Are You Getting The Most Out Of Your Protein Shake?

Protein helps build and maintain your muscles, organs, and cells. It also plays a role in enzyme and hormone production. Let's get into more detail about what you need to know about protein supplementation.

Biggest Protein Bloopers

The biggest issue that people have when they get into regular protein supplementation is quantity. Too many protein shakes a day (ie. 5-6) can cause bloating and digestion problems. Stick to a max of 2 or 3 shakes a day. The second issue is not varying your source of protein. Meat should not be your only source of protein. You should be supplementing with protein powder shakes as well as legumes (soy, beans) or ancient grains (quinoa, bulgar). Finally, it's really bad to have a "protein dump!" Ok, that sounded bad. But that's when you skip protein all day and only eat meat at night. For example, having a muffin for breakfast, a salad for lunch, and steak for dinner will keep you sleepy all day and reduces your muscles' ability to grow! Sound familiar? Uh oh...time to reassess your diet.

Best Time of Day for a Protein Shake

There is a lot of debate about this online, so we did our research. It turns out that scholarly articles on the physiological process called muscle protein synthesis (MPS), are actually in agreement: about 4 hours after a workout your muscles start to synthesize protein at an elevated rate of 50% of the normal rate. About 20-24 hours after a workout, your muscles are synthesizing at 100% above the normal rate! So clearly you will need to forget about the time of day, and instead time your shakes to capitalize on that post workout peak time.

To Summarize Scheduling

If you work out before work (around 7am), then have a shake mid-morning, and extra protein for dinner or another shake on the side. If you work out at lunch, have a protein shake right after work and again when you wake up in the morning. If you work out after work (around 5pm), then have a protein shake before you go to bed and when you wake up in the morning.

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Not sure what protein powder to choose? We've done our research and discovered that Catalyst Protein is one of the leanest and most complex protein powder out there. Our trainers supplement with this, and have reached fitness goals they have been aiming for for years! Check it out by clicking here, and get a 10% discount!   For more helpful diet suggestions, check out the BodyRock Meal Plan!