Protein is important for muscle growth (it provides your body with amino acids—the “building blocks” of muscle tissue). You know that.

And, in some sense, you also understand that dosage matters. Two individuals would experience wildly different muscle growth rates if the first were to consume only 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight while the second consumed 1.6 g/kg, for instance. That bit is clear to you.

But what about timing?

More specifically: how are you supposed to distribute your protein consumption throughout the day for more gains? Equally?

And if equally, then isn't consuming protein—possibly in the form of a protein shake—a "necessary" course of action right before bed? Get answers below.

The science of protein distribution

Now, let's get the optimal protein consumption frequency out of the way.

Without diving into the technicalities (e.g., post-protein transient increases in muscle protein synthesis rates), the current scientific literature suggests that the ideal frequency of protein consumption for supporting muscle growth is 3 to 6 daily.

So, assuming you get 8 hours of sleep nightly, your protein-containing meal frequency should look like this:

And here's the surprising bit: there's no clear and consistent advantage to being on that range's lower or higher end.

Meaning? If you hit your daily protein intake target, you’d see the same muscle growth with 6 protein-containing meals as if you’d only eaten 3 in a day.

Down protein before bed = more gains? Really?

Okay, increasing your protein consumption intake frequency beyond thrice daily won’t give you better results.

But what about delivering a protein dose to your body right before sleeping (i.e., leaving your last meal just before bed)? Wouldn't that provide a "buffet" of amino acids, enabling your body to use them to repair and rebuild muscles?

Well, that’s the exact conclusion of a 2015 study:

The researchers found that participants experienced significantly better gains in muscle size and strength over 12 weeks of resistance training with a casein-based protein shake (containing 27.5 grams of protein) before bed compared to a noncaloric placebo.

So. Case closed, right? Unfortunately, while supporters of pre-bed protein ingestion often cite this study, many fail to consider a detail.

The researchers compared:

They did NOT compare between:

This distinction makes all the difference.

The study assessed the impact of adding 1 extra daily protein feeding and bumping total daily protein intake from 1.3 g/kg/day to 1.9g/kg/day instead of directly assessing the importance of protein timing in proximity to bedtime.

Case: reopened

And … here comes the most critical question. Are there other studies examining whether protein consumption right before bed is superior to other timings? Thankfully, there are:

So, is consuming protein before bed good?

Wait, what kind of question is that? Aren't the previous 2 studies clear enough? Honestly, though, there isn't a clear answer as to whether consuming protein before bed is "good" or "bad" for you. It depends on your circumstances.

If you’ve already got your bases covered:

1. Choosing “high-quality” protein sources (more information here)
2. Hitting your daily protein intake (anywhere between 1.6 to 2.2 g/kg)
3. Spreading it out between 3 to 5 meals

Then you likely won’t need a pre-bed protein shot. Forcibly consuming more protein before sleep—beyond what you need—may even hurt your progress.

Note: every gram of protein still contains 4 calories, after all. Don't bust your calorie budget chasing invisible gains. Literally.

Check out this article on why more protein isn’t always necessarily better:

Is More Protein Always Better in Body Recomposition?

If 1.6 g/kg of protein is great, then bumping it up to 3 g/kg, or maybe even 6 g/kg is even better during body recomposition, right? Let’s see.

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But if, on the other hand, you're someone who struggles to consume sufficient protein throughout the day, downing a protein shake right before bed is obviously beneficial.

At the very least, it’ll help bring you closer to your target daily protein intake.

How many protein shakes can you (safely) drink, though? Answers below:

How Many Protein Shakes Is It safe to drink?

The chances are that dietary protein is bound to come up in conversations every few minutes or so. And if you’re a lifter yourself, you undoubtedly understand why. Protein is – undoubtedly – the most critical macronutrient when it comes to making improvements to your physique.

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Should I choose a “slower-digesting” protein type?

Here's a bonus tidbit: if you are supplementing your protein intake with protein shakes, don’t bother choosing “slower-digesting” ones like casein over “faster-digesting” proteins like whey.

Just be sure to cover your bases (i.e., going for “high-quality” proteins, ensuring adequate daily protein consumption, and evenly distributing intake), and you’re grand.

Still can’t get over how expensive protein is? Then this article will help:

Getting Your Protein In on the Cheap (Source and Meal Ideas)

Find out how you can hit your daily protein requirements on the cheap - including source, seasoning, and even meal ideas. Pack those muscles on.

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Takeaway

Of course, you can't simply consume protein—then expect your muscles to grow by themselves. Instead, they'll need stimulus—that's where resistance training comes into play.

Just getting started with your fitness journey? Check out the following:

How To Choose the Best Gym for You

Looking to settle down? Just so we’re clear: we’re talking about the gym. Still interested? Then these tips on how to choose a gym are for you.

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Beat “Gymtimidation”. Here’s How.

Dread or fear going to the gym because you feel judged? That’s a common phenomenon known as “gymtimidation”; find out how to overcome that here.

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5 Things You Must Do to Prevent Weightlifting Injuries

Tired of 1) getting injured, 2) recovering, 3) getting back into the game? Here’s how you can prevent weightlifting injuries in the first place.

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How to Get Motivated to Workout (or Do Anything, Really)

Don’t feel like heading to the gym? Missing a session one time is fine. But long-term? Not so great, TBH. Here’s how to get motivated to workout.

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And if you're interested in optimizing your training routine for better gains, why not download GymStreak? Just input your training goals, ideal training frequency, and equipment availability, and this AI-powered personal trainer app will do the rest for you.