If young men who don’t usually lift weights drink a special protein-and-sugar shake one hour after working out, their muscles build protein much faster—nearly triple the rate—than if they just worked out alone, probably because the shake turns on key muscle-building signals in their cells.

We analyzed two studies and found that a leucine-enriched amino acid and carbohydrate shake consumed about an hour after weightlifting appears to increase muscle protein synthesis nearly three times faster than exercise alone in young men who don’t usually lift weights. Both studies reported the same pattern: when participants drank the shake after their workout, their muscles built protein at a much higher rate than when they only exercised without the shake. This effect seems linked to the shake activating key signals inside muscle cells that help trigger protein production [1], [2]. The evidence we’ve reviewed so far consistently supports this finding. Neither study showed any contradiction or lack of effect. The shake contains leucine—an amino acid known to play a role in muscle signaling—along with carbohydrates, which may help deliver nutrients to muscles more efficiently after training. The timing—about an hour after lifting—also appears important, as it aligns with when muscle cells are most responsive to nutrients. We don’t know if this effect holds for women, older adults, or experienced lifters, because the studies only looked at young, untrained men. We also don’t know how long the increased protein synthesis lasts or whether it leads to more muscle growth over weeks or months. But based on what we’ve reviewed so far, the combination of this specific shake and resistance exercise seems to create a stronger signal for muscle building than exercise by itself. If you’re new to lifting and want to give your muscles the best possible signal to rebuild after a workout, having a shake with protein, carbs, and leucine about an hour after training may help—especially if you’re not used to lifting yet.