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:

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)

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!

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.

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

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.

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.