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Click to view CrystalWater's profile Rookie 2 posts since
Jul 9, 2007

Jul 13, 2006 12:33 AM

When to take protein?

Hi all, got a little question. Well I got a bag of protein in costco, and im trying to gain good muscle mass and at the same time trying not to get fat from the shake. So I was thinking if I can take the protein shake 1 hour before workout and then do cardio burn off fat that comes from the shake then go workout and have the protein go into muscles? Whats the best thing to do? Before or after workout? If im thinking wrong can someone please correct me and tell me when is the best time to take the protein shake to gain muscle mass not fat?
Click to view 3moose's profile Rookie 3 posts since
Jul 9, 2007
2. Jul 14, 2006 5:35 PM in response to: CrystalWater
Re: When to take protein?
To build lean muscle, one should make sure that you are getting roughly 1 gram of protein per pound of target body weight, with the protein spread throughout the day, ideally into at least 5 meals / snacks. The ideal protein for post-workout is a whey isolate because of its fast absorption time. Pre-workout, you should have a protein with a long enough digestion time to account for the period between when you eat the protein and when you finish your workout.

If you choose high quality proteins, there should be minimal fat and sugars to worry about burning off.