When to Drink Protein Shakes

Here's a common scenario, especially among young lifters. You've started lifting weights on a regular basis. You've more or less ironed out a workable program for yourself, based on the principles of progressive overload and encompassing every major body part (you're not skipping leg day because you're better than that). Progress might be slow at first, but there's definitely progress: you see it in the mirror, and you're consistently adding weight to the bar. 

Still, it feels like there's something missing, like maybe you're leaving some gains on the table. A veteran lifting friend asks you about your protein intake, and you can't give him even a ballpark figure of how many grams of protein you're eating a day. No problem, your friend tells you: just add a protein shake or two to your daily diet and you'll meet your requirements.

Is that true? And is it as simple as drinking one or two scoops of protein per day, or do you need to think about protein timing as well?

RELATED: How Many Protein Shakes Do You Need Per Day?

These are great questions to ask, and luckily for you, we've got answers. 

Why Protein Shakes?

First off, why protein shakes?

To tell you the absolute truth, they are not, in fact, necessary. You can make great gains without ever buying any protein powder. We'll go even further: protein from food sources like meat, eggs and fish is usually superior to protein from powder, as you'll also be ingesting a whole bunch of micronutrients alongside your protein.

But that doesn't mean you shouldn't be drinking a shake or two on the regular. 

Protein powder is incredibly cost-effective, offering you the lowest price per gram of protein you can find, especially if you shop discounts. On top of that, they're incredibly convenient, requiring only a bit of water to mix with, and portable enough that you can always keep a scoop or two on you. Unless you're a maniac, or have no concern for social norms, you're probably not bringing cooked chicken or eggs to the gym with you.

Lastly, protein powders are incredibly versatile. Sure, you can drink your protein powder in shake form, but you can also bake with protein powder, or mix it in to your morning oats or yogurt. 

How to Optimize Your Protein Intake Timing

Alright, we've convinced you that protein powder is a worthy investment. Now it's time to educate you on the basics of protein timing. 

Protein Shakes in the Morning

The word  breakfast should give you a hint as to its importance. You're breaking the fast imposed on your body by sleep. Assuming you got your requisite 7-8 hours of sleep, your body is going to be both dehydrated and nutrient-starved when you wake up, which makes the morning an ideal time to drink a protein shake.

You could just do the protein-and-water mix, but if you don't hate your taste buds or just want a more delicious, nutrient-rich option, we recommend you make yourself a delicious protein-rich smoothie. Not only is this a great way to get a high dose of protein in early in the day, it's also a good way to knock out some micronutrient needs. Bananas, strawberries, blueberries and spinach all mix easily into smoothies and complement the taste of your shake. 

Protein Shakes Before Bedtime

Remember how sleeping is actually a fast for your body? Well, you can actually prepare your body for that fast by ingesting some protein right before bed. Ordinary whey protein will do the trick, but slow-digesting casein protein powder is actually the better option, as it will fuel your body for longer into the night. 

You can definitely opt to drink a casein shake before bed, but it turns out that casein protein is also the preferred powder to bake with, so if you don't enjoy the taste or texture of protein shakes, bake up a batch of protein brownies or banana bread or whatever other delicious baked good you please. The protein powder will help to make it more macro-friendly, while also helping to satiate you with food rather than a fast-digesting drink.

Protein Shakes Post-Workout

The classic protein shake timing involves chugging a scoop or two after your workout. The bro science on this used to be the supposed "anabolic window," a two-hour period after a lift when it was vital you got some fast protein in. The science on this reveals that window to be largely BS, but as with most myths, there is a kernel of truth to it.

After a workout, your muscles are starved for glycogen, so ingesting some simple, fast-digesting carbohydrates is a good way to speed your recovery and prepare yourself for a new workout. What does that have to do with protein shakes? Well, depending on the type of shake you buy, you can actually find powders that offer higher-carb compositions in addition to the protein content. Not only does this make for an ideal post-workout shake, but those added carbs also go a long way to improving the taste of the powder (it's very difficult to make pure protein delicious, but as we all know, carbs are yummy). 

Because casein protein is the slow-digesting protein (remember? of course you do), the post-workout shake should be whey and whey only. 

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