When is the Best Time to Drink Protein Shake?

Protein shakes are used to complement people’s diets to assist them reach a variety of fitness goals. Because these objectives are so dissimilar, how and, more particularly, when people should consume protein shakes varies.

So, when to drink protein shakes?

The best time to drink protein shake is determined by your end aim. If you’re trying to lose weight, you might consume your protein shake at a different time than someone trying to gain muscle mass.

To identify the optimal time to take your protein shake, examine your overall objectives: Is your primary goal to gain muscle? Do you want to lose weight? Once you’ve determined your goals, you can use the information below to determine when to drink protein shakes, whether it’s in the morning or at night, after or before a workout, and so on.

Is it better to drink a protein shake before or after workout?

If you ingest protein before or after your workout, it doesn’t matter. In a 2017 study, researchers gave 21 males 25-gram protein shakes. Both groups worked out three times per week for 10 weeks, however one group drank their protein shake before and the other after.

Researchers discovered no significant variations in muscular strength or size between the groups, suggesting it doesn’t matter whether you consume a protein shake before or after exercising – just eat it within a few hours of your workout.

When to drink protein shakes, before or after a workout? You may have heard the fitness rumor that a person needs to drink protein within 60 minutes after exercising because that was the assumed length of a person’s anabolic window — the time post-workout when your body gets the most out of nutrients like protein.

Recent research shows this window is double what was anticipated. The International Society of Sports Nutrition recommends the best time to drink protein shake up to two hours after a workout for performance, muscle repair, and growth. Muscle protein synthesis happens after exercise to heal muscle damage.

Protein is lost instantly during exercise, but drinking a protein shake afterward helps restore it. Your shake’s protein shuttles amino acids from your supplement to your muscles, boosting muscular protein synthesis.Taking a pre-workout pill can help you get the most out of your workout from start to end.

You’ll also need the nine essential amino acids for protein synthesis, tissue repair, and nutrition absorption: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. Your body needs amino acids to make and repair proteins. Leucine, isoleucine, and valine are BCAAs that help build muscle. Whey and casein proteins contain all of these.

Is it OK to drink protein shake everyday?

It is acceptable to consume protein shakes on a daily basis; however, keep in mind that they are nutritional supplements and should not be used to substitute food. While they are a convenient and cost-effective way to increase your protein intake, drinking too many of them might result in nutrient gaps or shortages that can harm your health.

Protein requirements differ from person to person; nevertheless, research shows that intakes of 1-2 g/kg/day are safe for healthy adults and sufficient to meet the needs of most active people. Excess protein consumption can increase your risk of weight gain, renal damage, and heart disease.

As a result, it’s advisable to acquire the majority of your protein from food and supplement with 1-2 protein drinks per day, if necessary. When selecting protein foods, favor healthy sources such as fish and shellfish, chicken, beans, tofu, legumes, nuts, and whole grains, which provide additional nutrients.

Is it OK to drink protein shake on an empty stomach?

Consuming a protein shake on an empty stomach is unlikely to result in any adverse health effects for the vast majority of people. If you’re going to be working out for a long time, you might want to drink some water throughout the workout and save the protein shake for afterward.

Before you eat shakes or powders, pay attention to the amount of lactose that may have been added to them. This is especially important if you have lactose intolerance.

Protein shakes that are specifically designed to aid in weight loss contain a modest amount of carbohydrates. Sugar alcohols are substances that have the potential to produce bloating and gas if they are present in the product in question. Make sure you read through the list of ingredients.

When to drink protein shakes for weight loss?

If you want to reduce weight, the best time to drink protein shake is in the morning. This is due to the fact that protein is one of the most important nutrients for fat loss. Starting your day with protein can improve your metabolism and maintain it elevated throughout the day.

Protein can also suppress your appetite throughout the day by decreasing ghrelin levels and boosting levels of appetite-inhibiting hormones such as peptide-1, peptide YY, and cholecystokinin. If you’re trying to lose weight and you are wondering when to drink protein shakes, sipping a protein shake in the morning may help you consume less calories throughout the day.

However, if your goal is to gain muscle development and strength, the time of day you consume your protein shake may alter. Protein is necessary for muscle growth; however, protein is naturally broken down by the body during resistance training or weight lifting.

To compensate for the protein your body breaks down, it is recommended that you ingest more protein (aka your protein shake) within 2 hours of your workout. That is, if you exercise in the morning, it is recommended that you take your protein shake in the morning. However, if you workout at night, it is usually best to drink a protein shake around the time of your workout.

Age can also influence whether you should consume a protein shake in the morning or at night. According to one study, people can benefit from taking a protein supplement at night since protein can be adequately digested and absorbed to assist maintain strong muscles when ingested shortly before bed.

Muscle tissue changes in a variety of ways as we age, therefore keeping strong muscles becomes increasingly crucial as we age. That is why older adults might think about incorporating a protein drink before bed into their routine (however, people of a wide range of ages can benefit from nighttime shake). Another study discovered that eating particular proteins before bedtime has a good effect on the next morning’s resting metabolic rate.

Sources:
https://www.gainful.com/blog/when-is-the-best-time-to-drink-a-protein-shake/
https://www.elo.health/answers/is-it-okay-to-drink-protein-shakes-everyday/
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/when-to-drink-protein-shakes/#:~:text=In%20most%20cases%2C%20drinking%20a,shake%20after%2C”%20says%20Patton.