Does eating protein before bed help muscles grow?
Effects of pre-sleep protein consumption on muscle-related outcomes - A systematic review.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Older men show increased overnight muscle synthesis but don’t gain long-term strength or muscle
It contradicts the assumption that if protein synthesis goes up, muscle gains should follow—especially in older adults who are often targeted for such interventions.
Practical Takeaways
Young men doing resistance training could try taking 20–40g of casein protein 30 minutes before bed to support muscle growth.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Older men show increased overnight muscle synthesis but don’t gain long-term strength or muscle
It contradicts the assumption that if protein synthesis goes up, muscle gains should follow—especially in older adults who are often targeted for such interventions.
Practical Takeaways
Young men doing resistance training could try taking 20–40g of casein protein 30 minutes before bed to support muscle growth.
Publication
Journal
Journal of science and medicine in sport
Year
2020
Authors
C. Reis, L. Loureiro, H. Roschel, Teresa H. M. da Costa
Related Content
Claims (5)
Drinking a protein shake with casein before bed helps your muscles grow and get stronger while you sleep, especially if you're working out.
Drinking a protein shake with 20-40 grams of casein right before bed might help your muscles repair and grow overnight — even if you worked out earlier in the day.
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.
We're not sure if eating protein before bed helps older people build stronger muscles, even though it might help their bodies make more muscle overnight — we just don’t have enough long-term studies to say for sure.
If you're eating more protein overall, it might be that—not your bedtime snack—that's helping your muscles grow. So taking protein before bed might not be the real reason for better results.