Protein shake before or after work out?

susanloveszumba

Ok i am sure i will get lots of different answers here but I am confused! It was recommended to me to drink a protein shake about an hour before working out with weights and a piece of fruit (banana?) after my workout. Does this sound ok? I see a lot of posts about protein shakes post-workout.

Thanks!!!!!

scarletfever2005

You are going to get a lot of varying answers. Personally, I drink a post workout shake with protein and a good ration of bcaa. I don't think there is any magic time frame for when you have to ingest protein. Just as long as it is available to you at some point.

stubbysticks

From what I understand, you want to drink one within an hour post-workout because the quick-dissolving whey protein can get to your muscles fast to help them recover. Protein from food won't work as quickly because your body has to digest the food to extract the protein first. And fat slows absorption of protein, so you don't want to eat something high in fat until a little while after you get your recovery protein in.

Drinking one beforehand isn't particularly helpful apart from keeping your overall daily protein intake high, which you do want if you're working out, especially for strength training. Protein will help you retain your muscle mass while you lose weight so that what you lose is FAT. In my experience keeping the protein high keeps my energy levels high & appetite well-controlled.

I would actually do it backwards from what you suggested, I like to eat a banana BEFORE working out for the immediate energy boost (especially for cardio), then do the shake afterwards for recovery...though if I've had enough carbs to fuel my workout already, I'll blend the banana into my post-workout shake because it's yummy. :bigsmile:

Sidesteal

Provided you aren't doing anything crazy like fasting for 3 days before or after your workout, there is no urgency towards consuming protein shakes pre or post.

If you are performing multiple glycogen depleting events within a short period of time then you should concern yourself with nutrient timing. Outside of this context I would just let personal preference dictate.


To elaborate, the post workout anabolic window is more like a barn-door in that you have WAY more than an hour to make the most benefit of post-workout protein, and in addition to this, in most cases your pre-workout nutrition will still have you covered.

susanloveszumba

thanks for the replies!

slimlifter

Try a Pre workout drink then protein shake after. I mix my after workout protein with a carb drink called waxy maize starch to put energy back in

thepetiterunner

My trainer always recommended that I do a protein shake within 30 minutes post-workout, so that's what I've been doing and I've been happy with my current results. Who knows, maybe it's all in my head anyway. (Probably is)

chrisdavey

Try a Pre workout drink then protein shake after. I mix my after workout protein with a carb drink called waxy maize starch to put energy back in

You could also eat sugar. Or any other carb for that matter.


You MUST get your protein shake in within 13minutes of the final weight being lifted. If you don't do this, you're muscles will fall off.

























not srs. Listen to Sidesteal!

alykitty

After without a doubt! Protein gets absorbed after you work put.. having it before may cause you to get the wrong effect from your Whey!

delmc1

i try for post but depending on time of last meal i will take it 15mins pre with a piece of fruit

bigpopsonswole

I don't do a protein shake prior to my workout. But I drink a post workout protein shake that is full of BCAA's.

bigpopsonswole

Spot on!!

After without a doubt! Protein gets absorbed after you work put.. having it before may cause you to get the wrong effect from your Whey!

wellbert

After. I do take 7g of BCAA before, though.

chrisdavey

are you people saying that if you drink you're whey protein before a workout that the amino acids will somehow just disappear and not be utilised while you are working out?

fiberartist219

In my humble opinion, it doesn't matter. Some folks might get a stomach cramp if they eat before a workout and try to digest at the same time, but that's not the case for everyone.

wellbert

are you people saying that if you drink you're whey protein before a workout that the amino acids will somehow just disappear and not be utilised while you are working out?

Yes. If I drink a protein shake right before an intense workout it will somehow disappear... all over the gym floor.
...which is why I only take BCAA.

chrisdavey

haha agreed.

"before" is also a bit subjective. Obviously, downing a thick milky shake 2 seconds before you get under the bar is probably going to be a bad idea in the majority of cases!

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nutrition/what-are-good-sources-of-protein-speed-of-digestion-part-2.html

"Clearly there is a large variety for protein digestion rates although, as noted, some of the above values should be taken as very rough estimates.
I’d note again that this has some implication for the idea that you must eat protein every three hours. With the exception of whey, where 40 grams of protein would take roughly 4 hours for complete absorption), all proteins listed would still be digesting for far longer than the magic 3 hour period." - Lyle McDonald

So if the only thing you had was a protein shake with 40g of protein in it, 3hrs before you're workout then it would still be digesting through you're workout. That is not going to happen in the majority of cases unless people are fasting for long periods of time. So there will still be other previous meals being digested also.

chrisdavey

or in video form

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYbnyiLwZfQ&feature=player_embedded