A lot has been said and written about the best time to take supplements. Because what is best: before, during or after your intensive sports moment or training or does it not matter at all? This of course depends on the product in question and when it is best absorbed by the body or when you benefit most from it. Below we explain what you should pay attention to and how you can arrive at the gym well prepared!
You could probably use a boost for your training and starting your training too empty is not recommended. During and immediately after training, your body is in a catabolic state and your glycogen reserves are low. Time to replenish. And what can you use before or around your training?
For your workout?
There are a number of products that you should take before your training. The pre-workout is of course very obvious. The name says it all. Preworkouts often contain stimulants such as beta-alanine and caffeine. Substances that you feel comfortable wearing and that ensure that you can train that little bit harder and longer and work hard in the gym. It ensures better performance to achieve your training goals. It is usually recommended to take them half an hour before your workout.
You can also take BCCAs (Branched chain amino acids) or essential amino acids before you hit the gym. These aminos are: leucine, isoleucine and valine. They ensure muscle recovery, but also the maintenance of muscle tissue. Amino acids are the building blocks for proteins and have a complementary effect because they stimulate protein synthesis. If you take them beforehand, they protect against the breakdown of muscle tissue and if you take them afterwards, they ensure recovery. In both cases, the inclusion of BCAAs has a positive effect.
What you should not do shortly before training is eat a full meal or a large protein shake. Digestion costs your body a lot of energy, which means you can perform less. Eating a carbohydrate-rich meal about one and a half to two hours before your training is a good preparation.
Time for proteins and creatine
During intensive strength training you damage your muscle tissue and even break it down. However, this is necessary for growth and construction (anabolic process). Your body will draw on reserves consisting of fat and muscle tissue. Glycogen is burned. A fuel of the body stored in muscles and in the liver. This will cause you to slowly lose muscle mass. You want to prevent this by returning to an anabolic phase as quickly as possible. That is why it is very important to allow your muscles to recover as well and quickly as possible. A protein shake replenishes essential nutrients immediately after your workout.
In the past, it was often said that it was best to take proteins an hour or an hour and a half after your workout. In the so-called anabolic window of opportunity. The optimal time and state of the body for muscle recovery and gains through nutrition. The faster you replenish the proteins, the better it would be to stimulate the recovery of your muscles. Nowadays we know better and this common argument can be thrown into the trash. Various studies among strength athletes show that the time of intake appears to have no influence on increases in strength and muscle mass. So take your protein shake whenever you want. Before (not too close to exercise), during or after your workout. When it suits you best.
A lot has also been said and written about creatine. Yet one question always remained. When do you take it? The answer is: whenever you want. A practical moment that you will not forget. Make sure you plan it around your workout though! A 10-week study (Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition) showed that the group that did this was stronger and more muscular than the other group that took creatine at a different time of the day. Before or after training made little difference.
Practical importance is therefore paramount for both the intake of protein shakes and creatine. See how it fits into your program and take it at a time of day that suits you.
After your workout
It is best to take weight or mass gainers after your training. Not only because of your body's need for carbohydrates and proteins to replenish energy reserves and to ensure muscle recovery, but also from a practical point of view. Starting a workout too full just doesn't feel good and costs the body a lot of energy, because everything still has to be burned. Energy that you actually want to put into your muscle strength during training. On days when you don't train, the time of day doesn't matter much. As long as there is enough time between the shake and other meals. You should really view this product as a separate meal, so that your body has time to process the nutrients and limit fat production. A full-fledged protein-rich meal about an hour after the workout is also good for recovery and growth.
Supplement to a healthy lifestyle
Above we went through a series of supplements and the most suitable time to take them. Mainly to clear up a lot of nonsense about this. However, there are still a number of important additions. We have not discussed testosterone boosters and stackers (fat burners) in this article because they are often taken as a treatment and are not planned around a training session.
We would also like to emphasize that you will not build muscle mass without good nutrition and a recovery phase. So make sure the basics are in order with a good balance between rest and intensity, sufficient sleep and the right nutrition/calorie intake. Supplementation supplements this.
Try not to schedule workouts too late in the evening and avoid taking supplements containing stimulants before going to sleep. This can cause poor sleep quality and less recovery.
