Timing is everything in training – both in workouts and meals. Whey protein is an excellent supplement, but knowing when to take whey protein is half of it’s magic. Should you take it pre or post workout? Morning, noon or night? What about all day long? Does it even really matter? Yes – it does; very much so. Look upon it as a tactical operation; sometimes you’ll send regular troops in, other times, Delta Force. Whey protein is Delta Force, and you are it’s commanding officer. This article will give you the exact times whey protein will work the best, to ensure that every dose you take is money well spent, because you’ll get the results you are looking for.
Let’s first look at the special properties of whey protein…
- It’s a complete protein…
- It has a super-high absorption value…
- It’s fast acting…
Certainly, those properties are valuable to us almost all of the time; but we’re now talking about a supplement which usually comes with a daily dosage recommendation of two or three which shouldn’t really be exceeded by far or often, so we’ve got to take our ‘hit’ during the times they are most needed and when they’ll be most useful.
There are 2 such times…
Dose #1: Morning
In the morning when we first wake, we have in effect been starved of nutrients for the entire time we have been asleep – and in the world of building muscle, this is a lifetime. We’ve got to get some protein in their fast, and start the muscle building process again; aha – whey protein!
Dose #2: Post-workout
Without doubt, this is the most important time to take whey protein. After a workout, your muscles are literally crying out for nutrients to repair. Most important of all during this time is protein. You have a 45-minute to an hour window of opportunity post-workout during which the muscles are hyper-enthusiastic about accepting protein and other nutrients into themselves for repair and growth. The sooner the nutrients get in there, the sooner the repair can take place. Again, what better time to make use of our super-fast acting friend whey protein?
Also, a dose of whey protein helps to boost insulin which helps get the nutrients into the muscles no end. Think of insulin as getting into an exclusive club easy because you are with a famous face. Well, insulin would be Tom Cruise. With insulin being as welcome to the muscles as it is, that means there are less likely to be any left-over nutrients unused by the muscles – which means maximum gains in lean muscle mass, and minimum gains in fat. So, whey is extremely useful for people trying to lose fat or gain lean muscle mass.
What about pre-workout, or even during a workout?
I’ve seen many people asking when to take whey protein and for others to advise them to take it pre workout ‘because it will provide enough protein to prevent muscle breakdown during workout.’
Why whey, I ask?
First of all, a workout should be short – around 45 minutes to an hour maximum. During that short time, while the fibres will be very fatigued and lacking glycogen, virtually no actual muscle protein (fibre) breakdown will occur. It’s what you do soon after your workout that counts most. By the time your short workout is finished, you will be onto your post workout meal – which should include whey protein, anyway.
Any kind of protein (which should be part of your pre-workout meal around an hour before, just as it should be part of every meal) can tide you over during a workout; it doesn’t have to be whey. So unless you are ultra paranoid that you are going to be entering the gym looking like Mr. T and leaving the gym looking like E.T. why waste a valuable dose of whey protein before or during a workout? Save it for afterwards.
Now you know when to take whey protein, you can feel good in the knowledge that it’s doing what it does best and giving you maximum results for your money.