If you’re looking to cement your gains after a big workout, refuelling your body is an absolute must. But when’s the best time to smash muscle-building supplements? New research suggests there might a time of the day that pips all other hours.
A study conducted by The School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM) found that protein supplements taken just before going to bed can “maximise (your) strength and muscle mass gains during regular resistance exercise training.”
Findings published in Frontiers in Nutrition analysed 44 “healthy young men on a 12-week lifting program.” Scientists explored the effects of taking protein before going to sleep and how it affected their muscle mass increases.
“Half of the participants received a pre-sleep protein shake containing about 30g of casein and 15 grams of carbs every night, whilst the others were given an energy-free drink,” reports News Medical Life Sciences (NMLS)
Naturally, both groups saw increases to their muscle size but “the increase was significantly greater in the group taking bedtime protein and was associated with a greater increase in muscle strength and size.”
Researchers recommend that more work is done to determine whether gains were down to nighttime consumption or due to consuming extra protein. However, previous evidence has found that most recovery and growth occurs overnight and amino acids are needed to accelerate that growth.
Bedtime protein snacks can provide the crucial amino acids that aren’t stored naturally in the body.
If you’re after some high-protein snacks that will help boost your gains, here are seven that will do the trick.
