Protein shakes are beneficial for active people such as athletes and bodybuilders. This is because a protein-rich diet helps you build your muscles, boosts your health, and helps with weight loss. Protein shakes are the perfect protein boost for your diet because they are cheap, have many delicious flavours, and can be consumed at any time, whether as a snack or part of your meal.
Although ingesting protein before bed may bring additional advantages, many believe that drinking a protein shake after working out maximises muscle growth and recovery. Drinking an additional protein shake at night will help you gain muscle mass, improve your recovery time, and help you lose weight.
Builds and Maintains Muscle Mass
Protein is essential for the development and maintenance of lean muscle mass. Muscle protein synthesis is a biological process that helps develop, heal, and strengthen muscles, whereas muscle protein breakdown is the inverse. Exercising promotes muscle protein breakdown, whereas protein ingestion contributes to muscle growth.
When you sleep at night, your body goes into muscle protein breakdown. According to a 2016 research, taking a protein shake before bedtime improves muscle protein synthesis and helps to build your muscles during the night.
Your body requires a high protein intake for maximum muscle development, but your body’s amino acids are constantly depleting. When deprived of amino acids, your body will have a poor muscle equilibrium. Taking high protein diets and protein drinks returns your body to a positive muscular balance.
However, merely ingesting more protein will not help you gain muscle. Protein consumption promotes muscle development and maintenance in conjunction with a resistance-training regimen and proper rest.
Improves Athletic Performance
Athletes who consume protein shakes during the day or before bedtime often boast better performance than their counterparts. This is because protein helps your body develop muscles faster, improving your performance when you exercise.
Improves Muscle Recovery
If you consume a protein shake before going to bed, you’ll notice an improved sleep quality. If you had discomfort before consuming a protein shake, you’d notice significant relief. This boosts muscle growth and repair, helping you rapidly gain muscle mass. This recovery and repair of muscle overnight help you work the next day efficiently.
Accelerates Weight Loss
Protein shakes help your body to burn calories even when you sleep. When you drink protein shakes every night before sleep, your MPS is boosted, and your metabolism increases. This is because your body uses up a lot of energy to digest and absorb proteins. Burning calories obtain this energy. The more calories burn, the faster you lose weight.
However, it is crucial to watch your daily intake of calories. Protein shakes add calories to your diet, so remember to account for them as you sum up your total calorie intake.
Each gramme of protein contains four calories. Therefore, making a protein shake using 20 grammes of powder and water will add 80 calories to your diet. Mixing the protein with fruits and milk can further increase your daily calorie intake and hinder weight loss.
If you are actively trying to lose weight, ensure to maintain calorie deficits every day until you reach your desired goal. This means you will have to consume fewer calories than are required to maintain your body weight. This amount of calories is called the ‘maintenance calories’ and varies from person to person. Maintenance calories depend on your height, age, gender, weight, and how active you are.
You should be careful not to exceed your maintenance calories to avoid excessive weight gain. Introducing protein shakes into your diet is the way to go if you want to increase your protein intake. You can also adjust the number of calories in your diet.
An added benefit of protein shakes is that proteins prevent hunger because they suppress ghrelin, the hunger hormone. They also promote leptin, the satiety hormones. This will ensure you feel hungry less often, ultimately helping you lose weight.
It is important to note that if your diet plan is low in protein and you’re trying to lose weight, your skin will sag due to muscle breakdown.
Recommended Protein Intake
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has released a dietary guideline that states that the protein intake for an average adult should be between 10% and 34% of their total intake every day. If you consume 2000 calories in a day, your protein intake should be between 50 and 170 grammes, or between 200 and 700 protein calories.
However, the amount of protein you should consume depends on your height, genetics, weight, level of activity, and muscle mass. There is, therefore, no need to consume a lot of protein if you are sedentary. On the other hand, active individuals and bodybuilders should consume between 0.7 and 1 gramme of protein for every pound of their weight.
Which Type of Protein Shake is Best Before Bed?
Are you wondering whether to opt for a plant-based protein source or an animal-based one? Each type has its benefits and drawbacks, but which is better for a weight loss program?
Consumption of plant-based protein before bed has been proven to yield better results in weight loss. This is because they have a high amount of leucine which increases muscle protein synthesis rate when you are asleep.
On the other hand, animal-based protein is better for individuals who want to build muscle and increase mass. This is because they have every amino acid essential for muscle gain.
However, if you want to build muscle mass, you can get a similar protein digestibility corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS) using plant-based protein. This is done by combining many different plant-based protein sources in your diet. For instance, rice and peas provide all the amino acids necessary for muscle growth and repair.
The Problem with Whey Protein Before Bed
Many people have varying opinions on whether you should consume whey protein before going to bed.
While a few people believe that its consumption can aid muscle and weight gain, the rest associate it with gastric distress when they consume it before going to sleep.
The fact is, whey protein is not a great option if you are looking to increase your protein intake before going to bed. This is because the protein is absorbed quickly by the body and does not significantly alter the rate at which calories are burnt.
Casein protein is, therefore, the preferred choice for many.
Casein Protein: A Better Choice?
When you consume milk or milk products, you consume two different proteins — casein and whey. Casein usually constitutes 80%, while whey is only 20%.
