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Analysis v1
Strong Support

For older guys in their 60s and 70s who already eat enough protein, taking 40 grams of protein right after working out or just before bed doesn’t help build bigger leg muscles any more than just working out — the muscle gains are about the same no matter when they take it.

79
Pro
0
Against

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

79

Community contributions welcome

79

Neither pre-sleep nor post-exercise protein consumption influences resistance exercise training adaptations in older adults

Randomized Controlled Trial
Human
2025 Dec

The study found that taking protein right after workouts or before bed didn’t help older men gain more muscle compared to just doing the workouts, as long as they were already eating enough protein overall.

Contradicting (0)

0

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No contradicting evidence found

Gold Standard Evidence Needed

According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.

Source Study

Neither pre-sleep nor post-exercise protein consumption influences resistance exercise training adaptations in older adults

Score: 79
DOI: 10.1080/15502783.2025.2519511

Similar Assertions

Older guys (60–75) who already eat enough protein don’t get stronger or build more muscle from extra protein shakes, even if they drink them after working out or before bed—just lifting weights is enough.

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Eating protein before bed might help young guys build muscle and get stronger when they lift weights for 10 to 12 weeks, but it doesn’t seem to work as reliably for older men.

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If young, healthy guys eat protein before bed while lifting weights for 12 weeks, their muscle fibers grow way more than if they don’t — like almost double the growth, according to one study.

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Eating protein before bed might help young guys build more muscle and get stronger when they lift weights for 10–12 weeks, but it doesn’t seem to help older men the same way.

20
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Older guys who lift weights and take a protein shake after workouts and before bed get the same muscle-building effect as those who take a fake shake with the same calories — so the protein might not actually help at the molecular level.

47
0
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