Take Protein Before Sleeping

Take Protein Before Sleeping

Whether you want to lose weight or gain it, a diet with an adequate amount of protein is key.

The Dietary Guidelines for AmericansTrusted Source suggest your daily calories should consist of:

10 to 35 percent of protein 45 to 65 percent from carbohydrates 20 to 35 percent of fat The recommended daily allowance of protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. Research suggests, though, that athletes benefit from more protein to maximize muscle growth. Those who frequently and consistently lift weights or do resistance training may benefit from consuming 1.3 to 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day.

This means that an active 81kg man should consume around 106 to 144 grams of protein per day for muscle growth. An active woman weighing 64 kilos should consume between 83 and 114 grams of protein per day.

Is there an ideal time to consume this protein? While getting to your total daily intake is most important, research suggests that the timing of the protein can make a difference.

Studies are mixed on whether eating protein immediately after exercise has a beneficial effect on muscle growth. Several studies show that protein consumed before bed can actually promote muscle growth.

Studies

Protein supplies the body with the amino acids that build our muscles. Our muscles work to heal and repair themselves and increase growth while we sleep. Where growth hormone rises during sleep, and growth hormone promotes muscle growth.

Studies have shown that if you consume a large amount of protein right before bed, you will take full advantage of this spike in growth hormone and maximize muscle gains. This happens because you provide the amino acids needed for repair and growth.

In a 2012 study, 16 healthy young adults exercised in the evening and got 20 grams of protein immediately after exercise. Thirty minutes before bed, eight of the men drank a drink containing 40 grams of casein protein. The results were increased rates of muscle protein synthesis in the eight men who took casein protein before bed.

A 2015 study of 44 young adults on a 3-month resistance training program. All participants ate a high-protein diet (1.3 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight). The study divided young people into two groups, a group that drank a drink containing 27.5 grams of protein and 15 grams of carbohydrates before bed. The second group had a placebo drink. The protein group had greater improvements in muscle strength, muscle size, and muscle fiber size.

However, it is not clear in the two studies whether the benefit of eating total protein daily or eating specifically protein before bed led to muscle gain.

However, research on protein intake and increased muscle growth has led the International Society of Sports Nutrition Trusted Source to take the position that “eating casein protein (~30-40 g) before bed can significantly increase muscle protein synthesis and metabolic rate. all night long “. They recommend protein intake at night for athletes who train early in the morning without eating, or in the evening after dinner.

In 2015, a study was conducted to compare carbohydrate snacks with protein-rich snacks before bed, and the results showed that the metabolism improved in the group that ate protein-rich snacks before bed more than carbohydrate meals.

Are these results of these studies useful for everyone?

A 2011 study revealed the loss of muscle mass with age. Sixteen healthy older adults participated in the study. Eight of them took the casein protein, before bed. The other group had a placebo drink. The result was that the group that took the casein protein showed that the dietary protein before bed promoted muscle growth and repair, even in older and less active people.