Fitness: When is the best time to take protein?

It’s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of a protein-obsessed world of food and dieting. Even if you’re not into a fitness-oriented lifestyle, you’re familiar with the aggressive advertising of protein-rich claims across the packaging of certain products.

Most people have bought one of those over a generic version of the same product, almost certainly for the protein benefits. But it is equally important to think about not only that when Than you consume protein products What form.

Get quick cash in minutes!

Best personal loans at lowest interest rates

Apply now

After figuring out how much protein I needed, I decided to try the science-backed protein intake method for a month. For about 40 days I drink a protein shake and eat two eggs within the first hour of waking up, which is about 40 grams of protein. The rest of the meal is spread throughout the day. This has nothing to do with using anabolic windows in a dieting cycle. It’s just to test the effectiveness of starting the day with a protein-rich meal.

“The amount of protein you eat at your first meal strongly predicts the amount of calories you consume for the rest of the day. More protein = less calories. Why isn’t anyone talking about this?” asked Max Lugavere on X, formerly Twitter. Lugavere is a best-selling author. Genius Foods And he has over a million followers on Instagram. His podcast, The Genius LifeThere are more than 300 episodes.

A study from 2022 found that energy intake decreased with increased energy from protein. “These results support a combined ecological and mechanistic explanation for obesity, in which a biological response to macronutrient imbalance driven by a dominant appetite for protein leads to increased energy intake from low-protein, highly processed foods,” the study said. Macronutrient (Im) balance drives energy intake in an obese dietary environment. This can be very important when it comes to fat loss, but is equally important if you’re trying to control any kind of calorie intake.

Although weight loss wasn’t my main goal in fitness, after about two weeks of consistently starting the day with a high-protein meal I noticed a significant reduction in cravings for high-calorie foods and snacks throughout the day. Food synthesis affects everyone differently, and following this can also result in increased energy levels throughout the day.

Dr. Ted Nyman is one of the experts in this science, whose research focuses mainly on the practical application of diet and exercise. In his book P:E Diet, he places 300 calories in a protein-rich meal, which he tags as ‘300gm satiated’, next to a donut tagged as ‘300gm hungry’. Naiman has advocated for protein-focused startups, and a Purdue University study backs up the science.

“This study shows that consuming moderate amounts of high-quality protein 3 times a day stimulates muscle protein synthesis to a greater extent than the usual practice of consuming protein at the evening meal,” it states.

One might think that a three-egg meal would be enough to meet this high-protein breakfast requirement. But it is not so. in the book Total body resetAuthors Stephen Perrine and nutritionist and exercise physiologist Heidi Skolnik say that aiming for 35 to 50 grams of high protein a day improves energy, blood pressure, cholesterol and A1C blood sugar levels.

An article from two years ago in the publication First for women, describes the effects of this practice. “Eating protein after waking up stops damage and shifts belly fat from storage to burning. “Thanks to protein’s high thermic effect, or the rate at which it burns calories in the body — it’s up to 10 times higher than any other nutrient,” it says. Adding extra protein is the best way to speed up metabolism, collects data from 10,000 people who successfully avoided excess weight gain. There was one thing in common: following a protein-rich diet consumed in the right way.

It’s the small habits that build to bigger fitness goals. Just as a good push-up leads to a strong bench press, the right diet is not only about consuming the right things, but also in an effective way. One easy way to shift protein up in the day is to change the time you take your supplements (ie, if you take supplements at all).

Swapping milk for yogurt or a simple paneer-based meal for a paneer tikka masala breakfast is a good start so you don’t shock the system. Evening smoothies can be made ahead of time and cereal can be swapped out for oatmeal. Remember to keep meals enjoyable, but eating them at a different time can make a big difference. It’s worth a try.

Pulasta Dhar is a football commentator, podcaster and writer.