Does eating protein before bed help muscles grow?
The Impact of Pre-sleep Protein Ingestion on the Skeletal Muscle Adaptive Response to Exercise in Humans: An Update
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
The gut continues to digest and absorb protein efficiently during sleep.
Many assume digestion slows or stops at night, but this study shows 40g of protein is fully processed overnight — even via oral intake — boosting muscle growth.
Practical Takeaways
Take 30g of casein or slow-digesting protein before bed if you're a young adult doing resistance training.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
The gut continues to digest and absorb protein efficiently during sleep.
Many assume digestion slows or stops at night, but this study shows 40g of protein is fully processed overnight — even via oral intake — boosting muscle growth.
Practical Takeaways
Take 30g of casein or slow-digesting protein before bed if you're a young adult doing resistance training.
Publication
Journal
Frontiers in Nutrition
Year
2019
Authors
T. Snijders, J. Trommelen, I. W. Kouw, A. Holwerda, L. Verdijk, L. V. van Loon
Related Content
Claims (9)
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.
If young guys who work out lift weights regularly, having a snack with about 30 grams of protein before bed might help them build more muscle and get stronger — especially if they don’t already eat a lot of protein during the day.
Eating protein before bed won’t mess with your hunger or slow down your metabolism the next morning — so it’s safe to add to your daily routine if you're a healthy or overweight young guy.
If older adults eat protein before bed and also do strength training or use muscle-stimulating devices earlier, their muscles may repair and grow more overnight.
Eating 20 to 40 grams of protein before bed helps your muscles repair and grow overnight, especially if you worked out in the evening.