best times to eat protein for muscle building?

Beanie

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i have heard just about every time of the day from various sources so why not get some advice from people who have had it work for them. at the minuet i try to eat as much protein after a work out, little help please?
 

Industrialsize

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It's good to have a bit of Protein AND carbs before you workout, then It's very important to have some protein within 30-60 minutes of your workout. Your post workout should be about 40-45 grams. That is about the max your body can absorb at one time. IF you are working out HARD and seriously trying to bulk up, 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight is a good guideline to shoot for as your daily intake.
 

Hockeytiger

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It has been about 4 years since I read the studies covering this, so things may have changed a bit but here's the gist.

1) Consuming 6 grams of protein before a strength (not cardio) workout slightly assists in muscle building. Note that I stressed the words BEFORE, STRENGTH, and SLIGHTLY. The protein is digested into amino acids that can be taken up by the muslces after the strength workout (at least that's how the studies explained it). Consuming more than 6 grams produced NO additional benefit. 6 grams is a very small amount BTW.

1) It was never about consuming protein after a strength workout, it was consuming protein with carbs after a workout. Supposedly, consuming protein and carbs stimulates insulin and that stimulates greater glycogen uptake. But 5 studies I read 4 years ago said there was no benefit.

So here's the bottom line. Consuming protein (plus carbs) after a strength workout showed no additional benefit to eating it at any other time, though there's no harm in it, as long is it is part of a normal healthy diet. However, consuming 6 grams of protein before a workout results in marginal benefits.

Honestly, just eat your protein whenever it is most convenient to you, but make sure it is part of a healthy balanced diet.

Lastly, please remember that a recreational exerciser ought to consume no more than .75 grams of protein per pound of body weight.
 
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Beanie

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ok well thank you for your input every one, and the scientific view from hockey, even though its nots exactally what i wanted to here. if protein has very little effect on muscle growth then why are there so many protein powders etc. for muscle growth out there?
 

Beanie

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yeah ok i get that but there must of been something there in the first place to have been put onto the market. and why are there some many people who swear by it? something just doesnt add up here?
 

D_season 5

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depends on what body part u have worked that day as to what u should being eating afterwords..
if u had a big leg workout..i load up on red grapes and an egg white sandwich without the bread...i use to pieces of Canadian bacon for the bread...low fat..protein and of course the egg white is no fat and all protein..the grapes...high in potassium...to ease the soon to be sore legs in a few days...i only do legs twice a week...and i work currently every body part every day..i just switched to this routine..and i do the Greg plitt ab routine..really great ab workout..
 

Jovial

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I take a serving of protein powder right after I lift weights along with some fruit or something to get some calories also. On days I don't exercise, most times I'll have the protein powder drink anyway at some point.

I've heard that protein only stays in your system for a few hours before it gets converted to sugar. So I try to spread my protein out throughout the day and especially eat protein right before bed. The body actually is constantly breaking down tissue and rebuilding, so there's always some protein in your blood stream to be used by any part of your body. For example, if you get a cut and don't eat any protein for a week, your body will still heal.

So I try to get 1 gram of protein per pound each day and spread it out. I take the protein powder drink right after I lift. And I do notice that I get stronger when I am taking the protein powder. I'm not sure why it would matter so much over just eating regular meat, but it seems to.