Do you drink protein when/after working out?

brandie_lou

I drink protein after I work out, read several articles that it helps deliver protein to the muscles after working out. I'm not body building, but I do several sets of weights. Mostly for arms, chest/shoulders and back. Then I do about 30-45 mins cardio. I usually drink the already-made shakes (due to simplicity) but today I got a small thing of powder, EAS protein powder and mixed it with low-fat almond milk (45 cal/8 oz). But I had a conversation with a lady who was doing the look over on the huge protein selection and she was rather fit, and asked if I do it pre or post workout. She said she had been doing hers pre-workout and we talked about what we had read, which was basically just as conflicting.

So, who does protein? Before, after...why?

ubermensch13

Nope...doesn't matter when you get your protein.......I just meet my macro's by eating protein during the day.

juliekaiser1988

After!!

Pre-workout for me is Emerge drink.

Post (as I'm walking out the gym) is a protein bar. Protein within 30 minutes is key. Dwindling affect after 30 minutes until two hours post, then it's moot.

ubermensch13

After!!

Pre-workout for me is Emerge drink.

Post (as I'm walking out the gym) is a protein bar. Protein within 30 minutes is key. Dwindling affect after 30 minutes until two hours post, then it's moot.

NOOOO! This is not correct. There is no difference with eating protein 30 mins or 4 hours after your work out. If you disagree, please provide peer review studies to support your opinion. It is about meeting your macro's over a 24 hour period....period.

SideSteel

It's going to be far, far more important to consume adequate protein by end of day.

jayche

NOOOO! This is not correct. There is no difference with eating protein 30 mins or 4 hours after your work out. If you disagree, please provide peer review studies to support your opinion. It is about meeting your macro's over a 24 hour period....period.

Does your body have a metabolic clock that resets every 24 hours or something?

To answer the OP's question, I usually just have a protein shake 30 minutes before I work out.

drmerc

NOOOO! This is not correct. There is no difference with eating protein 30 mins or 4 hours after your work out. If you disagree, please provide peer review studies to support your opinion. It is about meeting your macro's over a 24 hour period....period.

Does your body have a metabolic clock that resets every 24 hours or something?

Yes unless its the switch to daylight savings

SunshineDecember

I like to do a little pre, a little post, to make sure I've got protein in my body the whole way through. What I really find helps my workouts, actually, is a pre-workout snack with a fair amount of simple carbs and a cup of coffee. Gets my energy so high I can hardly sit still.
Like mentioned above, the most important thing is to make sure you're meeting you macros over all in the day - I don't believe timing makes that big of a difference. But there's so much info out there, it's pretty damn impossible to figure out what's truth and what's not. I'd say try out both, and see what works for you.

Sarauk2sf

After!!

Pre-workout for me is Emerge drink.

Post (as I'm walking out the gym) is a protein bar. Protein within 30 minutes is key. Dwindling affect after 30 minutes until two hours post, then it's moot.

NOOOO! This is not correct. There is no difference with eating protein 30 mins or 4 hours after your work out. If you disagree, please provide peer review studies to support your opinion. It is about meeting your macro's over a 24 hour period....period.

Here is one agreeing with you...

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8563679

"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."

dfquigley

For the most part, I just try to meet my needs for the day, every day, but i will have a glass of milk or two ( sometimes a protein shake or proteinmeal ) right after my workouts.

Eating protein during a workout won't give you a benefit for the actual workout as far as i know, and there is pretty mixed reviews about it doing much immediately after, but with my protein needs, it seems intutive to make it available as soon as you've broken down the muscle.

aryya

Agreed that it is important to eat protein at regular intervals during the day and hit your macro by the end of the day. I will have a good chunk after a workout (approx 35-40g) plus a fast digesting carb (and again, a rather BIG chunk of carb is optimal). After a workout muscles need fuel for recover and repair. There is a 'time window' where what you eat will do a whole lot more than if you eat outside said window.

The following is a post by a man who is very well known and respected in the vegan bodybuilding industry in regards to pre and post workout food. http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/?page=article_workout_eating

In all honesty though, in my experiences with clients, they generally see results as long as they hit their macros, but i think the more advanced (for lack of a better word) you get, the more you have to really pay attention to the science behind timing your different macros with exercise, and with each other.

