You need protein to maintain and build muscle. Although there is a lot of focus on daily intake and protein around workouts, protein at night is a less-talked-about (but still important) topic.
So today, we're discussing the importance of protein intake for recovery while you sleep. Not all protein is created equal, and there are optimal times to consume it. To maximize your protein intake and recovery, read on!
Does Eating Protein Before Bed Help Me Build Muscle?
It’s ideal to include protein in every meal, but save at least a quarter to a third of your daily protein intake for dinner. Ideally, this should be two to three hours before bed. Why? Sleep is regenerative.
A lot happens while you sleep, but for the sake of this article, let’s focus on the fact that muscle is both lost and built during the sleep cycle. Balancing your activity with your protein intake determines how effective your recovery will be.
The body rebuilds muscle through a process called protein synthesis. When you do physically demanding activities, you damage muscle tissue, and depending on the resources your body has to work with, it will either repair it or let it waste away.
If you go to bed without eating enough protein, your body can’t effectively undergo protein synthesis and will not rebuild muscle as readily.
If you eat adequate protein, your body will synthesize enough to rebuild the damaged protein. Studies have shown that eating protein before bed can help build muscle. But when exactly should you eat it and how much do you need?
When and How Much Protein Should You Eat?
"When should I eat protein," and "How much protein do I need?" are two very common questions we get here at WAG. Here are a few places to start:
- Use this free macro calculator to determine how much protein you need each day based on your body, goals, and training
- Spread your protein intake relatively evenly throughout the day, but save 10-20 extra grams for your last meal or snack
- Save your largest serving of protein for the day for your last meal, 2-3 hours before bed, because it’s the last meal you will have for 6-8+ hours.
- Protein intake varies among people, but the more active you are, the higher your protein requirements will be.
“Casein” Point: Sleep is Fasted
While you sleep, you're in a fasted state because you’re not eating for 6-8+ hours. Different protein types are released into the body at different rates.
Casein protein is a slow-digesting protein and is great before bedtime because it keeps you stocked up while you’re sleeping, releasing into your system slower than other proteins.
Why is a slow release of protein better, you ask? Imagine I forced you to drink a whole gallon of water at 6 am. It would be difficult, but most of it would flush straight through you because your body cannot utilize that much water at once. Had you savored that gallon throughout the day, you’d actually be better hydrated than drinking it all at once.
The same goes for protein while you sleep. Casein releases more slowly than alternatives like whey protein, making it a great before-bed option.
Where Can I Get Casein?
We’ve tried, tested, and loved Ascent Protein and Earth Fed Muscle. However, try to avoid protein powders with added sugars, fillers, and artificial flavors.
Final Thoughts on Protein at Night
Drinking or eating more protein at night could improve muscle building and, therefore, performance. The first step is making sure you're eating enough protein over the course of the day. From there, you can dial in your intake based on what time you go to bed and watch the results follow.
