How soon after a workout should you eat protein? What if you don't eat protein after a workout? Will you have lost any chance for growth? We're going to dig into the science behind protein timing for muscle growth. We'll look at the anabolic window and see just how big this window really is and what this means for your training.

SOURCES

RESEARCH PAPERS

A high proportion of leucine is required for optimal stimulation of the rate of muscle protein synthesis by essential amino acids in the elderly

https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/ajpendo.00488.2005?portfolio-raia-drogasil=1

Effects of leucine-enriched essential amino acid and whey protein bolus dosing upon skeletal muscle protein synthesis at rest and after exercise in older women

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6295981/

A focus on leucine in the nutritional regulation of human skeletal muscle metabolism in ageing, exercise, and unloading states

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261561423002583

Supplementation of a suboptimal protein dose with leucine or essential amino acids: effects on myofibrillar protein synthesis at rest and following resistance exercise in men

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22451437/

Leucine supplementation improves muscle protein synthesis in elderly men independently of hyperaminoacidaemia

https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1113/jphysiol.2006.110742

Leucine requirement determined in healthy young adult males using the indicator amino acid oxidation method

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39209155/

A proposal for an upper limit of leucine safe intake in healthy adults

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022316622026098

Determination of the tolerable upper intake level of leucine in acute men

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022316622026074

Dietary leucine requirement for older men and women is higher than current recommendations

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7851820/

Effect of intake of leucine-rich protein supplement in parallel with resistance exercise on the body composition and function of healthy adults

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9655197/

Pre-sleep casein protein ingestion: new paradigm in post-exercise recovery nutrition

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7451833/

Nutrient timing revisited: is there a post-exercise anabolic window?

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3577439/

Pre- versus post-exercise protein intake has similar effects on muscular adaptations

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5214805/

Protein requirements and recommendations for older people: a review

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4555150/

Protein consumption and the elderly: what is the optimal level of intake?

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4924200/

Amino acid ingestion improves muscle protein synthesis in the young and elderly

https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/ajpendo.00368.2003

Evidence-based recommendations for optimal dietary protein intake in older people: a position paper from the PROT-AGE study group

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23867520/

Effects of aging on in vivo synthesis of skeletal muscle myosin heavy-chain and sarcoplasmic protein in humans

https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/ajpendo.1997.273.4.E790

Evaluating the leucine trigger hypothesis to explain the post-prandial regulation of muscle protein synthesis in young and older adults: a systematic review

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2021.685165/full

Leucine-enriched whey protein supplementation, resistance-based exercise, and cardiometabolic health in older adults: a randomized controlled trial

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8718053/

Is leucine content in dietary protein the key to muscle preservation in older women?

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6248570/

Where to find leucine in food and how to feed elderly with sarcopenia in order to counteract loss of muscle mass: practical advice

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2020.622391/full