We wish it were as simple as flipping a coin and going by whatever you assign to the titles, heads and tails. Sadly it isn't as. It is about your fitness goals, so it requires our attention and suggestions to decide when you should have protein- before or after a workout?
Every gym enthusiast can swear by the goodness of protein powders for the fantastic benefits they reap from protein powders. The significant benefits of having a high-quality protein powder are-
Building & Maintaining Muscle
Weight Loss
Weight Gain
Muscle Repair & Recovery (to name a few).
Protein powders are undoubtedly good, and your body needs them. After relying on the most result-giving protein powders, our patrons have accepted and acknowledged that the best protein powders are available with none other than, Source Of Supplements. Now that you have grabbed your high-quality, unadulterated pack of protein powder, you might ask yourself: when is the best time to take my protein powder for best results? Is it early morning, late evening or before my workout or once I am done and exhausted? Let us answer this for you.
Does Timing Matter When You Take Protein Before Or After Workout?
Yes, in a simple one-line answer, to some extent, it does, and a lot of it depends on what kind of fitness and health goals one is having. The "right" time to have protein powder depends on your health and fitness goals, but also your preferences and schedule.
We got it that you want that chiseled and toned look, but how to go about it? It is with strength training that one builds muscles. Strength training does cause damage to the muscles, but that is the stimulation our muscles need to come back more vital and better next time for a super performance. The damage is repaired through increased protein intake, which can be from animal, plant-based protein products, protein bars or the most preferred protein powders. Let us understand how your protein intake affects its absorption in the body at different times for effective results.
We have divided your day into 3 parts as to when all you can have protein-
Post-workout
You slogged hard in the gym by lifting those heavyweights, and in doing this, your body burnt all those nutrients to power you through. This has left your body muscles damaged, and to recover from the heat of the challenging workout; you have to nourish your body with the lost nutrients. How should you do it? By having a protein shake with 20-30gm of protein within the next 30 mins after your workout or in between the time when you are about to conclude your workout. It will set the pace of the recovery process as soon as possible. In all this, make sure you keep yourself hydrated at all times- before exercise, during the workout and post-exercise. An increased rate of muscle protein synthesis is bound to happen when you take protein shake within 30 minutes, but you have to see if this suits your fitness goals and see if having a protein shake post-workout helps or not.
Pre-workout
Every bodybuilder or, for that matter, a gym enthusiast would agree with us that it is gruesome to fuel through the finishing mark of strength training on an empty stomach—the 30-minute window post-workout works well when you follow a pre-workout eating routine. Let us explain to you how it works.
If you take a protein shake or a protein bar with around 20-30g of protein, ideally, 30 minutes before hitting those weights, you have an increased window of about 2.5 hours to drink your post-workout protein shakes. If you do not load enough carbs and proteins before your exercise, muscle glycogen levels shall remain low, and it will be challenging to go through the workout.
Due to less energy, your body will begin to break protein down during exercise to provide some energy. Thus It is essential to load up on good protein and carbs before a workout to keep your body high in energy and avoid eating those protein reserves of your body during exercise.
The Remaining Hours Of The Day
Your workout or gyming routine may take 3-4 hours of the day, leaving you with an almost 20-hour window to ingest enough of the macronutrient all day, every day. Take our word on it and just don't leave protein consumption on pre and post-workout times but around four times a day. Go with 20-30g—food sources like soya, eggs, chicken—every three hours in the day. It has been observed that lean body mass was built more in men when they consumed the amount mentioned above at the specified rate.
Related: What is the Best Time To Take Vitamins?
Our Final Take
Sufficient protein intake is required even on the days when you are not hitting the gym but hitting your couch. Always remember insufficient protein intake on any given day can decrease/delay protein synthesis and impair muscle repair and growth in the long run.
The goodness and benefits of protein are not for once in a while but to be taken as a habit you shall never leave. With 2022 on its way, enter it with a determination to treat your body with the best quality protein supplements from Source Of Supplements.
