When Should You Eat Protein?

Protein, including good quality powders, is an essential part of every diet and can be an excellent way of helping you achieve your goals, whether it be losing weight, building muscle, preventing muscle loss, recovering after a workout or optimising general health and wellbeing. Depending on what you’re looking for, there are different optimum times to have your protein. Read on to find out more.

Protein to help lose weight

If you’re looking to lose weight as part of your fit goals, consuming plenty of protein is vital as it raises your metabolism and helps reduce your appetite by suppressing the hunger hormone ghrelin. It also helps you feel sated for longer which means you’re less likely to snack. For optimum weight loss benefits, aim to eat protein-rich foods throughout the day but particularly in the evening when you may be tempted to graze on unnecessary high calorie foods.

Protein to build muscle

Protein is essential if you’re looking to building muscle because it helps repair any that are torn by exercise. What’s important to note is that in order for your body to utilise it properly, you need to be consuming more than your body uses during your workouts. In order to get the most from your protein source, experts agree the ideal time to consume protein is anywhere from 15 minutes to two hours after your workout. if you don’t feel like eating a meal in that window, a protein powder is a great option.

Protein for muscle recovery

Consuming protein just before bed has been shown to be especially effective in helping muscles recover from intense exercise because it increases muscle protein synthesis overnight. It can also help improve your sleep quality which is essential for optimum muscle recovery as well as overall health. A serving of around 40g of protein before bed is about right.