Consuming protein before bed offers several benefits essential for a healthy lifestyle. With the growing popularity of high protein diets, it’s important to learn how much and when the appropriate time is to consume it.
The Hartman Group, a consumer research firm that has been conducting a study of American food culture over the past 25 years and counting, has found that nearly 60 percent of Americans are now actively trying to increase their protein intake. And there’s many reasons why.
Protein is composed of amino acids and if you’ve ever taken a biology class you’ll remember it as the building blocks that make up our muscles. It’s crucial for building and repairing tissues, building muscles and bones, making enzymes and hormones, providing energy, and maintaining fluid balance - not to mention many others.
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein for adults is 0.8g per kilogram of body weight per day. Keep in mind this is the minimum amount, not the optimal amount and is actually quite very low. Essentially it’s the minimum amount of protein needed to function.
To calculate daily nutrient recommendations based on the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs), check out this tool established by the Health and Medicine Division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Keep in mind individual requirements may be higher or lower than what is recommended.
Want to learn more on how much protein you should consume? Check out our science backed protein needs article to calculate your personal protein dietary requirements.
While we know that consuming protein in general is good for your overall health, nighttime protein intake also comes with its benefits.
Benefits of Eating Protein Before Bed
Before understanding why eating protein before bed is important, an integral part of this equation is knowing that sleep is also very important. Despite continuously hearing over and over again why sleep is so important, quality sleep helps us recover from strenuous exercise and also helps our bodies restore and adapt to the stressors in life. Consuming protein before bed can provide the body with critical nutrients while we sleep and this is one of the most important aspects of the recovery phase.
Another benefit of consuming protein before bed (particularly after resistance training) is that it helps increase amino acid availability overnight, which in turn stimulates muscle protein synthesis rates. Muscle protein synthesis naturally produces new muscle protein to repair muscle damage and build overall muscle mass. Therefore, protein consumption before bed can potentially aid in muscle growth and recovery.
Another study found that consuming protein post resistance training before bed led to an increase in mitochondrial and myofibrillar protein synthesis rates. The study resulted in the idea that protein before bed can actually increase endurance adaptations, which is useful for endurance athletes who typically don’t consume as much protein as other athletes. Lucky them.
So what does this all mean for you?
Eating protein before bed can in fact help in a number of ways. Those include:
- Building and repairing muscles.
- Improving athletic performance.
- Increasing endurance adaptations.
But it’s important to note that the quality and type of protein to consumer before bed plays a role as well.
What Kind of Protein to Eat Before Bed?
Remember that not all protein sources are created equal. In fact, not all proteins are affordable and easy either. It’s important to consume slow-digesting proteins before bed because they help with muscle repair and recovery. Some of those types of proteins include the following:
- Casein protein. This is a dairy based protein that’s both digested and absorbed slowly which is helpful in keeping muscles in an anabolic state. Research shows that it's a better alternative to whey protein because of its slower digestion rate.
- Nut butters are another good protein source and are also vegan.
- Fatty fish
- Eggs and egg whites
Helpful tip: Post night workout, consume a pack of our Naked Jerky Crisps. For 1.8 ounces, it contains 40g protein, which contains more protein than most protein shakes! It’s a protein powerhouse that will help you hit those protein goals. Plus, it can help curb those late night cravings and help with digest rate. And if you’re watching your calorie intake, this is a protein snack that gets you more bang for your buck!
Takeaway
Studies have shown that by eating protein post workout and before bedtime can help your muscles repair and rebuild during sleep. Beef jerky is an ideal pre bedtime food because it’s packed with protein - shop our line of high protein, sugar-free beef jerky.
Learn more about creative ways of incorporating protein into your diet.
