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e all need protein as part of a
balanced diet and to stay healthy. Some people consume protein for specific
reasons, such as to help them lose weight or gain muscle mass. However, it is
not yet clear when the best time is to have that protein.
There is some evidence that
consuming protein can help a person lose weight, and there is clear evidence
that it can help people build muscle mass if they also exercise.
However, research, as yet, does not
make it unclear when is the best time to have protein. It is also unclear if
there is any best time at all, why this is the case, or whether it is the case
for everyone.
Most people in the United States get
enough protein in their diet. Still, the United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA) say many people should vary
the types of food containing protein that they eat.
If a person is trying to build
muscle mass, they may also take protein in the form of supplements to help them
build muscle tissue after exercise.
When you
are trying to lose weight
Protein is essential for building
muscle and may aid weight loss.
There is some evidence that eating
protein can help a person lose weight.
Evidence suggests protein does this
in part by increasing satiety. Satiety is the feeling of being full.
Currently, there is little solid
evidence regarding when the best time to eat protein might be to encourage
weight loss.
For example, researchers published a
study in the journal Advances in
Nutrition suggesting that eating snacks that contain
protein may reduce the number of calories a person
consumes at their next meal.
However, the research paper also
points out that studies demonstrating this are scarce and sometimes
conflicting. They suggest more studies are needed to confirm their findings.
This was also the conclusion of a study in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and
Dietetics.
In contrast, a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests
that a diet generally higher in protein can improve body weight management. The
classification of higher protein in the study was 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein
per kilogram of body weight per day.
Research is still evolving about the
relationship between protein and weight loss, including when is the best time
to eat protein for this purpose.
When you
are trying to build muscle
Various studies have looked at
whether there is a link between the time a person consumes protein and
hypertrophy, which is how much muscle a person builds after exercise. However,
the results are unclear.
Two studies in the International Journal of Sport
Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism and the Journal of the International Society
of Sports Nutrition suggest there is no relationship between
building muscle and the timing of consuming protein.
More research is necessary to
establish if there is a link between the timing of protein intake and the
amount of muscle a person builds.
A small, older study in the Journal of Physiology found that skeletal muscle
grew in older adult males who took a protein supplement soon after exercise.
A recent meta-analysis in the Journal of the International Society
of Sports Nutrition suggests that while evidence is conflicting
about the best time to consume protein after exercising, if athletes eat
protein soon after working out, they are more likely to consume enough protein
over the course of a day to build their muscles.
The researchers conclude that there
are no known downsides to eating protein before or after a workout. Also, if
that helps an athlete get sufficient nutrients for their body to recover, then
there is no issue.
The most explicit message from
current research is that if a person wants to build muscle, then consuming
enough protein is more important than the timing of when they consume the
protein.
Importantly, many of these studies
assume that the person consuming the protein is an athlete doing many hours of
intense exercise a week. For the average person, what is necessary is that they
consume a balanced diet, supplementing this with more protein than usual if
they are focusing their exercise on building muscle.
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