Protein shake before or after workout?

One before and one after is ideal.

I drink them because they get into my body quickly. I don't want to eat too much before a workout and after a workout I need something quick that will get in my blood stream quickly. I usually exercise to failure so I'm dragging my *kitten* out of the gym. A banana works too but I love my shakes.

Get it after you done your workout and before your cardio.

I don't think its important to take protein shake before or after exercise. It depends on your own preference. In my opinion doing exercise after taking a glass of luke warm water with lemon is more beneficial.

lulucitron wrote: »

I drink them because they get into my body quickly. I don't want to eat too much before a workout and after a workout I need something quick that will get in my blood stream quickly. I usually exercise to failure so I'm dragging my *kitten* out of the gym. A banana works too but I love my shakes.

It still has to get broken down by the stomach into amino acids to be absorbed into the blood stream and that doesn't happen very quickly.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Recognize there is no one size fits all methodology as everyone is different and depending on your type of fitness activity, level of intensity and other factors, different pre and post nutrition can be incredibly important or possibily not at all. Consider pro athletes include nutrition and supplements as part of their training regimen and for example how crucial pre/post nutrition is to athletes like marathon runners.

So in regard to the actual question: “Protein shake before or after workout?” well, it depends.

#1 - It’s been suggested by numerous resources and articles that pre-workout protein, specifically the branched chain amino acids (BCAAs), will help fuel your muscles during training. That sounds advantageous especially when planning intense workouts just like endurance athletes plan for the level and intensity of their activities.

#2 - It has also been proposed there is an advantage of consuming protein shakes after intense exercise routines because “they can be absorbed quickly into the body” which I don’t necessarily believe. I do believe that the boost of nutrients specifically protein will help aid in the repair and recovery of your muscles though. Can you simply have a healthy balanced protein rich meal then? Yes, why not, but is making a healthy meal convenient when you just spent your lunch hour at the gym and literally have 2 minutes left to eat, not really. Sure you could pre-pack your lunch as well, but absolutely do not get fast-food.

Let’s remember that Protein shakes like anything are just a tool in your arsenal and there is a lot of hearsay on what works and doesn’t. Don’t forget that anything you eat takes time to digest so pre/post anything nutritional should be done approximately 30-60 minute before/after your workout. Also according to a lot of resources the actual timing of your nutrient intake may not make or break your athletic goals unless you’re a pro or endurance athlete and possibly in moderate exercise sessions may not be needed for recovery at all.

My opinion is that the overall crucial aspect is to follow a healthy diet.

I do include Protein Shakes as part of my workout regimen, changing when I use them (either pre/post) based on my workouts type I have planned and adapt my intake to optimize for intensity, muscle recovery and growth. By fluctuating I feel I can somewhat affect muscle damage and increasing recovery times when working out intensely. For example on Cardio heavy days I tend to do protein shakes pre workout, versus weight training days where I tend to do them post workout. I also use them for supplementing meals (non-workout days appropriately) but moderate my intake to no more than one Protein shake per day regardless of activity, as they often have excessive sodium, cholesterol and other disadvantageous content themselves. The accumulative effect of multiple shakes could easily nullify any benefits they have, rendering them as deficient as eating fast food, just under the guise of "I'm eating healthy".

Best of luck,

Sir GR

Do whatever feels right. I like one right after my workout. I just feel better with an immediate recovery drink. I can't handle it before...I feel it coming back up lol. I prefer some kind of snack before hand.