How important is it to take in some protein right before bed? It’s something I’ve never done, mainly because I’ve always (probably wrongly) associated eating <2 hours before bed with a) fat gains and b) poor sleep quality. Am I totally wrong here?
Secondly, cottage cheese and milk both give me awful bloats and stomach discomfort, so I think I’m lactose intolerant. Would something like micellar casein powder be OK, or am I just as well off having some whole protein, like chicken?
Thanks!
Depends on a few variables
Having a shake b4 bed isn’t a bad idea. Just so long as you have a protein isn’t shitty and full of sugars. It’s good to have it b/c it will feed your body while you sleep.
Try Lactaid; that’s what I use…it’s amazing.
Try milk protein isolates. Much of the lactose has been removed. These are relatively easy to digest and should not interfere with sleep.
Milk protein isolates are 20% whey 80% casein.
There are varying degrees of lactose intolerance.
It is impossible to purify milk proteins such that they are completely devoid of lactose, so if you are REALLY sensitive to lactose, pretty much all whey and casein proteins will bother you. Also, whey and casein proteins are harder on the gut in general. So, your absorption/discomfort depends on you and your overall health.
Try the protein powder without any Lactaid first. Go a few nights with it. If the bloating is really bad, throw in a Lactaid pill or two; always titrate up your dosage and give it a few nights before you increase, just to gauge how your body reacts to the protein.
[quote]plateau wrote:
Depends on a few variables
d) would lactaid theoretically enable me to eat cottage cheese?
e) would something like micellar casein be better/worse than the aforementioned milk protein isolate?
FINALLY 
f) would you say that most physique-conscious athletes/bbs take something right before bed?
I have a protein shake before bed, and it doesn’t really affect my sleep at all as far as I can tell. Sometimes it’s an hour before bed, sometimes it’s 10 minutes, it just depends on when I go to bed and when I remember to drink the shake.
Can’t speak to any of the lactose issues, I’m blessed to be able to drink as much milk as I want and never had any problems.
Caesin or micellar Caesin is ideal, it’s the slowest digesting protein and will feed your body longer into the night than any other protein source in equal amounts. Yes you want to eat protein before bed, sleeping is when your body does a lot of the repair work, you need building blocks to do repairs, so this should be one of your more important meals.
V
Micellar casein or blended protein containing micellar casein would be my suggestion. I take ZMA 60 minutes before bed then make my shake 30 minutes later. When I am finished with my shake I take my dog out to pee, brush my teeth and get in bed. 
Having a nightly routine helps some people with their sleeping.
An example of one of my shakes is as follows. I modify this shake depending on my current goals.
16 ounces of skim milk
One cup of cottage cheese
1/4 cup of walnuts
One scoop of MD Low-Carb
With few exceptions I have a shake or meal every night before bed and have done this for many years. It has never bothered my sleep.
Christopher
Would something like normal whey with fish oils before bed be pretty pointless then?
[quote]ShutUpAndSquat wrote:
Would something like normal whey with fish oils before bed be pretty pointless then?[/quote]
Not pointless, just not ideal. Anything with protein before bed is going to be better than nothing. Throw a tablespoon or two of Peanut Butter in there (hopefully you have switched to natty).
V
[quote]Vegita wrote:
ShutUpAndSquat wrote:
Would something like normal whey with fish oils before bed be pretty pointless then?
Not pointless, just not ideal. Anything with protein before bed is going to be better than nothing. Throw a tablespoon or two of Peanut Butter in there (hopefully you have switched to natty).
V[/quote]
If all you have is whey, then it’s better than nothing. Like Vegita said, add something to slow the digestion of the whey. Maybe add some fiber, or throw in some olive oil, or PB. The fiber/fats will slow down the digestion of the whey, which is beneficial for the overnight period.
[quote]oneforship wrote:
Vegita wrote:
ShutUpAndSquat wrote:
Would something like normal whey with fish oils before bed be pretty pointless then?
Not pointless, just not ideal. Anything with protein before bed is going to be better than nothing. Throw a tablespoon or two of Peanut Butter in there (hopefully you have switched to natty).
V
If all you have is whey, then it’s better than nothing. Like Vegita said, add something to slow the digestion of the whey. Maybe add some fiber, or throw in some olive oil, or PB. The fiber/fats will slow down the digestion of the whey, which is beneficial for the overnight period.[/quote]
Agreed. If I am out of casein or blended protein I use whey with some natural peanut butter. I will also eat/throw in a serving of walnuts or olive oils. While this is not ideal it is still better than nothing. Also, I know some shy away from milk but it is about %80/20 casein/whey. So using milk as your base may help also.
Christopher