Macro partitioning
Pre-sleep ingestion of ~30-40 g of casein protein enhances overnight muscle protein synthesis and augments long-term gains in muscle size and strength when combined with resistance training.
If you want to maximize muscle growth, try drinking a shake with ~30-40 grams of casein protein (or eating cottage cheese) right before bed. This slow-digesting protein feeds your muscles while you sleep, leading to slightly better gains in muscle size and strength over time compared to not eating before bed.
Examined over a chronic period, pre-sleep ingestion of 27.5 g casein protein (as a hydrolysate-intact protein blend) augmented gains in quadriceps cross sectional area, type II fiber cross sectional area, and the sum of a several 1-RM assessments compared to those partaking in the same exercise protocol without pre-sleep protein ingestion
Why this rating
Based on specific RCTs (Snijders et al.) showing chronic benefits, though the effect is smaller than total daily intake.
Source
Recent Perspectives Regarding the Role of Dietary Protein for the Promotion of Muscle Hypertrophy with Resistance Exercise Training
Tanner Stokes et al. · Nutrients · 2018
DOI 10.3390/nu10020180
More from this paper
- Total daily protein intake of ~1.6 g/kg/day (up to 2.2 g/kg/day) is the primary determinant of chronic muscle hypertrophy, whereas per-meal timing, dose, and source have negligible impact on long-term muscle accretion if total daily intake is met.Strong
- Consuming approximately 20 g of high-quality protein (or ~0.24–0.30 g/kg body mass) per meal maximally stimulates muscle protein synthesis (MPS) in young adults, with doses exceeding this threshold (e.g., 40 g) providing negligible additional MPS stimulation.Good
- Carbohydrate co-ingestion with protein does not enhance muscle protein synthesis or muscle hypertrophy beyond protein ingestion alone, although it may aid in glycogen restoration.Good
Related findings · Macro partitioning
- Total daily protein intake of 1.6 g/kg/day is sufficient for maximizing resistance training-induced muscle gains, with an upper confidence interval of 2.2 g/kg/day.Strong
- Resistance exercise training combined with sufficient dietary protein intake acts synergistically to maximize skeletal muscle hypertrophy, with protein intake saturating around 1.6 g/kg/day for general populations and potentially requiring 2.0-2.2 g/kg/day for resistance-trained individuals.Strong
- Trans fats should be completely eliminated from the diet, as they increase LDL cholesterol, decrease HDL cholesterol, and are directly associated with increased coronary risk.Strong
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