Best time to consume protein to BUILD MUSCLE
Dr. Jeethan Bendoor
M.B.B.S.
Private Practitioner, Metabolic and Anti-ageing Enthusiast, Mumbai
Correspondence: E-mail: drbendoor@gmail.com
Protein is central to muscle protein synthesis, and therefore, muscle build!
If your focus is on building muscle mass for body-sculpting or body building, it is essential to supply adequate protein for muscle build that overwhelms muscle breakdown.
In one of my earlier blogs I recommended:
"If you are of healthy weight and active and wish to build muscle, aim for 1.6–2.4 g/kg ideal body weight/day.(1)" The Higher end of the recommendation is definitely for more protein availability for more muscle build.
It makes perfect sense to consume protein post-exercise. A time frame known as the "anabolic window" (2).
Earlier, this anabolic window was reported to be about 15 minutes, post-exercise; however, newer research has widened this window to up to 2 hours post-exercise (3).
My personal add to this advice — to give muscle at least an hour to take in all the stress that the exercise routine induces, let the body settle down a bit — about 1 hour, and then consume the protein.
In addition to the post-exercise protein intake, pre-sleep protein ingestion is also recommended for muscle protein synthesis and muscle build while we sleep.
An intake of up to 40 grams of protein pre-sleep is recommended (4).
Please note: Please do consult a physician who is well-versed with the physiology/science of muscle, and please do perform routine tests to measure metabolic issues as well as kidney function.
References:
- https://examine.com/guides/protein-intake/ Last accessed 24 November 2024.
- Lemon PWR, et al. The role of protein and amino acid supplements in the athlete's diet: does type or timing of ingestion matter? Curr Sports Med Rep 2002 Aug;1(4):214-21.
- Kirksick CM, et al. International society of sports nutrition position stand: nutrient timing. Int Soc Sports Nutr 2017 Aug 29:14:33. doi: 10.1186/s12970-017-0189-4. eCollection 2017.
- Trommelen J, and van Loon LJC. Pre-Sleep Protein Ingestion to Improve the Skeletal Muscle Adaptive Response to Exercise Training. Nutrients. 2016 Nov 28;8(12):763. doi: 10.3390/nu8120763.