And on that note and the discussion i am now having at home with my bf in regards to this, we have decided that adequate sleep is just as important as protein intake, even though that is pretty much completely irrelevant to the question.

A few more fun articles:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ask-the-ripped-dude-pre-and-post-workout-nutrition-made-simple.html
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/bodybuilders_most_important_meal.htm

There are some -minor- conflicting bits of data between these articles, the ones i noticed off the top were healthy fats vs none, and the 'window of opportunity' but it's like anything, there will always be conflicting data. And even though these 3 things agree with my beliefs, i bet there are studies done that prove me completely wrong, as well!

taso42

I hit my protein target by the end of the day and call it good. There are more important things to worry about than nutrient timing.

Lyadeia

I typically have a protein shake afterwards, but this is only because I need some food (stomach says I'm hungry) but I feel nauseous if I eat right after working out. Protein shake kills the hunger without causing me to be nauseous.

I never eat (or have a protein shake) before I workout because any food in my stomach pre-workout seems to fatigue me or help me get cramps.

Soulierl

From my doctor: If you aren't body building - it's best to get the majority of your protein from animal proteins. The protein powders that say "40 grams of protein" -- your body cannot metabolize that much protein at one time -- therefore your body uses what it can from it and discards the rest -- kind of a waste when you are considering the price of the protein powders.

Good sources of proteins for building muscle are - Dairy, Eggs, Fish and Lean Meats!

http://naturalbias.com/is-protein-powder-needed-to-build-muscle-mass/

chrishgt4

Afterwards is most important.

It's good to keep your body with a steady flow throughout the day though as well and bear in mind when you sleep that's like 8 hours with no nutrition so I tend to have Casein before bed and then a normal protein shake in the morning when I wake up. Also apparently pre workout - so like 30-60 minutes - is an additional time that is good to take one.

chrishgt4

Nope...doesn't matter when you get your protein.......I just meet my macro's by eating protein during the day.

Course it matters - just like it matters when you take in carbs and what exactly they are.

taso42

Nope...doesn't matter when you get your protein.......I just meet my macro's by eating protein during the day.

Course it matters - just like it matters when you take in carbs and what exactly they are.

So absurd it reads like sarcasm.

kiesha23

I'm working with a Personal Trainer, and he has me taking Protein both before and after a work out. 2 different types of Protein, the post workout protein is slower to digest.

Pre Work Out Shake-

3/4 Scoop Elite Whey Protein
1 Gram L-Carnitine
2 Grams Beta-Alanine

Post Work Out Shake-
1/2 Scoop Casein Protein
1/2 Scoop Elite Why Protein
1 Gram L-Carnitine
2 Grams Beta-Alanine
1/2 Scoop DGC (Dextrorotatory Glucose Crystals)

Leadfoot_Lewis

I usually lift before dinner, so yes, I eat protein (dinner) 30 minutes or so after I lift. Plus, after I workout I'm usually starving anyway.

chrishgt4

Nope...doesn't matter when you get your protein.......I just meet my macro's by eating protein during the day.

Course it matters - just like it matters when you take in carbs and what exactly they are.

So absurd it reads like sarcasm.

Course it matters - if you were to eat a lot of fast release carbs earlier on in the day, then come weights time you would be in an energy lull and perform worse.

SideSteel

Nope...doesn't matter when you get your protein.......I just meet my macro's by eating protein during the day.

Course it matters - just like it matters when you take in carbs and what exactly they are.

So absurd it reads like sarcasm.

Course it matters - if you were to eat a lot of fast release carbs earlier on in the day, then come weights time you would be in an energy lull and perform worse.

Nutrient timing effects on training performance are going to vary from person to person.

taso42

Nope...doesn't matter when you get your protein.......I just meet my macro's by eating protein during the day.

Course it matters - just like it matters when you take in carbs and what exactly they are.

So absurd it reads like sarcasm.

Course it matters - if you were to eat a lot of fast release carbs earlier on in the day, then come weights time you would be in an energy lull and perform worse.

Nutrient timing effects on training performance are going to vary from person to person.

Agreed. It may also vary from day to day.

I've been eating like absolute garbage lately and lifting very well.

SideSteel

Nope...doesn't matter when you get your protein.......I just meet my macro's by eating protein during the day.

