We all know that muscle growth requires a sufficient amount of protein, anywhere from .7 to 1 gram per pound of bodyweight, but the time at which you ingest it could be the key to getting even more out of your training. Today we’ll be looking at a recent study that shows pre-sleep protein ingestion to be beneficial for muscle growth and why you might want to have a quick shake before you brush your teeth every night.
A Look At The Literature
The study we’re referring to aimed to take a look at ways to increase muscle protein synthesis during sleep, and take advantage of the extended bout of recovery during sleep. The scientists discovered that when participants had at least 40 grams of protein prior to sleep, they saw an increase in muscle protein synthesis. After this, the scientists concluded that the great the greater rate of MPS was because of the amino acid availability, and ended the study with the following statement: “From these data we concluded that pre-sleep protein ingestion represents an effective dietary strategy to further augment the skeletal muscle adaptive response to resistance-type exercise training.”
Conclusion
So to get even more out of your training, make sure you’re ingesting at least 40 grams of protein close to your bedtime to keep muscle protein synthesis rates high during sleep.