Does a bedtime protein shake help older guys get stronger?
Protein Supplementation after Exercise and before Sleep Does Not Further Augment Muscle Mass and Strength Gains during Resistance Exercise Training in Active Older Men.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Older men who lifted weights three times a week got stronger and built muscle over 12 weeks, but taking a protein shake after workouts and before bed didn’t help more than a fake shake with no protein.
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 547 / 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 lifted weights three times a week got stronger and built muscle over 12 weeks, but taking a protein shake after workouts and before bed didn’t help more than a fake shake with no protein.
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 547 / 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
Holwerda AM, Overkamp M, Paulussen KJM, Smeets JSJ, van Kranenburg J, Backx EMP, Gijsen AP, Goessens JPB, Verdijk LB, van Loon LJC
Related Content
Claims (4)
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.
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.
For older guys who lift weights, having a protein shake with 3 grams of leucine right after workouts and before bed doesn’t help build more muscle or strength than just having a placebo drink with the same calories.
If older guys who are already active do full-body strength training three times a week for three months, they’ll get stronger legs and bigger leg muscles—even without adding extra protein to their diet.