When it comes to protein intake, you probably hear people saying that we need protein right after the workout; otherwise, we won’t benefit from the workout we just performed. Most people are advised to take protein within 30-45 minutes after a workout. This 30-45 minute period after a workout is known as the “anabolic window.” Whether this anabolic window does exist or not is still a controversy. In this blog, I will explain whether we need a protein shake immediately after a workout or not?
Nutrient timing has become popular has become very popular in the last 2-3 decades. Based on a 2008 study on nutrient timing, some researchers believe that the timing of food intake may have a greater positive effect on body composition than absolute daily nutrient consumption. These researchers believe we should consume protein before and/ or immediately after the workout to take advantage of this so-called anabolic window. They claim that protein consumption within this anabolic window increases lean body mass. However, on the other hand, most researchers believe that the importance or even the existence of this anabolic window can vary according to several factors, such as training experience, a pre-exercise meal, and muscle mass.
Research studies that support the immediate protein intake right after the workout have many limitations. Most of these research studies were conducted on people in a starved or semi-starved state, untrained, and on a low-protein diet and also most research is based on studies where protein is consumed in a fasted state, which leads to faster digestion than normal eating. In real life, when eating multiple foods together, digestion is slower and more steady than expected. For example, eating 26g of protein from lean steak can boost muscle protein synthesis for at least six hours, or even up to 10 hours if you add vegetables and starch.
These studies’ positive result was because of the increased protein intake rather than the timing of its consumption. This concept of the anabolic window is highly promoted by supplement companies because Whey protein powders that these companies sell are easy to take within 30-45 minutes of a workout. That is why more than 70% of adults carry whey protein powder to the gym.
A recent review by Aragon and Schoenfeld postulated that the anabolic window of opportunity may be as long as 4–6 hours around a training session, depending on the meal’s size and composition. According to their research, total protein intake is closely related to post-exercise muscle gain, not only your immediate post-workout protein intake. If your pre-workout meal ( 2-3 hours before the workout) includes a good amount of carbs, protein, and fats, there is no extra benefit of taking immediate protein after a workout.
Eating a protein an hour before a workout session is a good option if you have not eaten protein in the 3-4 hours preceding your workout. On the other hand, if you had a proper meal, including a fair amount of carbs, fats, and protein, you do not need to eat more protein before your workout. You need to take protein before your workout if you have not eaten protein in the last few hours to increase muscle protein synthesis rates. As we know, muscle protein synthesis is a critical factor in building lean muscle mass. Let’s say you have had your last meal around 1 p.m. and are going to the gym around 5 p.m.; without eating protein before your workout. In this case, your muscle protein synthesis rates will be at a low baseline level during your workout. It means your body’s muscle-building process will be idle until the next protein feeding. Let’s say you finish your workout and again wait too long to eat protein; muscle breakdown rates will exceed muscle protein synthesis rates, resulting in muscle loss.
That is why it is advised that the time gap between your meals should not be more than 4 hours, especially if you want to maximize your muscle size. Now, the question is, which protein source can you take an hour before a workout? Different protein sources take different times to get digested and absorbed. For example, casein protein takes 4-5 hours to digest, whereas whey protein takes only 1-2 hours. Eating protein with a carbohydrate source is also recommended before a workout to increase the digestion rate. I recommend having a scoop of whey protein/protein bar with carbohydrate sources such as banana or white bread slices an hour before a workout. If you have eaten protein in the last few hours, you do not need to add protein to a snack before a workout. Just take carbs, and you are good to go.
In conclusion, post-workout nutrition is essential, but current evidence does not support the claim that immediate (1 hour) protein intake pre or post-workout does not provide extra benefits in muscle hypertrophy and strength gain. If your overall protein intake is low, then there is no harm in taking a protein supplement after a workout, but you should not be compelled to take it within half an hour; you can easily have it even after 2-3 hours of your workout.
Schoenfeld, B.J., Aragon, A.A. & Krieger, J.W. The effect of protein timing on muscle strength and hypertrophy: a meta-analysis. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 10, 53 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1186/1550-2783-10-53
Aragon, A.A., Schoenfeld, B.J. Nutrient timing revisited: is there a post-exercise anabolic window?. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 10, 5 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1186/1550-2783-10-5
Join my email list to receive updates and information.
