Does eating protein before bed help muscles grow stronger?
Protein Ingestion before Sleep Increases Muscle Mass and Strength Gains during Prolonged Resistance-Type Exercise Training in Healthy Young Men.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Type II muscle fiber growth was more than twice as high in the protein group.
Many assume all muscle fibers respond similarly to training and nutrition, but this suggests pre-sleep protein may selectively boost fast-twitch fibers—key for explosive performance.
Practical Takeaways
Consider taking 27.5g of protein before bed if you're doing resistance training and want to maximize muscle growth.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Type II muscle fiber growth was more than twice as high in the protein group.
Many assume all muscle fibers respond similarly to training and nutrition, but this suggests pre-sleep protein may selectively boost fast-twitch fibers—key for explosive performance.
Practical Takeaways
Consider taking 27.5g of protein before bed if you're doing resistance training and want to maximize muscle growth.
Publication
Journal
The Journal of nutrition
Year
2015
Authors
T. Snijders, Peter T. Res, J. Smeets, S. van Vliet, J. V. van Kranenburg, K. Maase, A. Kies, L. Verdijk, L. V. van Loon
Related Content
Claims (4)
Drinking a protein shake with casein before bed helps your muscles grow and get stronger while you sleep, especially if you're working out.
If young, healthy guys lift weights for 12 weeks and drink a protein shake before bed, they gain more strength—about 34 kg more—compared to those who don’t, according to one study.
If young, healthy guys lift weights for 12 weeks and drink a protein shake before bed, they might gain more leg muscle than those who don’t — about the size of a small egg more.
If young, healthy guys lift weights for 12 weeks and drink protein before bed, their power-producing muscles might grow way more than if they don’t — like almost double the growth, according to this claim.