whether you should take a protein shake before or after a workout, then you are the right place.

No one can deny the fact that Protein is vital for muscle building and repair.  That’s why it lies at the core of every fitness regimen with different names at different times i.e shakes, supplements, meat as pre-workout shake, post workout shake, night supplement, and the list goes on.

However, the optimal time to have a protein shake is a hotly debated topic and you would hear a lot of these sorts of questions like…

“When to eat my protein bars? When to take my whey protein?”. To sum up all these, they all boil down to this simple question: “What is the best time to drink protein? “

While some believe it’s best to drink a protein shake before a workout, whereas others argue for after a workout and both sides have their strings of arguments.

So, if you are really curious to know what is the optimal time your protein shake then missing out this post is not an option as in this post, I am going to settle this debate for once and all with evidence from recent research studies. 

Let’s go and find out whether you should take a protein shake before or after a workout.

Protein before or after workout: what does research studies say?

We can’t argue about the merits and demerits of taking protein before or after a workout on our own. Our arguments must be supported by actual research studies done in the field about the problem at hand.

Here are the research studies both ‘for’ and ‘against’ the timing of protein intake.

The myth of “Anabolic window”: Does it even matters? 

Many people believe that to maximize their results from the gym, they must consume their protein shake within the next 30 minutes of their workouts.

This short period of time i.e 30 minute window is known as “Anabolic window”, which according to them acts as the best time for protein to be effectively utilized for muscle growth and repair

Research studies supporting Anabolic window

Research Studies against Anabolic window

However, there are studies that reject the idea of the anabolic window in totality and prove that total daily protein intake is more important than just before or after a workout

In fact, pre-workout has been linked to many of the digestion issues.

Final verdict: Protein shake before or after a workout?

The research on whether protein intake around your workouts is important for maximizing gains is mixed; Some research has even questioned the necessity of consuming protein around your workout altogether.

From the above, it is clear that few studies suggest it’s beneficial, while others suggest it as ineffective. These opposing results pushed researchers to analyze the findings of all 23 studies on the effects of consuming protein around exercise and can you guess what they found out? 

They found that total protein intake was the strongest predictor of muscle strength and size, regardless of whether people consumed it closer to their exercise or not.

What is the best time to drink your protein?

People often question when the best time to take their protein.

A simple answer to this question is. “It all comes down to your health and fitness goals. The particular time to consume your daily protein dose hinges on whether you want to lose weight, build muscle or preserve muscle”.

So, below I briefly explain the best time to take protein based on your specific goals.

Goal 1: Boosting exercise performance and recovery

Do professional athletes often wonder what is the optimal time for them to take protein for enhanced performance and recovery? The answer may surprise you if you are an athlete. 

For endurance training, combining protein with a source of good carbs during and after exercise may be more helpful than just consuming protein alone in boosting performance and recovery and reducing muscle soreness.

Goal 2: Best time to take protein for Losing Weight

While protein is unquestionably vital for muscle recovery and growth, it has proven to be one of the most important nutrients for fat loss too.

The Logic: Because eating a high-protein diet can help enhance your metabolism thus reducing your appetite. How it is done? Let’s find out.

Essentially, protein helps curb your appetite in two related ways.

1. by reducing levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin, 
2. At the same time, by increasing levels of appetite-reducing hormones like glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), peptide YY (PYY) and cholecystokinin (CCK) 

This means consuming a protein-rich snack between meals may ultimately lead you to eat fewer calories later in the day which serves as a strong base for your weight loss.

Goal 3: Best time to take protein for Building Muscle 

There is no denying the fact that Protein is important for building muscle.

The process is simple: In order to build muscle and strength, you need to consume more protein than your body breaks down naturally during resistance training or weight lifting

However, the best time to consume protein for optimal muscle growth is a controversial topic. Fitness enthusiasts often recommend to take it within the time frame known as the “anabolic window” and said to be the perfect time for getting the most out of nutrients like protein.

However, as explained above, recent research has shown that this window is much larger than previously thought or not true at all.

According to the International Society of Sports Nutrition, consuming protein at any time up to two to three hours after your workout is best for putting muscle mass.

Goal 4: Best time to take protein for preventing Muscle Loss 

As you grow older, maintaining and preserving muscle mass becomes your top priority.

According to Research, people lose roughly 4–8% of their muscle mass each decade after once they pass the 30 year age bracket. What’s more serious about this muscle loss is that it is a major source of higher risk of fractures and shortening of life spans around the world. 

Keeping that in view, Scientists recommend spreading protein intake evenly across the day to help prevent muscle loss with age. This means taking in roughly 25–30 grams of lean protein per meal.

Research suggests that most Americans eat around three times more protein at dinner than breakfast. To balance out their protein intake, they can consume more protein at breakfast.

Q: Should You Take Protein At night?

