Browse evidence-based analysis of health-related claims and assertions
Eating protein after working out doesn't change most amino acid levels in your muscles, but it does increase the levels of branched-chain amino acids like leucine, especially with bigger protein meals.
Descriptive
When you eat a big protein meal (100g) after working out, a larger portion of the protein building blocks for your muscles comes directly from that meal (27%) compared to a smaller meal (9%).
Quantitative
Eating protein after working out only affects the muscle's signaling pathways for about 4 hours - after that, the signaling goes back to normal even though muscle building continues.
Causal
Eating protein after working out doesn't change the muscle's cleanup process for damaged proteins - the body still cleans up damaged proteins normally even after eating protein.
Eating a big protein meal (100g) after working out makes your body make more plasma proteins than a smaller meal (25g) - about 14-20% more over 4-12 hours.
Eating protein after working out doesn't change how fast your muscles break down protein - it just helps build more muscle without affecting the breakdown process.
When you eat a big protein meal (100g) after working out, your muscles absorb more of that protein for building than when you eat a smaller meal (25g) - about 13% of the big meal gets used for muscle building.
Eating protein after working out doesn't make your body burn more protein as fuel than it needs for building muscle - most of the protein goes toward building muscle instead of being burned for energy.
When you eat a big protein meal (100g) after working out, your body releases more protein building blocks into your blood than when you eat a smaller meal (25g) - about 53g vs 16g over 12 hours.
Eating a big protein meal (100g) after working out makes your muscles keep building for longer than a smaller meal (25g), at least for 12 hours.
Glycine helps people sleep better in a different way than sleeping pills, because it helps them fall asleep faster and reach deep sleep faster without changing how much time they spend in different sleep stages.
Taking 3 grams of glycine before bed doesn't make people feel sleepy during the day.
Taking 3 grams of glycine before bed doesn't change how quickly people respond in memory tasks.
Taking 3 grams of glycine before bed doesn't change how long it takes to reach REM sleep.
Taking 3 grams of glycine before bed doesn't change how much time people spend in different sleep stages (light sleep, deep sleep, REM sleep).
Taking 3 grams of glycine before bed makes people feel less sleepy at 10 AM the next day.
Taking 3 grams of glycine before bed helps people remember things better at noon the next day.
Taking 3 grams of glycine before bed helps people spend more time actually sleeping while in bed, rather than lying awake.
Taking 3 grams of glycine before bed helps people reach deep sleep faster, as measured by sleep monitoring equipment.
Taking 3 grams of glycine before bed helps people fall asleep faster, as measured by sleep monitoring equipment.
Taking 3 grams of glycine before bed makes people who have trouble sleeping feel more satisfied with their sleep.