Does it matter when older guys drink their protein shake?
Neither pre-sleep nor post-exercise protein consumption influences resistance exercise training adaptations in older adults
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Older men who exercised twice a week got stronger and built muscle over 12 weeks, no matter if they drank protein right after exercise, before bed, or not at all.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 579 / 90
Evidence Score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. Considered the gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Older men who exercised twice a week got stronger and built muscle over 12 weeks, no matter if they drank protein right after exercise, before bed, or not at all.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 579 / 90
Evidence Score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. Considered the gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Publication
Authors
Klemp AO, Ormsbee MJ, Yeh M, Sokolowski CM, Kim DH, Panton LB, Kim JS
Related Content
Claims (4)
Older guys between 60 and 75 who aren't very active can get a lot stronger in just 12 weeks by lifting weights twice a week—even if they don’t take extra protein right after workouts or before bed, as long as they’re already eating enough protein overall.
If you're getting the same amount of protein every day, it doesn't matter whether you drink a shake before bed or at another time — you'll gain the same amount of muscle and strength.
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.
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.