Do You Really Need to Eat Protein Right After Working Out?

Summary: For years, people thought you had to eat protein within 30 minutes of working out to build muscle. This was called the "anabolic window." But sports scientists say this is mostly a myth for everyday gym-goers! Your muscles are actually ready to use protein for a full 24 hours after you exercise.

What matters most is getting enough total protein throughout the whole day (about 0.5 to 0.9 grams per pound of your body weight) and doing a good workout. The only people who really need to worry about eating protein right away are elite athletes doing back-to-back workouts, bodybuilders, or older women who need extra help keeping their muscles strong. So, you don't need to panic and chug a shake the second you leave the gym. Just eat your normal meals and you will still see gains!

Source: Shape URL: shape.com/protein-post-workout-8661722 (opens in new tab)

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