Many people love taking protein shakes on trainings as it feels like those are the days your body needs a big protein hit for optimal recovery. And while that is true, your body is also recovering on your rest days too. In fact, these rest days are critical. They’re when your body is adapting to the stimulus of training and is given the chance to repair itself.
Consuming enough protein on training and rest days are both important! We’re about to take a look at if you should be drinking protein shakes on rest days below and the reasons why.
Protein Shakes – Do You Need Them?
Protein is necessary when it comes to building and maintaining muscle mass. However, there are common misconceptions about protein powder because of marketing tactics that are designed to sell. In their essence, protein shakes are simply a more convenient way for you to increase your protein intake.
Depending on the brand you go with, a 25-30g scoop of whey protein will provide you with 25-30g of protein. Consuming your protein in this powder form does not turn it into a magical solution. It’s simply quick and easy to drink.
You can think of protein shakes as being the equivalent to a chicken breast. You don’t suddenly gain muscle after eating it, right? The muscle is gained over time, with consistent training and a high protein intake (0.8-1g of protein per pound of bodyweight).
The protein shake just helps you reach that target easier! However, it is digested and used by the body faster…
Training Days
After you’ve worked out with weights, your muscles have just been broken down and they need adequate protein for the fibres to put themselves back together. This is the process that makes you bigger and stronger.
The “anabolic window” post-workout is something pretty controversial that we won’t get into, but people typically like to take protein shakes during this time straight after working out. The shakes provide the body with a fast-digesting hit of protein to avoid the muscles going catabolic and eating themselves.
But as long as you’re eating around 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight everyday, you’ll still be in a great position to build muscle. Whether that includes drinking a protein shake right after working out, or at any other time of the day is personal preference, provided you hit that protein target.
And while your body needs this protein on training days, it’s also equally paramount to be eating the same on rest days.
So, do you drink protein shakes on off days?
Rest days
Research tells us that protein synthesis is increased 24 hours post-workout. This is the process that requires high protein consumption to help your muscles adapt and grow.
Therefore, you should be eating the same amount of protein on rest days as you do training days. And that includes protein shakes if you struggle to hit your daily goal of protein. They can be handy in situations where you don’t feel like eating another chicken breast!
In conclusion, protein shakes can be a great tool to help you reach your protein needs for the day. The more consistently you do this, the better your body will respond to your workouts and, as a result, you’ll be gaining more muscle.