Macro partitioning
Consuming 25g of protein immediately before resistance training yields similar muscular adaptations (strength and hypertrophy) as consuming the same dose immediately after training, refuting the necessity of a narrow post-workout anabolic window.
If you eat protein right before your workout, you do not need to rush to drink a shake immediately after. The benefits for strength and muscle growth are the same whether you take your protein before or after, as long as you get your total daily protein. Don't stress about the exact timing of your post-workout meal.
Results showed that pre- and post-workout protein consumption had similar effects on all measures studied (p > 0.05). These findings refute the contention of a narrow post-exercise anabolic window to maximize the muscular response and instead lends support to the theory that the interval for protein intake may be as wide as several hours or perhaps more after a training bout depending on when the pre-workout meal was consumed.
Why this rating
Randomized controlled trial with trained subjects, but small sample size (n=21) and lack of significant hypertrophic gains (likely due to caloric deficit) limit generalizability to mass-building contexts.
Source
Pre- versus post-exercise protein intake has similar effects on muscular adaptations
Brad J. Schöenfeld et al. · PeerJ · 2017
DOI 10.7717/peerj.2825
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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