Whey is THE reference protein powder in the world of sports nutrition. Gone is the reputation associated with a highly selective sporting sphere and a product considered doping by the general population: this milk protein has been widely democratized. Without being a miracle product, whey protein is proving to be an invaluable aid for many athletes. When should it be taken? At what time of day should it be taken, for maximum effectiveness? Is there a specific dose? And how do you prepare it? Let's get started! 

 

When should I take whey? 

What reasons might prompt you to consider taking whey on a daily basis?

• For classic weight gain

When you're building muscle, you need to increase your calorie intake. Of course, it's carbohydrates in particular that are going to accumulate on your plate, but proteins retain a key role in building muscle mass during this period!

 

• When looking for muscle definition

Are you in the process of "muscle drying"? In other words, are you looking to lose fat while defining your muscles? Then maintaining a good protein intake is essential to avoid muscle wasting. But unless you eat chicken from morning to night, "dry" protein sources are few and far between. Whey is a good solution for providing protein while limiting carbohydrates.

• If you can't reach your daily protein quota

This category rarely affects non-athletes. In fact, without physical activity, diet is more than sufficient to meet needs. However, when practicing a sport such as bodybuilding, these requirements are revised upwards and can be more complicated to achieve. For example, if you wish to consume 2 g of protein per kilo of body weight and you weigh 80 kilos, the 160 g of protein per day must be found somewhere! 

With a concentration of 70 g of protein per 100 g, whey will help you reach your daily protein quota.

• For weight loss

As for muscle definition, whey is a good solution for providing protein while limiting the amount of carbohydrates. Thanks to its satiating power, whey can help weight-loss enthusiasts achieve satiety, while providing the body with an essential macronutrient and limiting muscle wasting.

 

When should you take your protein powder? 

Consume your protein powder at exactly 1:32 a.m. or 30 minutes after the session for greater efficiency ? No, the conventional wisdom is out! The strict concept of the anabolic window is a thing of the past, with scientific studies challenging it.

But is there ever a better time of day to take a shaker? What are the advantages of each? 

 

• Should you take your whey before or after training?

If your last meal is a long way from your training session, you can consume your whey before the session. It could minimize muscle catabolism (muscle breakdown) during exercise. However, if you take it just before, you may experience a feeling of heaviness and discomfort which can have a negative impact on performance.

Bloating before a big workout isn't the perfect scenario... 

Ideally, you should take your shaker after the session. In fact, if you don't have a meal planned for the next few hours, a dose of whey can quickly provide you with assimilable protein and recovery.

• Whey in the morning or at breakfast

When you wake up in the morning, your body has just several hours of fasting and your glycogen stores are relatively low. If you feel the need to eat, or your aim is to increase your muscle mass, incorporating whey into your breakfast is a solution.

Breakfast should be complete and contain carbohydrates, fats and ... proteins. If you're not a fan of cottage cheese, chicken or eggs first thing in the morning, a quick quickly consumed shaker is the ideal way to avoid losing muscle mass and get your day off to a good start.

Likewise, if your hunger is crying out at the stroke of 10 a.m., it makes a great morning snack. morning snack.

• Snacking on whey

The whey shaker can also be taken as a afternoon snack if you're a 4 p.m. snack freak! This is especially true if your lunch is a long way from your evening meal.

• Shake in the evening or at bedtime

Whey is useful for rapidly supply the body with protein. So there's little point in taking it at bedtime, since it doesn't provide protein regularly throughout the night. What's more, if you've eaten dinner shortly before going to bed, you won't need any extra protein either.

 

Should I take whey on rest days? 

Can you take whey on rest days? YES. Is this compulsory? No.

It's during rest days that your muscles rebuild and grow in volume. And to do this, they need the amino acids found in proteins. With dietary protein at your disposal, recovery is quicker. So don't neglect your plate on rest daysand keep your protein quota high!

What dosage of whey should I take every day? 

There's no predefined dose of whey to take per day. It all depends on your goals and your weight/sex/age. ANSES defines an intake of up to 2.2 g of protein per kilo of body weight per day as satisfactory. Depending on your needs, you can therefore adapt the dose of whey you wish to take, taking care to vary your protein sources.

How to take your whey for best results? 3 tips 

• Don't prepare your whey shaker in advance ! Like any dairy product, it's likely to go bad very quickly, making it unpalatable and making you ill.

• What to take whey with? Use a liquid fresh or at room temperature. Choose water rather than milk to avoid feeling too heavy.

• Put the water before the powderand shake well to avoid lumps.

• After the session, for greater efficiency, take a source of carbohydrates if your diet allows.

 

Should whey be combined with dietary supplements? 

You can take your whey on its own or with nutritional supplements at the end of your workout, such as a dose of BCAAs or creatine. Be aware, however, that whey already contains BCAAs. It is therefore preferable to take BCAAs during the workout.