A diet rich in protein is essential whether you’re trying to reduce or gain weight. According to the American Dietary Guidelines, your daily calorie intake should include:
Protein consumption should be 0.8 grammes per kilogramme of body weight per day. However, research shows that athletes benefit from consuming extra protein in order to enhance muscle building. Those who lift weights or engage in resistance training on a regular basis may benefit from ingesting 1.3 to 1.8 grammes of protein per kilogramme of body weight per day.
An active 180-pound guy should take around 106 to 147 grammes of protein per day for muscular building. Protein should be consumed in the range of 83 to 114 grammes per day by a 140-pound active woman.
Is there a certain time when you should take this protein? While getting your daily protein intake is the most essential thing, research shows that protein timing can make a difference.
The evidence on whether ingesting protein soon after an exercise promotes muscle development is conflicting. Protein taken before bedtime has been shown in several trials to promote muscular development.
Is Pre-Sleep Protein Consumption Better?
But is it pre-sleep protein that boosts muscle growth, or is it simply a greater overall protein and calorie intake?
Only one research has attempted to answer this issue, and it has failed. It was shown that when normal lifters used a midnight casein supplement instead of a morning casein supplement, fat-free mass increases were higher (+1.2 kg vs +0.4 kg) after 8 weeks of unchanged training. However, because there were only 26 individuals, the difference was not statistically significant.
“We determined that a large number of individuals would be required to establish whether there is a difference in reaction to pre-sleep protein vs protein consumption at other times of the day,” Snijders adds.
However, there are already a slew of indirect signs suggesting pre-sleep protein is helpful to healthy young lifters. Sleep is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for muscle repair and development. According to Snijders, pre-sleep protein can be utilised to optimise protein consumption distribution throughout the day.
Muscles can only develop and heal themselves if the proper building blocks, amino acids from protein, are present in the bloodstream. However, unlike blood glucose, the body does not retain and release amino acids to keep circulation levels near constant.
“A survey of over 500 sportsmen revealed that they generally consumed more than 1.2 grammes of protein per kilogramme of bodyweight throughout three meals, but just 7 grammes as an evening snack. As a result, the amount of amino acids available for muscle development during nighttime sleep would be reduced.”
Will muscles just utilise less throughout the day if pre-sleep protein ingestion permits them to cram in more amino acids at night? Snijders says that this isn’t the case.
“Protein supplementation at each meal appears to have additive muscle-building benefits. One study discovered that eating a lot of protein (60g whey) before going to bed did not affect the muscle protein synthesis response to a high-protein meal the next day.
“Moreover, studies have indicated that taking a protein supplement before night has little effect on hunger the next morning, indicating that it is unlikely to reduce overall protein or calorie consumption.”
Bedtime protein won’t ‘make you fat’ or ruin your sleep. Is there any danger in attempting pre-sleep protein while the evidence is still inconclusive? After all, it does include ingesting calories prior to a prolonged period of inactivity.
Evidence For Drinking Casein Protein Every Night
“The extra ingestion of protein calories did not result in any gain in fat mass in the 8-week morning versus evening casein trial, despite the fact that exercise volume did not alter,” Snijders says. “However, because of the small number of volunteers involved, these findings should be taken with care.
“Another study revealed that a pre-sleep casein shake really enhanced the rate of fat burning the next day in 11 young athletic males. This might be because eating casein lowers your insulin response to subsequent meals, forcing your body to burn more fat.”
Pre-bed protein consumption, particularly casein, does not appear to’make you fat,’ at least according to these research findings. It does, in fact, appear to boost fat metabolism.
Finally, while pre-sleep protein keeps Snijders awake at night, it won’t hinder you from obtaining your well-deserved slumber. “Pre-sleep protein intake has been demonstrated to have no effect on sleep onset latency or sleep quality.”
Why Take Casein Protein Before Bed?
According to the idea, consuming a couple scoops of casein protein powder shortly before bedtime provides your body with all the protein it requires to rebuild and repair your muscles.
Remember: Sleep does not equal inactivity. When you exercise, your muscle fibres are really damaged. Your body responds by repairing them to make them larger, stronger, and more prepared for the next battle.
This all happens when you sleep, but it can’t be done correctly if you don’t get enough protein. Several studies have supported this technique, demonstrating that eating casein before bed promotes muscle repair and absorption during sleeping.
Casein May Support Muscle Growth
Choosing casein protein to assist muscle development, especially if taken before night, may be beneficial. Men were advised to do a single round of weightlifting in the evening and then provided protein thereafter in one trial. Before going to bed, half of these guys were given a casein-containing drink, and all of them were evaluated.
The findings show that individuals who ate casein before bed had higher rates of muscle synthesis (muscle development), implying that consuming casein before bed can help with muscle recovery.
Simple things like combining a scoop of casein protein powder with water and drinking it before night might give you the boost you need to accomplish your muscle-building objectives.
Does Casein Protein Burn Fat At Night?
It is well recognised that a high-protein diet aids weight reduction. Casein, in instance, can help you feel satisfied for longer, resulting in you eating less calories in the long term.
In fact, one research involving overweight men who received casein supplementation found that this protein helped them lose an average of 8% of their body weight. Incorporating casein protein into one’s diet might be an easy way to assist weight-loss objectives.
How To Supplement With Casein And Maximise The Benefits
Casein protein powder is a high-quality protein source that is also very easy to use. If you’re taking it before or after a workout, a faster-digesting version, such as casein hydrolysate, makes sense — or you could just take whey protein.
The majority of people who supplement with casein do so before going to bed. For instance, 1-2 scoops (25-50 grammes) of casein protein powder combined with water can be consumed. Simply combine casein and water in a shaker container and shake to combine, or blend with ice in a blender.
Alternatively, you may put it in a bowl with little water and mix it until it has a pudding-like consistency, then freeze it for 5 minutes. Then it tastes like ice cream or icing, especially if you choose chocolate or vanilla flavours.
Natural dairy products, on the other hand, contain lots of casein. This protein is abundant in milk, natural yoghurt, and cheese. Cottage cheese or a high-protein natural yoghurt are two popular methods to obtain a lot of dairy protein without consuming a lot of calories.
Conclusion
Casein is a slow-digesting protein that can help you build muscle and recuperate after a workout. It can enhance your health and raise your overall daily protein consumption if you take it. This is a crucial aspect of weight loss and muscular development.
To enhance recovery and decrease protein breakdown, take 1–2 scoops of casein protein powder or a big glass of milk before night. Finally, casein is an underappreciated source of high-quality protein. If you give it a try, you will not be disappointed.
We don’t have clear proof that adding a pre-sleep protein supplement to your workout routine would help you lose weight, but it’s worth a shot — and more research.