Casein protein digests slowly, making it popular among bodybuilders. However, it comes with undesirable effects and can deteriorate the quality of your sleep.
Possible Side Effects of Casein Protein
- Bloating and gas
- Headache
- Diarrhoea or constipation
- Allergic reactions
- Nausea
What Makes Casein a Slow-Release Protein?
The main reason is that its molecules are very heavy. Therefore, unlike other proteins, the digestive enzyme takes longer to digest it into stand-alone amino acid molecules.
This slow digestion results in a steady amino acid release into your bloodstream.
The pH level of casein is another reason why it digests slowly. Casein is slightly acidic and has a pH value of 6, causing its digestion to slow down further.
On the other hand, whey protein is digested and released quickly. This is because its molecules are light, allowing the enzymes in your gut to break them down rapidly.
Most people, therefore, consider whey protein to be the perfect post-workout drink because of the immediate flow of nutrients into the muscles.
However, consuming proteins consistently has more benefits than a 30-minute protein boost throughout your day. For the best results, find the best protein sources.
Go for a plant-based protein shake. It is easy to digest, has no harmful side effects, and can be adjusted on an excellent PDCAAS score!
Related Questions
What Type of Protein is Best?
The best type of protein for you depends on your end goal.
Consumption of plant-based protein before bed has better results in weight loss. They have a high amount of leucine that increases muscle protein synthesis rate when you are asleep.
On the other hand, animal-based protein is better for individuals who want to build muscle and increase mass. This is because they have every amino acid essential for muscle gain.
It is also possible to get a similar PDCAAS score as an animal-based protein using plant-based proteins if your end goal is to build your muscle mass. This is done by combining many different plant-based protein sources in your diet. For instance, rice and peas give you all the amino acids necessary for muscle gain and repair.
Does a Protein Shake Before Bedtime Interfere with Sleep?
Consuming protein before you go to sleep does not deteriorate the quality of your sleep. However, high-sugar protein shakes can cause hyperactivity, depriving you of sleep. Therefore, it is advisable to only add a small quantity of sugar to your protein shake or smoothie if you want to fall asleep faster.
You should also ensure to consume the right amount of protein. Overconsumption of protein can have side effects that can even be lethal.
Is it Acceptable to Have Multiple Protein Shakes in a Day?
Yes, you can have multiple protein shakes per day. People who do not get enough protein from their food can supplement their protein intake with protein shakes. Your daily protein requirement depends on your weight, height, gender, and activity level.
What Happens if I Consume Too Much Protein?
Overeating protein can cause kidney diseases, weight gain, heart diseases, loss of calcium, and an increase in your risk of getting cancer. Some protein sources such as saturated fat and red meat can increase the cholesterol levels in your body.
The recommended daily protein intake is 2 grammes for every pound of your weight. However, if you want to know the appropriate amounts of protein to consume, please consult a medical professional.
What Foods Are Good for Muscle Growth?
Foods rich in protein are the best for muscle growth and repair. It’s easy to gain muscle when you have more maintenance calories than your body needs. Eating lean meat, yogurt, fish, lentils, tofu, nuts, and beans will help you increase your protein intake daily.
Are There Any Negative Impacts of Drinking a Protein Shake Before Bed?
There is no negative impact of drinking a protein shake before bed. However, it’s best to pick a low-sugar option. Sugar immediately boosts your energy levels, interrupting your sleep. Check the sugar level of your protein powder before purchasing it. If you’re watching your weight, you should also consider the extra calories from your protein shake. Whatever happens, don’t go over your daily limit.
Which Food Can Improve Muscle Growth During Sleep?
Protein-rich foods like Greek yoghurt, cottage cheese, and almonds promote muscle building. Other protein-rich foods include poultry, fish, tofu, beans, and lentils. You can have them for supper or as a late-night meal before bed.
How Many Glasses of Protein Shakes Can I Have in a Day?
The answer is dependent on your body mass and the amount of physical exercise you engage in per day. Typically, you require 0.5 grammes of protein per kilogram of body weight on average.
However, if you exercise often, you’ll need roughly 0.7 to 0.8 grammes of protein per pound of body weight. The majority of this protein requirement is supplied by consuming protein-rich foods. But if you believe you aren’t receiving enough protein, you may supplement your diet with protein smoothies.
Depending on your protein shortage, you can drink two or three glasses of a protein shake every day for maximum effect, including 40 grammes of protein in your pre-sleep drink.
Should I Only Have a Protein Shake Before Bed if I Work Out Regularly?
No. Anyone can drink a protein smoothie before bedtime. Shakes are practical ways to ensure you’re getting adequate protein. Your body requires a specific quantity of protein for muscular development. This pre-sleep protein smoothie accelerates muscle building, improves sleep quality, and may aid weight loss.
Bottom Line
Protein shakes are healthy late-night drinks that fit perfectly into weight loss programs. People often consume a lot of protein during the day as they carry out different tasks. Augmenting this with a protein shake and exercising daily is highly beneficial for muscle gain.
Drinking a protein shake before you go to sleep will extend your MPS. It will also help your body maintain a positive balance of protein, boost the muscle-building process, and help you burn more calories.
