The Study
Protein Supplementation after Exercise and before Sleep Does Not Further Augment Muscle Mass and Strength Gains during Resistance Exercise Training in Active Older Men.
This study watched two groups of older men who did weight training and either took protein or a fake powder. Both groups got stronger and built more muscle, and there was no big difference between them. So, it looks like the protein didn’t help much — but because we don’t know all the details about how the study was done, we can’t say for sure.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
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.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 547 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1The results show that resistance training works for older men, but adding a protein shake at night doesn’t make it work better.
- 2Both groups gained about the same strength (from ~85kg to ~103kg in leg press), similar increases in leg muscle size (~6 cm²), and same muscle fiber growth.
- 3Protein synthesis was 1.62% per day in placebo vs 1.57% in protein group.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
The Journal of nutrition
Year
2018
Authors
A. Holwerda, M. Overkamp, K. Paulussen, J. Smeets, J. V. van Kranenburg, E. Backx, A. Gijsen, J. Goessens, L. Verdijk, L. V. van Loon
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.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.