Macro partitioning
Immediate post-exercise nutrient timing does not provide a hypertrophic advantage over delayed intake when total daily protein and energy intake are matched.
Stop stressing about eating immediately after your workout. As long as you consume your daily protein target (approx. 1.6-2.2g/kg) and total calories, the exact timing of your post-workout meal does not significantly impact muscle growth. You can safely wait 1-2 hours or more without losing gains.
Despite claims that immediate post-exercise nutritional intake is essential to maximize hypertrophic gains, evidence-based support for such an 'anabolic window of opportunity' is far from definitive.
Why this rating
Based on a comprehensive review of multiple chronic resistance training studies with mixed but largely null results for timing-specific benefits.
Source
Nutrient timing revisited: is there a post-exercise anabolic window?
Alan A. Aragon et al. · Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 2013
DOI 10.1186/1550-2783-10-5
More from this paper
- Pre-exercise protein ingestion can sustain elevated amino acid levels into the post-exercise period, rendering immediate post-exercise protein dosing redundant for most trainees.Good
- Post-exercise nutrient timing may be beneficial for individuals training in a fasted state or those with long gaps (>3-4 hours) between their last meal and exercise.Moderate
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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