Timing Protein Shakes

Hi. I’d appreciate feedback regarding optimal timing of protein shakes, and powder to liquid ratio (if this is important). Thanks!

Hope the ratio doesn’t matter. As for timing, I’m not sure that’s too important either. You may want to have a casein-based protein before going to bed, though.

Curious as to what others think.

Amount of water is to preference. I like 'em thin so I add lotsa water. Some say you ought to drink it within 1/2 hour after your last set. I personally don’t think it matters if the rest of your diet is providing nutriment enough. Drink it whenever you want just for the calorie surplus.

I’ll bet that if you post this in Strength Sports or Bodybuilding you’ll get all sorts of neato answers. Not that I’m recommending that…

I have to admit I am a protein junkie. Given my schedule and the food choices at work, I tend to get half my protein from shakes.
As Skid said, you’ll get lots of answers. The prevalent one I have seen is anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour after lifting. And, to echo sfp, I have read the casein-based, just before bed, in numerous articles.
Also, some folks like to have it in their systems going into the workout.
Not to be outdone, I just do both (not the casein)…and usually start my off days with one. A failing of mine, the shakes are just too convenient.

The stardard post workout is within 60 minutes of your last set. The key though is it must contain an insulin boosting agent. The best thing is to just get Surge, post workout. During the day it doesnt matter that much except that you should ingest 30 grams at every meal. There are some studies that conclude that whey protein is helpful about thirty minutes prior to lifting. It delays the catabolic state that occurs when lifting.

GREAT replies from everyone. Thanks so much for your opinions!

I have the goal of 400g of protein per day. In order to do that, I drink shakes, as drinks with meals throughout the day. That’s an extra 22g with every meal, 44g if I double them up-- usually casein blend (Biotest Metabolic Drive).

My PWO drink is 3 scoops of Grow! Whey (60+g protein) + whatever the creatine scoop is (5g?). I drink that usually on the drive home while munching on raisins or dried mango or dried apricot, whatever.

My latest periworkout (does that mean during?) formula (in addition to BCAA caps) is a scoop or 2 of Gatorade + 5g Leucine + 5g B-Alanine + 5g Cit. Malate (essentially my “homebrewed” Surge Workout Fuel)…

Listen to the guys who have actually done the scientific research.

According to the book, “Nutrient Timing: The Future of Sports Nutrition” by Ivy and Portman:

“The forty-five minutes immediately following exercise is the metabolic window of opportunity. At no other time during the course of your day can nutrition make such a major difference in your overall training program.”

“Although the muscle has residual catabolic activity following exercise, it is primed to shift into an anabolic state in the presence of the right nutrients. If you don’t exploit this metabolic receptivity, your muscles will remain in the catabolic state and even begin to develop insulin resistance.”

“Activation of protein synthesis (muscle building) by amino acids is most responsive immediately following exercise.”

So what about actual real life results?

“In a twelve-week training study published in The Journal of Physiology, they reported that when a carbohydrate/protein mixture was given immediately after each exercise session, muscle size increased 8 percent and strength increased 15 percent. When the supplement was given two hours later, there was no muscle hypertrophy (growth) or improvement in strength.”

The story doesn’t stop there. In order to maximize your training, you need to pay attention to pre-workout, during workout, and post-workout nutrition. Periworkout means “around-workout” and encompasses all three phases.

If you’re serious about your training, you’re being foolish if you ignore nutrient timing.

[quote]SteelyD wrote:
I have the goal of 400g of protein per day. In order to do that, I drink shakes, as drinks with meals throughout the day. That’s an extra 22g with every meal, 44g if I double them up-- usually casein blend (Biotest Metabolic Drive).

My PWO drink is 3 scoops of Grow! Whey (60+g protein) + whatever the creatine scoop is (5g?). I drink that usually on the drive home while munching on raisins or dried mango or dried apricot, whatever.

My latest periworkout (does that mean during?) formula (in addition to BCAA caps) is a scoop or 2 of Gatorade + 5g Leucine + 5g B-Alanine + 5g Cit. Malate (essentially my “homebrewed” Surge Workout Fuel)… [/quote]

400 grams?? Wow! That is some serious protein intake. I would need a protein IV to hit that.

Thanks for all your feedback. To Happydog48, and the rest, my situation is that I’m very carb sensitive. I’ve eliminated starches from my diet (rice, pastas, anything with sugar) as I tend to keep fat on when I eat anything starchy (even whole grains).

Therefore, I’ve only been taking in protein (with creatine and glutamine)after my workout. Given my carb senstivity, should this make a difference? Thanks again.

are you a fat guy like me?

I was on a mostly protein shake diet for about a month, and except for the terrible farts, it was okay.

Chris Shugart has written some pretty good stuff regarding postworkout nutrition. I have a mix of 60g protein and 50g carbs (in the form of 1/2 cup of oatmeal). I drink it within about 20 minutes of my workout.

I can’t say if its done anything great in terms of my strength, but I know that it has made all the difference in the world in terms of recovery, which is really important for those of us with “advanced maturity”.

According to Shugart, even if you are on a strict high protein diet like the velocity diet, you still need to get a good 50g of carbs with your protein post workout.

that’s my story, and im sticking to it.
old lardass