The Best Time of Day to Add Whey Protein Supplements to Your Diet

Confused about when to add Whey Protein Supplements to your day and your diet? You’re probably familiar with taking Whey Protein after exercise but is that the only time? And the best time?

Here’s the inside scoop… It depends. 

In general our bodies are pretty good at storing carbohydrates and fats from the foods we consume and these stores are fairly readily accessible if our bodies need those macronutrients. Not so much protein. Yes, our bodies can store amino acids from the protein we consume in muscle, but our bodies are not so good at easily accessing those amino acids readily if there is a need. As such, our bodies are “more happy” if we consume a number of protein rich meals and snacks spaced throughout the day. And more so if we have a muscle-centric goal.

Assuming you’ve calculated your daily protein goals in grams and are eating the best you can to meet your nutrition goals, including protein, you may still find yourself coming up bit short. And as such, you may be looking to add protein powders, quite possibly Whey Protein Supplements, to your day to help meet your goals. But let’s be realistic. For most of us, especially if we are new or newer to protein supplements, you may not know how and when to add protein to your day. So let’s take a look at some easy – and tasty – ways to do just that.

 But before we jump into how and when how you can potentially add Whey Protein Powders to your diet – it’s good to first understand how Whey Protein functions. Whey Protein (all forms) is considered a fast-digesting and absorbing protein compared to Casein Protein – the “other” Milk Protein. The amino acids from Whey Protein Supplements typically are delivered to your bloodstream where they can be sent out to different parts of your body including your muscles relatively quickly - in about an hour after consumption. Therefore, Whey Protein can be added throughout the day when you want to deliver protein to the body fast. Below are some key opportunities to get some Whey Protein to your body while helping make your taste buds happy along the way.

First Thing in the Morning: Our bodies essentially fast for 7-9 hours each night while we sleep. And this is the time that our bodies are using a significant amount of protein from our diet to repair and rebuild. And by the time morning rolls around much of the protein we consumed last night has been used. So our bodies are looking for more. That’s why breakfast is called breakfast – that first meal is “breaking the fast.” To help fuel your day balance out your morning routine with protein plus carbohydrates. Start your day with a high-quality protein-rich source by adding whey protein into some of your go-to breakfast foods or everyday morning beverages. Mix whey protein powder into your morning coffee, tea, or steamed latte. Add whey protein powder to batter to create breakfast favorites like pancakes, waffles, or muffins. Or use a scoop to bump up the protein in your yogurt or overnight oats. You can even add whey protein powder to your cereal milk and create some fun and tasty new flavors.

Snacks: Protein from food is a great snack as it can help you feel fuller and satisfied longer. Protein from food also plays a role in regulating appetite control and cravings by increasing satiety hormones and decreasing hunger hormones. But snack time – especially when you are busy and on the go – doesn’t always lend itself to a traditional protein foods. So while Whey Protein Supplements don’t replace food, adding a scoop of Whey Protein Powder to typical snacks that don’t have much protein can help you hit your daily protein goals. And remember snacks can be anytime - between meals, around activities and/or before bed. Try a whey yogurt bowl by mixing whey into yogurt, then topping with fresh fruit, granola and honey. Make a smoothie by combining your favorite ingredients into a blender with whey protein. Add water, milk, soy milk or almond milk. Then top off with nutrient-rich ingredients like seeds, berries, spinach, oats, nut butters and more. Or how about adding a scoop of whey protein powder into your favorite ice cream and help make your muscles and your sweet tooth happy!

Post-Workout: Muscles are made up of proteins and intense exercise can potentially disrupt those muscle proteins. Intense physical exercise, especially resistance training can lead to micro-damage or mini tears in the muscle fibers. This is a completely normal response and afterwards your body will begin to look for protein to help in the repair and rebuilding process to make new “adapted” muscle – better adapted to stressors like more exercise. Although muscles are especially receptive to protein hours following activity to help with recovery – remember that the muscle recovery process goes beyond post-workout and it can take muscles several days to adequately recover following activity. Meaning - if you can’t get protein seconds following activity, don’t stress. Consuming some Whey Protein at a time that is convenient for you following activity is a great way to help your body with recovery. Aim to consume ~20-40 grams protein of Whey Protein to help support muscle recovery and rebuilding.

Pre-Workout: While it’s common practice to consume Whey Protein after training, and pre-workout has largely become associated with caffeine and pre-workout supplements, consuming fast-digesting Whey Protein 2-3 hours before training can possibly have some positive benefit in regards to building and repairing muscle. By consuming Whey Protein pre-workout the amino acids in the protein will essentially be available for your body to access “on demand” if and whenever there is a need before, during and/or after training to help support muscle protein synthesis. A good method here would be to consume your Whey Protein Powder in milk for some extra simple carbs or have with a piece of fruit like a banana to get some extra quick energy to help power your workout.

It’s essential that all healthy adults consume adequate amounts of protein throughout each day to help meet protein needs, including helping support muscle recovery. Always approach diet with a food-first approach. If protein needs are unmet through food alone, then Whey Protein Supplements can be a great tool in your performance toolbox to help meet your protein needs. How you use Whey Protein is entirely up to you. The time you decide to use Whey Protein depends on you and your goals. Whey protein can be used first thing in the morning, between meals, around activities, with meals, before bed and much more. Find what works best for you.

 To wrap this all up here are a couple of tips to help you remember to add whey protein to your daily routine:

1.     Track your protein intake to ensure you’re meeting your daily needs

2.     Find opportunities throughout the day where protein may be missing – including post-workout

3.     Aim for 20-40 grams protein throughout the day among several meals and snacks