Is it worth it to use a protein supplement before bedtime?

Protein nutritional supplements have been in high demand for many decades among people engaged in sports at both recreational and competitive levels. They are among the most popular products that athletes of various sports regularly reach for. Let's find out whether it's worth using a protein supplement not only after training, but also before bedtime.

• Protein in the diet of an athlete - why so important?
• Protein in the diet of an athlete - requirements.
• Protein conditioner at night - what benefits does it provide?
• Casein vs whey protein at night
• Protein supplement for the night - so which one to choose?
• Protein supplement for the night - dosage.

Protein in the diet of an athlete - why so important?

Protein is found in all living cells and has both functional and structural properties, accounting for 15-20% of total body weight. Nearly half of the protein in the human body is found in the form of skeletal muscle. Protein is also an important building block of other tissues (including bone, cartilage, tendons, skin and blood), as well as functional molecules such as enzymes and hormones. Adequate protein intake in the diets of professional and amateur athletes is one of the most important factors affecting muscle mass and strength gains and post-workout regeneration. Protein is a macronutrient that is responsible for skeletal muscle remodeling, repairing damaged tissues, structural changes in tendons and bones, reducing symptoms of exercise-induced skeletal muscle damage, and increasing strength and lean body mass.

Protein in the diet of an athlete - requirements.

According to the current state of knowledge, the daily intake of protein to meet the needs of a person who regularly performs strength training aimed at building muscle mass and strength is in the range of 1.6 to 2.2 g per kg of total body weight per day. For people who want to simultaneously build muscle mass and reduce fat mass (so-called body shape recomposition), a daily protein intake of 2.6 to 3.5 g per kg of lean body mass is recommended. In order to meet the recommended daily protein intake, you should eat a minimum of four meals per day, each of which should contain about 40 g of protein. It is extremely important that one meal containing about 40 g of protein be consumed no later than two hours after weight training in order to stimulate muscle protein synthesis and accelerate the rate of post-workout recovery. In addition, it is increasingly recommended to consume protein nutrition at night to increase muscle mass and strength gains.

Protein conditioner at night - what benefits does it provide?

Studies have shown that protein consumed before bed is efficiently digested and absorbed in the digestive tract. Overnight protein supplement stimulates overnight muscle protein synthesis and allows the body to achieve a positive net protein balance throughout the night. Using a protein supplement at night increases muscle mass and strength gains in people who regularly perform weight training with loads. Therefore, consuming protein before bed is now widely recommended as a strategy to improve overnight recovery and facilitate the adaptive response of skeletal muscle to physical training. Recent scientific reports have shown that the consumption of a protein supplement at night increases the rate of myofibrillar and mitochondrial protein synthesis during overnight recovery from evening endurance exercise.

Casein vs whey protein at night

It is often suggested that micellar casein is the preferred type of protein before bed to stimulate nocturnal anabolic processes. Micellar casein is a slowly digested protein that forms a clot in the stomach, resulting in a moderate but more sustained release of amino acids after a meal. Consumption of a micellar casein-based protein supplement about 30 minutes before bedtime has been shown to increase plasma amino acid levels throughout the night and effectively stimulate all-night muscle anabolism. Whey protein, on the other hand, is widely regarded as the highest quality protein source. Compared to micellar casein, whey is a more rapidly digested protein, and its consumption results in a rapid but more transient increase in plasma amino acid levels after a meal. In addition, whey protein has a higher content of essential amino acids (essential for the human body) and provides more leucine compared to an identical amount of casein protein.

Protein supplement for the night - so which one to choose?

Various studies have compared the response of muscle protein synthesis to whey and casein protein intake. While two studies showed greater postprandial muscle protein synthesis after whey protein consumption compared to casein protein, most studies found no significant differences. In March of the current year, the results of a study were published that, for the first time, compared whey and casein protein intake in terms of their ability to stimulate overnight muscle protein synthesis. Indeed, as shown, the consumption of 45 g of casein and 45 g of whey protein 30 minutes before bedtime did not differ in their ability to stimulate mitochondrial and myofibrillar protein synthesis in young men who performed an endurance exercise session in the evening. This means that you can successfully use an overnight protein supplement that contains both whey protein (e.g. WPC or WPI) and micellar casein, or even a combination of these two milk protein fractions (available in some products on the market).

Protein supplement for the night - dosage.

Current research shows that consuming 40-48 grams of protein about 30 minutes before bedtime can be an effective way to speed up the rate of skeletal muscle recovery after evening strength or endurance training. An overnight protein supplement in the form of micellar casein or whey protein (WPC, or WPI) contributes to alleviating exercise-induced inflammation and damage to skeletal muscle and reducing delayed post-workout muscle soreness. It is now increasingly indicated that casein consumption before bed is not preferred over whey protein as a way to further increase the rate of post-exercise muscle protein synthesis during nighttime sleep.

Sources:

• Antonio J, Ellerbroek A, Peacock C, et al: Casein Protein Supplementation in Trained Men and Women: Morning versus Evening. Int J Exerc Sci. 2017 May 1;10(3):479-486.

• Kerksick CM, Arent S, Schoenfeld BJ, et al: International society of sports nutrition position stand: nutrient timing. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017 Aug 29;14:33.

• Joy JM, Vogel RM, Shane Broughton K, et al: Daytime and nighttime casein supplements similarly increase muscle size and strength in response to resistance training earlier in the day: a preliminary investigation. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2018 May 15;15(1):24.

• Snijders T, Trommelen J, Kouw IWK, et al: The Impact of Pre-sleep Protein Ingestion on the Skeletal Muscle Adaptive Response to Exercise in Humans: An Update. Front Nutr. 2019 Mar 6;6:17.

• Kim J.: Pre-sleep casein protein ingestion: a new paradigm in post-exercise recovery nutrition. Phys Act Nutr. 2020 Jun 30;24(2):6-10.

• Reis CEG, Loureiro LMR, Roschel H, et al: Effects of pre-sleep protein consumption on muscle-related outcomes - A systematic review. J Sci Med Sport. 2021 Feb;24(2):177-182.

• Costa JV, Michel JM, Madzima TA.: The Acute Effects of a Relative Dose of Pre- Sleep Protein on Recovery Following Evening Resistance Exercise in Active Young Men. Sports (Basel). 2021 Mar 26;9(4):44.

• Holwerda AM, Trommelen J, Kouw IWK, et al: Exercise Plus Presleep Protein Ingestion Increases Overnight Muscle Connective Tissue Protein Synthesis Rates in Healthy Older Men. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2021 May 1;31(3):217-226.

• Trommelen J, van Lieshout GAA, Pabla P, et al: Pre-sleep Protein Ingestion Increases Mitochondrial Protein Synthesis Rates During Overnight Recovery from Endurance Exercise: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Sports Med. 2023 Mar 1.

• https://www.ais.gov.au/nutrition/supplements/group_a#isolated_protein_supplement