Protien shake BEFORE or AFTER WORKOUT???

Mcgrawhaha

So, I work out mon-fri on most weeks, in the morning at 7am. Its like clockwork, so i drop my kiddos off at school, and Im off to the gym...

I have 5 kids, so mornings are crazy for me, getting them ready for school and what not, so I barely have time to even brush my own hair before we leave...

I have never been a breakfast person, even as a child... just not in the mood and have no desire for anything other than coffee until after 10am... So, usually, I drop off the kiddos, go straight to the gym, Im there for about an hour and 1/2, then come home, and eat something / have a protien shake...

My question is this... What is more beneficial to my weight loss as well as muscle mass in regards to having my protien shake... BEFORE or AFTER my work out? Does it matter? I do not have lowered energy or anything in the morning as Im used to not eating anything until after 10am, so if the only consideration is my level of energy, that is not an issue... I want to know what is more beneficial...

Now that Im getting closer to my goal weight (within 25-30 pounds) I am able to do alot more and endure a harder workout... I went from a total od about 20 minutes a day to now an hour and 1/2 a day, so it makes me wonder, should I be having my protien shake before 7am, even though the idea of it makes me sick? Or, is waiting until afterwards when I get home ok?

bdamaster60

I workout as soon as I climb out of bed. I take 30g (1 scoop) of whey isolate as soon as I wake up and another 30g post-resistance training. Preferably I would like to take a Hyrolosite Whey but thats pretty expensive or BCAA's.
In both instances I take the shake because of the quick delivery of amino acids into the blood stream for 2 reasons:

1. Upon waking after an 8 hour sleep, cortisol levels (the main hormone associated with tissue breakdown) are at their highest. And my body is in a catabolic state. Catabolic means breakdown.

2. Resistance training tears down muscle fibres and releases growth hormone (GH). Take the shake immediately after the workout allows for an insulin spike without sacrificing GH levels. This is opposed to spiking insulin with starchy carbohydrates.

I hope you can take something from this. I'm trying to build muscle btw. But would use the same principles when im trimming fat to preserve muscle.

Mcgrawhaha

Thank you so much for the detailed answer! So, Im not really trying to build muscle right now as much as Im trying to trim fat, should I do as you do, and have 2 protien shakes, both before and after?

bdamaster60

It would certainly help preserve muscle tone, and of course more muscle means a higher metabolic capacity, meaning you can burn fat faster. I would most definitely say a must to the post-workout shake though.

Mcgrawhaha

awesome! thanks so much for your help!!!