Please Note: you need not always look for casein in supplements instead you get the benefits from real whole foods. Dairy products like cottage cheese and Greek yogurt are the best choices for they are high in casein content.

Some Best sources of protein

Protein is a crucial nutrient. There are numerous benefits to adding protein-rich foods to your diet, from weight loss to increasing massive muscle mass.

However, some people may find healthy protein sources to be too costly. While it is true that some sources of protein are expensive but you don’t need to worry as there are many affordable alternatives that won’t cost your pocket heavily.

Here are 12 of the best, healthy yet cheap protein sources. 

Popular protein myths debunked by research studies

Whether you should take protein before or after a workout is not the only controversy that surrounds the intake of protein. Rather there are lot of protein myths that haunt a lot of people’s minds. Let’s discuss them and find out if they have any research evidence support.

Debunking Myth 1: Too much protein is bad for you

There is a common myth that consuming too much protein is bad for your overall health. They strongly buy the idea that consuming too much protein can damage the kidneys and liver and cause osteoporosis,  a condition of bones in which they become hollow and porous.

Debunking myth 2: All protein sources are the same

You want to know the truth…

Basically, protein is the building block of amino acids of about 20. Human bodies can only produce 11 non-essential amino acids, the remaining 9 types of essential amino acids need to be taken from outside sources.

Hence, not all sources of protein are equal. There are either “complete” proteins or “incomplete” proteins. 

“Complete protein” sources contain all the essential amino acids of a total of 20 amino acids( some essential; some nonessential) and their best sources are fish, meat, dairy, eggs, soy, quinoa. Other “incomplete” proteins aren’t devoid of this all amino acids nutrition; they simply don’t provide all the amino acids you need.

 So, in order to get all the amino acids you need, you have to have a variety of incomplete protein sources available at your table. So, All protein sources are not the same and have different kinds of protein content in them.

Debunking Myth 3: You don’t get enough protein, especially if you’re vegan or vegetarian.

For vegans and vegetarians, incomplete proteins are the main source of proteins. But Some might argue that only eating incomplete proteins is not enough because don’t have crucial nine essential amino acids.

Again, not true. The reality of the matter is: it’s all about a balanced diet even if you are vegetarian and are living on plant-based foods.

If you take a balanced diet and take a variety of incomplete protein sources, you will end up making it a complete protein which simply means you are getting all nine essential amino acids.

It’s also a common myth that you must eat incomplete proteins together at a meal to make them a complete protein and get their nutritional benefit. 

Yes, rice and beans together at the dining table would make up a delicious and satisfying meal, but as long as enough incomplete protein is consumed through the day ( since the body doesn’t actually store amino acids longer than a day), they can be effectively combined and used as a complete protein. 

So, you need not worry about all your protein content even if you are a religious follower of a vegan and vegetarian diet

Debunking myth 4:  The more protein you eat, the better.

For an average 2,000 calorie diet, the recommended daily amount of protein is about 50 grams. If you’re eating a well-balanced diet, you actually could easily be consuming up to double that amount.

While you may think that’s a good thing, it’s not necessarily.

 Your body can really only take in and utilize about 25 to 30 grams of protein at one time, which is a little more than the amount of protein in one chicken thigh. So eating a super high-protein meal doesn’t actually mean your body is going to use all of that protein.

Additionally, the extra protein you consume can be converted into glucose through a chemical process called “gluconeogenesis” which occurs when you are not supplying enough carbs to your body.

And extra protein you consumed in the morning is converted into glucose or carbohydrate which can harm your weight loss efforts since extra glucose is stored as glycogen in your fat muscles. Thus excessive proteins are bad for your weight loss efforts too.

Debunking Myth 5: You need extra protein to build muscle.

Fitness aspirants often hear this. There’s a mentality that in order to build and sustain muscle size, a large amount of protein in the diet is a must.

While, it is true that active athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and active individuals require higher than average protein requirements but that is primarily because they have to keep their body functioning healthy by doing a lot of physical activity which in turn causes those extra calories of energy to burn very quickly.

Normal people who are aspiring to grow their big muscles need an average amount of protein intake but if they engage (and they engage in heavy workouts or weightlifting ) in other cardio like activities, that will require an added source of good calories like proteins.

Also, if you’re boosting your calories with a balanced diet to meet these higher requirements, you’re automatically meeting your higher protein needs.

In short, you just need to follow a balanced diet to give you muscle growth a good push, not necessarily just consume extra proteins.

Other Must-reads: 

1. How to make a natural pre-workout at home?
2. How to make a post-workout at home?
3. Some serious pre-workouts side effects that you can’t ignore

FAQs

References

1. “Should You Have a Protein Shake Before or After Your Workout?” by Healthline

2.  “The five most common myths about protein” by TheKitchn.com