Course it matters - just like it matters when you take in carbs and what exactly they are.

So absurd it reads like sarcasm.

Course it matters - if you were to eat a lot of fast release carbs earlier on in the day, then come weights time you would be in an energy lull and perform worse.

Nutrient timing effects on training performance are going to vary from person to person.

Agreed. It may also vary from day to day.

I've been eating like absolute garbage lately and lifting very well.

Last night I clobbered some chips and french onion dip and went in today on my usual coffee+whey preworkout and I totally smoked a PR.

Pop Tarts next week for sure.

Rusty675

I tend to just have a shake after my workout out of convenience rather than all this meal timing crap. I'm usually pretty hungry by the time I get to the gym so once my workout is done I'm starving, the shake just stops my hunger for a few hours.

As long as I meet my macros everyday, I don't care when I get my meals lol.

RGv2

I usually have it while I'm lifting.

trojanbb

After!!

Pre-workout for me is Emerge drink.

Post (as I'm walking out the gym) is a protein bar. Protein within 30 minutes is key. Dwindling affect after 30 minutes until two hours post, then it's moot.

NOOOO! This is not correct. There is no difference with eating protein 30 mins or 4 hours after your work out. If you disagree, please provide peer review studies to support your opinion. It is about meeting your macro's over a 24 hour period....period.

wrong. Alan Aragon et all. Post workout protein does increase protein synthesis more than if you were to consume the same protein elsewhere in the day.

Usually you would be correct in that daily macros are more important than timing. but timing pre and post workout does increase protein synthesis at a significant level. Especially when insulin levels are manipulated, naturally or externally.

I'm a huge believer in the whole "anything goes as long as it fits your macros". but there are plenty of studies showing increased protein synthesis from post workout nutrition compared to eating at other times.

chrishgt4

Nope...doesn't matter when you get your protein.......I just meet my macro's by eating protein during the day.

Course it matters - just like it matters when you take in carbs and what exactly they are.

So absurd it reads like sarcasm.

Course it matters - if you were to eat a lot of fast release carbs earlier on in the day, then come weights time you would be in an energy lull and perform worse.

Nutrient timing effects on training performance are going to vary from person to person.

Agreed. It may also vary from day to day.

I've been eating like absolute garbage lately and lifting very well.

Last night I clobbered some chips and french onion dip and went in today on my usual coffee+whey preworkout and I totally smoked a PR.

Pop Tarts next week for sure.

There are hundreds of factors - how well you've been sleeping, what else you've been doing that may have fatigued (maybe without really noticing), stress or anything on your mind for that matter (which can also affect sleep etc) and plenty of other things. Nutrition is just one but to suggest that eating appropriate foods or taking appropriate supplements at appropriate times is irrelevant is, to quote the above comment, "So absurd it reads like sarcasm."

SideSteel

After!!

Pre-workout for me is Emerge drink.

Post (as I'm walking out the gym) is a protein bar. Protein within 30 minutes is key. Dwindling affect after 30 minutes until two hours post, then it's moot.

NOOOO! This is not correct. There is no difference with eating protein 30 mins or 4 hours after your work out. If you disagree, please provide peer review studies to support your opinion. It is about meeting your macro's over a 24 hour period....period.

wrong. Alan Aragon et all. Post workout protein does increase protein synthesis more than if you were to consume the same protein elsewhere in the day.

Usually you would be correct in that daily macros are more important than timing. but timing pre and post workout does increase protein synthesis at a significant level. Especially when insulin levels are manipulated, naturally or externally.

I'm a huge believer in the whole "anything goes as long as it fits your macros". but there are plenty of studies showing increased protein synthesis from post workout nutrition compared to eating at other times.

Are there studies showing a net difference in skeletal muscle over longer periods of time in athletes who are consuming a sufficient amount of protein to begin with?

This isn't to say that I believe that there is "zero" difference, it's that the differences are very context dependent.

kr381806

I have it afterwards....

I do have a question though. Is it okay to use the whey protein on NON lifting days?

SideSteel

I have it afterwards....

I do have a question though. Is it okay to use the whey protein on NON lifting days?

Yes

FullOfWin

Nutrients from the food you eat before working out are still being released into your blood after you work out. Hell in some cases amino acids from meat you ate 2 days ago are still being released into your blood after you work out.