Should I take protein before or after a workout?

A lot of people get confused and argue whether to take protein before or after working out. The answer can be both but it depends on what kind of workout you’re doing and/or how much protein you need. Read on to see which is best for you and your fitness regime.

Pre-Work Out Protein Intake

For one, taking protein before work out /gives you the energy to go through your activity. Most people would drink a protein shake or take whey protein before their workout. This is because whey is the easiest protein that can be digested and broken down by the body. Of course this is considering you’re going to start your activity just a few minutes after taking it or even right away.  Otherwise, if you have a lot of time to spare you should try to get your protein through other sources. Here is a simple time table as to what and when you’re going to take before your work out session.

Between 1 and 2 hours. If you have this much time before you exercise or work out it’s safe to eat your usual solid, balanced meal. Your body will have enough time to digest and break it down to protein and the energy to keep up with its activity.

Within 30 minutes or less. This is when people take whey protein or protein shakes. Again, it is the easiest to digest and a half hour is just enough time. Moreover, you can also drink this even if you have eaten an hour prior to your workout especially if you plan to do extra weights or strenuous activities. Note: There are no rules whether you should wait a full 30minutes after drinking your protein shake or energy drink. It’s only the risk of throwing up that you should avoid especially if you’re going to do some hardcore training.

Post-Workout Protein Intake

Taking protein after working out is important to replenish your muscles and tissues. There are a couple of things to consider before taking protein at this time. 1) how long should you wait to eat and 2) where to get your post workout protein.

To answer the first question, you should try to replenish your body with protein right after working out. You don’t have to wait a certain number of minutes or hours (just enough time to catch your breath) before you take protein. This doesn’t mean you need to chow down right at the gym, just make sure you have a protein drink with you. A protein bar wouldn’t hurt either.

What should you eat and where do you get it? Tuna, egg whites and chicken are great sources of protein but while you’re cooking yourself a designer meal, you might want to have some whey protein in the form of a shake to replenish your body. Other than protein, it is important to take carbohydrates too. It will be used by your body to restore muscle glycogen, if you don’t take anything with carbs in it on your post workout meal there’s a risk that your body might break down your muscles to do what the carbs were supposed to.