You already know how important protein is for muscle growth and recovery.

You likely consume it with every meal, and theres a good chance you have a cupboard full of protein supplements to ensure you hit your daily requirements.

But what about protein timing, does it matter? Is it more important to have protein pre or post workout?

Today we’re going to dive into the research, explore the importance of protein timing, and see what you should do for best results.

Let’s first talk about most people’s take on pre and post-workout nutrition.

Pre-workout Nutrition

Often considered to be <1h before training by bro’s, and <4h by scientists, pre-workout nutrition (not limited to protein) is seen as essential to ensure adequate fueling of the muscle before resistance training, and prevent muscle breakdown.

Post-workout Nutrition

Many people believe that protein must be consumed within 30 minutes of training to utilise the “anabolic window”. This theory suggests that your muscles are protein sponges only after training, and any protein intake outside of this window is not utilised efficiently.

What does the research say?

A study by Brad Jon Schoenfeld and Alan Aragon challenged the idea of the anabolic window, giving one group protein pre-workout and another post-workout. The results showed similar outcomes on all measures studied, suggesting that the interval for protein instake may be as wide as several hours or more(2).

A meta-analysis looking at pre, intra and post workout nutrition concluded that nutrient timing is only important in specific instances. For example, protein intake post-workout is much more important for someone who trained fasted, while carbohydrate intake pre-workout benefits someone who is glycogen depleted(1).

Without a doubt nutrition is extremely important for performance, recovery, and growth, but the timing of said nutrients is only important in some scenarios. A better focus would be the overall picture of your nutrient consumption and resistance training protocol.

That said, here are some recommendations:

Consume protein and carbs before a workout for performance and recovery, especially if you are glycogen depleted.

If you train fasted, consume protein as quickly as you can after training. If you’ve already eaten pre-workout, there is really no rush to eat immediately post-workout. Your body will experience the benefits of improved nutrient update for many hours after training.

Prioritise your overall daily macronutrient goals and your resistance training program. While it might feel good to think you’re hitting the optimal anabolic window, the truth is, food takes many hours to digest, and your body will utilise it continuously for a long time before and after training.

References

Arent, S., Cintineo, H., McFadden, B., Chandler, A. and Arent, M., 2020. Nutrient Timing: A Garage Door of Opportunity? Nutrients, 12(7), p.1948.
Schoenfeld, B., Aragon, A., Wilborn, C., Urbina, S., Hayward, S. and Krieger, J., 2017. Pre- versus post-exercise protein intake has similar effects on muscular adaptations. PeerJ, 5, p.e2825.