In the pursuit of muscle growth, proper nutrition is vital, and no macronutrient impacts muscle growth more than protein.
It supplies the literal building blocks (essential amino acids, EAAs) that your body needs to repair damaged muscle tissue and support the construction of new lean muscle tissue.
In the grand scheme of things when it comes to muscle growth, consuming enough total daily protein (along with enough total calories) is most important for achieving your goals.
But, a growing body of research indicates that if you’re seeking the best results possible, then you may also want to dial in the timing of your protein throughout the day.
Today, we’ll discuss how protein before bed can promote muscle growth to help you fast-track your results!
The Science Behind Muscle Growth
Muscle growth is dictated by the balance of muscle protein synthesis (MPS) vs muscle protein breakdown (MPB). When MPS outpaces MPB over a relatively long stretch of time (several months), muscle growth occurs.
Resistance training is an interesting stimulus for the body in that it stimulates protein synthesis, but it also causes muscle breakdown due to the mechanical stress that’s imparted on muscle fibers by the resistance applied to them (cable machines, barbells, dumbbells, etc.).
While resistance training stimulates muscle protein synthesis, it cannot sustain it for the sheer fact that resistance training isn’t supplying your body with a robust supply of protein or amino acids. This is where your daily diet and supplement regimen come into play as they can provide your body with the building blocks it needs to repair and synthesize new muscle.
While protein synthesis and breakdown is constantly going on during the day and night, consuming protein at certain times of the day can be more beneficial for your muscle building goals.
Pre-workout and post-workout (aka the anabolic window) are well-known times to consume protein; however, the concept of consuming protein before bed is relatively foreign to most casual fitness enthusiasts.
Why Protein Before Bed Supports Muscle Growth
For decades, bodybuilders and other competitive athletes have understood the importance of consuming protein before bed, usually in the form of cottage cheese or a casein protein shake.
The reasons for this are two-fold. First, athletes have increased calorie demands due to their high level of physical activity, so a pre-bed snack can help him/her meet their daily calorie needs. Second, pre-bed protein supplies the body with a rich supply of essential amino acids to fuel recovery and growth during sleep.
In case you weren’t aware, when we sleep is when our body does a considerable amount of repair and growth due to the flood of hormonal activity that occurs during sleep. For instance, growth hormone is elevated during this time, and this hormone boosts muscle growth and decreases fat.
Several studies support consuming protein before bed for promoting muscle growth.[1,2,3]
For instance, a 2012 study investigated the effects of protein before bed. Study participants performed an evening resistance training workout and then consumed 20 grams of protein immediately after training. Then, 30 minutes before bed the study group consumed 40 grams of casein protein. Muscle protein synthesis rates were greater in the individuals consuming protein before bed compared to the control group.[1]
Additionally, researchers note that muscle protein synthesis rates are approximately 22% higher during overnight recovery when protein is ingested prior to sleep when compared to the placebo.[2]
The International Society of Sports Nutrition has also stated that “casein protein (~30-40 g) prior to sleep can acutely increase MPS [muscle protein synthesis] and metabolic rate throughout the night.”[3]
Yet another study compared pre-sleep carbohydrate snacks versus protein snacks before sleep and found that individuals consuming protein before bed had improved metabolism.[4]
A 2019 review in Frontiers in Nutrition concluded that “... protein ingestion prior to sleep is an effective interventional strategy to increase muscle protein synthesis rates during overnight sleep and can be applied to support the skeletal muscle adaptive response to resistance-type exercise training.”[5]
Protein Before Bed: Snack Options
If you’re looking to capitalize on pre-bed protein muscle growth, then you want to consume ~20 grams of protein, which is enough to fully stimulate muscle protein synthesis.
Some quality sources of protein to include in your pre-bed snack are:
- Lean beef
- Poultry (chicken, turkey, etc.)
- Seafood (shrimp, salmon, canned oysters, etc.)
- Dairy (Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, milk, etc.)
- Eggs
Before bed, you may not want to eat whole foods, and you may crave something sweet and indulgent.
Protein powder is your friend in this case as it is both high in protein and satisfies your sweet tooth. As an added bonus, it’s light on your stomach so you can rest easily and not experience the stuffed, uncomfortable feeling that so often happens when eating a big meal before bed.
1UP Nutrition offers a variety of protein options, including whey protein, clear protein, vegan protein, and isolate protein powder. You can enjoy these as a shake mixed into water (or milk) or added into a bowl of yogurt, oatmeal, or cereal (and milk) for a more complete bedtime snack that supports muscle growth.
References
- RES, PETER T.1; GROEN, BART1; PENNINGS, BART1; BEELEN, MILOU1; WALLIS, GARETH A.2; GIJSEN, ANNEMIE P.3; SENDEN, JOAN M. G.3; VAN LOON, LUC J. C.1,3. Protein Ingestion before Sleep Improves Postexercise Overnight Recovery. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 44(8):p 1560-1569, August 2012. | DOI: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e31824cc363
- Trommelen J, van Loon LJ. Pre-Sleep Protein Ingestion to Improve the Skeletal Muscle Adaptive Response to Exercise Training. Nutrients. 2016 Nov 28;8(12):763. doi: 10.3390/nu8120763. PMID: 27916799; PMCID: PMC5188418.
- Kerksick CM, Arent S, Schoenfeld BJ, Stout JR, Campbell B, Wilborn CD, Taylor L, Kalman D, Smith-Ryan AE, Kreider RB, Willoughby D, Arciero PJ, VanDusseldorp TA, Ormsbee MJ, Wildman R, Greenwood M, Ziegenfuss TN, Aragon AA, Antonio J. International society of sports nutrition position stand: nutrient timing. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017 Aug 29;14:33. doi: 10.1186/s12970-017-0189-4. PMID: 28919842; PMCID: PMC5596471.
- Kinsey AW, Ormsbee MJ. The health impact of nighttime eating: old and new perspectives. Nutrients. 2015 Apr 9;7(4):2648-62. doi: 10.3390/nu7042648. PMID: 25859885; PMCID: PMC4425165.
- Snijders, T., Trommelen, J., Kouw, I. W. K., Holwerda, A. M., Verdijk, L. B., & van Loon, L. J. C. (2019). The Impact of Pre-sleep Protein Ingestion on the Skeletal Muscle Adaptive Response to Exercise in Humans: An Update . In Frontiers in Nutrition (Vol. 6, p. 17). https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnut.2019.00017
