1. Protein after sleep.

On average, most people sleep 7-8 hours a night. When the body does not receive food during this time, it begins to use stored energy sources, that is: glycogen from the liver and muscles, and amino acids that it receives due to muscle breakdown.

In addition, the production of the hormone cortisol rises in the morning, as a result of which the process of catabolism of muscle tissue starts, in order to prevent it, it is necessary to take a portion of fast protein. Whey protein or protein hydrolyzate would be the best choice in this case.

2. During the day.

When gaining muscle mass, it is important to create conditions under which the amino acid pool will be continuously replenished. To do this, you need to eat often, and between meals drink 2-4 servings of protein of about 20 g. If you know that you will not be able to eat for a long time, be sure to take a serving of slow or complex protein.

3. Protein before training.

In addition to your usual meal, 2 hours before training, you should take a small portion of “fast” whey protein or 20 minutes BCAA. BCAAs are essential amino acids, they make up to a third of all muscle tissue proteins and are used as an energy source during intense muscle work.

If there is no high concentration of amino acids in the blood during exercise, the body will break down muscle protein and use it to meet its energy needs. Taking a highly digestible whey protein shortly before a workout will provide the body with the necessary amount of BCAAs and help you avoid muscle catabolism.

4. Protein after training.

Protein intake after a workout is very important. At this time, your body is especially good at absorbing nutrients. Glycogen stores are exhausted, the concentration of amino acids and sugar in the blood is low. To quickly replenish the spent carbohydrate reserves and quickly raise the level of amino acids in the blood immediately after training, it is recommended to use a gainer.

Protein will quickly ensure the supply of amino acids to the blood, and carbohydrates will be used to restore glycogen. Intake of carbohydrates with a high glycemic index will cause a sharp release of insulin, which will ensure better absorption of nutrients by the cells of the body and will contribute to the speedy recovery.

If you’re on a fat-burning program, then you should ditch the carbs in your post-workout shake and limit yourself to whey protein concentrate or isolate. The usual meal can go an hour and a half after that.

5. Protein before bed.

It is widely believed that eating before bed leads to the accumulation of fat in the body. This statement is justified in relation to the consumption of carbohydrates and fats, but not in relation to protein (although this is true only for physically active people). For the next 6-8 hours you won’t be able to eat and your body won’t get the amino acids it needs to grow and repair.

Therefore, to prevent nighttime muscle tissue catabolism, it is recommended to take a portion of slow protein 30 minutes before bedtime, which will provide a long-term stable level of amino acids in the blood throughout the night.

The ideal choice here would be a complex mixture that includes proteins with different absorption rates: whey, milk, micellar casein, etc.

OPTIMAL TIME TO TAKE PROTEIN WHEN WORKING ON RELIEF

When losing weight, it is important to consume proteins during the day in between meals, as there is not enough of them with food, so health problems can arise, your muscles will begin to break down and the weight loss process will not proceed effectively. It is known that with weight loss and gain, you should eat at least 5-6 times a day, and here protein shakes come to the rescue, making life much easier by replacing 2-3 meals with a concentrated protein product that does not contain fats and carbohydrates, which can seriously interfere with the achievement of your sports goals.

Portions of protein for weight loss are 1/2 of the standard (15 g). Also take 1/2 serving of protein 2 hours before workout and 2 hours after workout.

Use proteins during weight loss, which include complex and slow types of protein. So you will ensure a constant supply of amino acids into the blood for several hours, before a full meal.