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If you’ve been wondering if protein powder should be taken on rest days, this post will answer the question once and for all.
The fact is, you do need to take protein powder on rest days as that’s when recovery and growth take place, and this recovery and growth, which makes you bigger, stronger, leaner, and fitter, need to be fuelled otherwise it cannot take place.
There are also some other things you should know too and we will be covering them in this article.
Should You Drink Protein Shakes On Non-workout Days?
It’s far better to get the protein you need from proper foods than it is from protein shakes. What’s important is the amount of protein you consume daily and not whether or not that protein comes from a shake.
So in answer to the question, you should only drink protein shakes on non-workout days, and on any other day, if for whatever reason, you are unable to get the amount of protein you require from normal foods.
Do Muscles Grow On Rest Days?
Yes, muscles recover and grow on rest days, and not when you are working out.
Working out, lifting weights, for example, provides the stimulus your muscles need to grow by breaking down the fibres as you overload them by lifting under resistance from the weights.
When you are not working out your muscle fibres heal, recover and grow back stronger and bigger in order to adapt to the overload placed on them during your last workout, ready to face your next workout.
And so on, and so on…
If you work out every day, your muscles will not have the chance to recover and will eventually get smaller by feeding on themselves in an attempt to keep up with the stress they are being put under.
How Much Protein Do I Need On Rest Days?
You need the same amount of protein on rest days as you consume on workout days.
This is going to be around 1kg per pound of lean bodyweight.
To determine your lean body weight, along with how much protein you need each day you will need to use a set of body-fat calipers to measure your body-fat percentage and then deduct that figure from your overall body weight.
These calipers are inexpensive, quite painless, come with full easy-to-follow instructions, and are really easy to use.
They are also essential because if you consume 1kg of protein per pound of your total body weight you will be feeding any excess body fat you may have along with your muscle mass and the result will be unwanted weight gain rather than the lean and toned physique you are training to get.
Here are the ones we use…
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When To Take Protein Powder On Rest Days…
As the only difference between workout days and rest days is your actual workout, the only difference in when you take your protein powder on rest days is going to be when you would normally have your post-workout protein shake.
And so, the best time to take protein powder on rest days, like on any other day is when you can’t get enough protein from your regular diet.
To keep in a constant state of growth you need to be consuming protein every 2-3 hours during the day over 5-6 small meals.
So, on rest days take a protein shake first thing in the morning immediately on waking up as it’s quick and convenient, it gets into your system right away, kick-starts your metabolism, and ‘breaks your fast’ after being asleep for 8 hours.
After this, as mentioned above, aim to eat some protein every 3 hours or so over 5-6 meals and take your protein powder when eating regular food is inconvenient.
Protein On Rest Days When Bulking…
You need to consume as much protein on rest days as you do on workout days to give your muscles the fuel they need to recover and grow, plus you should also be consuming the same amount of quality carbs and fats on rest days too.
In terms of protein, the exact amount required for muscle growth is going to vary from person to person, however, you should begin by consuming 1g of protein for every pound of lean bodyweight and tweaking the amount as required from there.
Protein On Rest Days When Cutting…
You need to keep up your protein intake on rest days to preserve your hard-earned muscle mass as you lose weight.
This means eating as much protein as you would on a workout day, or even swapping some of your carbs for protein and upping your overall protein intake.
We find that eating the same amount of protein as on workout days and keeping an eye on whether fat or muscle, or both is being lost, and adjusting the amount of protein accordingly works best as everyone is different and there are no hard and fast rules here.
Protein Before Bed On Rest Days…
To avoid going into a fasted state while you sleep you should consume a slow-digesting casein protein around 30 minutes before going to bed.
This can be in the form of some high-protein greek yogurt or some cottage cheese, for example, however, these can sit heavily on your stomach and that’s not really what you want when trying to sleep.
The alternative is to go for a slow-digesting casein protein powder which will drip-feed your muscles for around 8 hours as you sleep, helping you maintain an anabolic state and fuel recovery, growth, and even fat burning as you sleep.
How Long After A Protein Shake Should I Eat A Meal On Rest Days?
You should eat breakfast right after drinking your first protein shake on awakening on rest days as your shake will be rapidly absorbed.
At other times of the day, eat some protein every 3 hours and only supplement with protein powder if you’re not meeting your daily protein requirements by eating proper food.
Always remember that protein powders are there to supplement your regular food intake and not to replace it.
Can I Drink Protein Shakes On An Empty Stomach?
Yes, you can drink protein shakes on an empty stomach, and doing so upon awakening is a great way to fire up your metabolism and promote weight loss.
They are also great to take post-workout when your stomach will be empty as they are easily digested and get to work to fuel the recovery and growth processes straight away.
What Happens If I Don’t Take Protein Powder On Rest Days?
If you don’t get enough protein, either from regular foods, or from protein powders on rest days you will be depriving your body of the vital nutrients it needs to recover, grow, and come back bigger and stronger for your next workout.
In other words, if you go train hard in the gym to stimulate muscle growth, and then don’t give your muscles the fuel they need to grow, they won’t grow.
So, the next time you hit the gym, you’re starting back at square one all over again…
And the next time…and the time after that… and the time after that…
Always remember the saying ‘muscles are built in the kitchen, not in the gym’
Can You Drink Protein Shakes Every Day Without Working Out?
Drinking protein shakes every day without working out is more than likely going to be counter-productive for a number of reasons.
First, protein contains calories so you could end up gaining some unwanted body weight.
Second, protein alone will not build muscle without working out. You need to work out to stimulate the muscle growth which protein fuels.
And third, too much protein can lead to you developing some pretty serious health problems as mentioned in this article.
In Summary… The Best Protein Powders To Take On Rest Days…
The best protein powder to take on rest days during the daytime is whey protein powder.
The fastest absorbing is whey protein isolate, it’s also the most expensive as it has the highest protein content along with the lowest carb, fat, and sugar content.
We recommend Dymatize ISO 100 Hydrolyzed Whey Protein Isolate.
Or…
Hot on the heels of whey protein isolate is whey protein concentrate which is also absorbed pretty quickly, however, it’s also slightly higher in carbs, fat and sugar.
We recommend Bulk Pure Whey Protein Powder.
Or…
You can also get a blend of whey isolate and whey concentrate which will give you the best of both worlds in one.
We recommend Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey.
Or…
And the best protein powder to take on rest days at night-time is casein protein powder.
Casein is a slow-digesting protein powder that drip-feeds your muscles with the amino acids essential for growth and recovery over a period of around 8 hours, making it the ideal choice of bedtime protein.
We recommend Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Casein.
Or…
We hope this article helped answer the question ‘should protein powder be taken on rest days and that you now have a better understanding of the ‘hows’…the ‘whens’…and the ‘whys’ of doing so.
Thanks for reading and we’ll see you in the next one.
