Have a drink at night

Eating protein shakes before going to bed helps to build muscle mass more effectively

Dmitry Mazalev, Naked Science

The new work of the scientists was based on their previous research. In 2015, a group of employees of the University of Maastricht (the Netherlands), led by Tim Snijders, studied the trends of muscle building caused by nocturnal protein intake. 44 healthy young people who underwent a 12-week lifting program took part in the experiment. Half of them were given a protein shake at bedtime, consisting of 30 grams of casein and 15 grams of carbohydrates, while the other half received a drink without additives. As a result, the muscles of the participants in both groups increased in size, however, the group that consumed protein before going to bed showed better results of increasing muscle strength and increasing size.

In his new work, Sneijders asked the question: is the time of consuming a protein shake important, or is it just a matter of higher protein and calorie intake? According to the scientist himself, it is difficult to give an unambiguous answer, since this will require a huge number of participants. Nevertheless, the latest analysis of all available studies conducted by scientists suggests that there is a lot of indirect evidence that it is protein before bedtime that is especially important for increasing muscle mass, and sleep plays an additional and equally important role in this process. The scientists' article was published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition.

"A survey of more than 500 athletes showed that they usually consumed more than 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of weight during the three main meals and only seven grams in the evening. As a result, lower levels of amino acids will be available for muscle growth during sleep. In addition, we found that consuming enough protein (60 grams) at night does not change the reaction of muscle protein synthesis at breakfast the next morning with a high protein content. Moreover, adding a protein supplement before bedtime does not affect appetite the next morning, so it is unlikely to affect overall protein or calorie intake," explains Sneijders.

According to scientists, protein before going to bed does not seem to make you fat and will even play into your hands by speeding up your metabolism. Comparing two eight-week programs with casein intake in the morning and evening, the researchers found no differences in fat mass between the two programs. On the contrary, it turned out that in 11 active men, a casein cocktail before going to bed increased the rate of fat burning the next day. This may be due to the fact that taking casein reduces the insulin response to subsequent meals.

 "Thus, taking protein before bedtime can be considered an effective strategy to increase the rate of muscle protein synthesis during sleep and can be used to support the adaptive response of skeletal muscles to resistance training," the authors conclude.

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