The “anabolic window” concept

This one is a great repost from @strongerbyscience! The “anabolic window” concept suggests that protein should be consumed immediately post-workout to enhance strength and hypertrophy, but this concept has been questioned in recent years. This study (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30691866/) evaluated the effect of protein timing on lean body mass and strength improvements in untrained, post-menopausal women.

34 women were assigned to either a protein-carb group (30g protein post-workout, then 30g carbs ~6 hrs later in the day) or a carb-protein group (30g carbs post-workout, then 30g protein ~6hrs later). Total daily protein was similar for both groups (~0.9-1 g/kg/day, plus the supplement), with minimal dietary protein (aside from the assigned supplementation) in the hours before and after training sessions. The subjects participated in a full-body training program 3x/week throughout the 8-week study.

Both groups had similar increases in strength (1RM bench press and leg extension) and lean mass. This study suggests that consuming protein immediately after a workout may not promote additional benefits for lean mass or strength gains. Intuitively, this makes sense; muscle protein synthesis is elevated for 24-72 hours after resistance training, so the exact timing of protein feedings in proximity to the lifting bout probably isn’t absolutely critical.

Having said that, there is a limit to which we can stimulate protein synthesis in a single meal, and protein synthesis is transiently elevated in response to feeding before returning to baseline. It’s advisable to have at least three separate protein boluses of ≥0.24 g/kg of protein throughout the day. If you’re interested in minimizing the likelihood of leaving any gains on the table, it’d also be a decent idea to place your workout somewhere between two of those protein boluses, and to separate the pre-workout and post-workout protein servings by no more than 4-6 hours.

Multiple studies have suggested that total daily protein intake and distribution are more important than peri-workout protein timing when it comes to strength and lean mass gains