Protein supplements are good for everyone. Whether you are building muscles, or are simply trying to reach a healthier weight, protein supplements are a great addition on top of a healthy diet. Now since protein shakes do not really act as substitutes for your daily meal, and are more like additions to help you reach your goal, there may be quite a bit of confusion regarding the best time to take them. Now there is no definite answer to this question; when you drink the protein shake really depends on your health goals. In this article, we will try to determine when you should drink protein shakes, and what benefit each timing has.
In the morning
Athletes are used to drinking a protein shake, preferably a soy protein shake, right in the morning, before breakfast. In fact, the best practice would be to drink the shake as breakfast, adding some fruits and vegetables to the platter as well. This will keep you energetic till lunch, and curb hunger pangs so that you won’t have to reach for unhealthy mid morning snacks. Choose the shake right; something low carb, maybe with added soy protein, works best as the breakfast drink.
Before and after training
The branched chain amino acids in many kinds of protein helps maintain and replenish the glycogen storage of the body. The more glycogen your body can produce, the more energetic you will be. Needless to say, this makes protein shakes the ideal drink to have right before and after working out. You will need a lot of energy to carry yourself through a strenuous workout session, hence it is a good idea to drink a protein shake before the session. Following a workout, your muscles are in need for repairs, and their tiredness causes them to absorb proteins most efficiently. Besides, protein helps in fast repair of the tiny muscle tears that happen during a workout.
Anytime of the day
You can take a protein shake any time during the day, depending on your routine and your diet. Ideally, if you find yourself feeling tired all though the day, you are lacking in energy, which might be the result of insufficient protein intake. If you do not have the time to make yourself a lunch with a balanced protein content, you can always have small lunches and take a small protein shake with each of them. Mix and match the shakes; check the ingredients to ensure that you are taking in both plant and animal protein.
There is really no bad time to take a protein supplement, except maybe before going to bed or for dinner. At night, the process of metabolism begins to slow down; besides, proteins are heavy and do not quite conform to the low calorie dinner rule. It would be more difficult to process the protein during night time; besides, your energy levels will shoot up a lot, and you will find yourself unable to sleep. Apart from this, protein supplements are good to go practically any time of the day. If you are bodybuilding, speak to your trainer to know the right amount you should take every day.