Fitness: What is the best time to have protein?

It is easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of a protein-obsessed world of food and diet. Even if you are not into a fitness-based lifestyle, you would be familiar with the aggressive advertising of protein-rich facts across the packaging of certain products.

Most people have certainly bought one of those over a regular version of the same product to just for the protein benefits. But it is equally important to think about not just when you consume the protein products than in what form.

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After having figured out the amount of protein I needed, I decided to try the most science-backed protein consumption routine for a month. For around 40 days, I have been drinking a protein shake and eating two eggs within the first hour of waking up, which is around 40 gms of protein. The rest of the intake is spread across meals throughout the day. This had nothing to do with utilising anabolic windows in an eating cycle. It was just to check the efficacy of starting the day with a high protein intake.

“The amount of protein you eat for your first meal strongly predicts the amount of calories you’ll consume the rest of the day. More protein = fewer calories. Why is no one talking about this?” Max Lugavere asked on X, formerly Twitter. Lugavere is the best-selling author of Genius Foods and has over a million followers on his Instagram. His podcast, The Genius Life, has over 300 episodes.

A study from 2022 found that energy intake decreased with increasing energy from protein. “These results support an integrated ecological and mechanistic explanation for obesity, in which low-protein highly processed foods lead to higher energy intake because of the biological response to macronutrient imbalance driven by a dominant appetite for protein,” stated the study, titled Macronutrient (Im)balance Drives Energy Intake In An Obesogenic Food Environment. This could be vital when it comes to fat loss but equally important if you are trying to control caloric intake of any kind.

While weight loss is not my main goal of fitness, there was a significant reduction in cravings for high calorie foods and snacks throughout the day after around two weeks of consistently starting the day with a high-protein meal. While the synthesis of food affects everyone differently, one might also observe increased energy levels through the day if this is followed.

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Dr. Ted Naiman is one of the experts in this science, and his research mainly focuses on the practical implementation of diet and exercise. In his book The P:E Diet, he places 300 calories of a protein-rich meal, tagging it ‘300gm of satiety’ next to a doughnut which is tagged ‘300gm of hunger’. Naiman has advocated for protein-focused starts to the day, and a Purdue University study has backed the science.

“This study demonstrates that consuming a moderate amount of high-quality protein 3 times a day stimulates muscle protein synthesis to a greater extent than the common practice of skewing protein consumption toward the evening meal,” it states.

One might think a meal with three eggs is enough to meet this high-protein breakfast requirement. But that isn’t the case. In the book The Whole Body Reset, writers Stephen Perrine and nutritionist and exercise physiologist Heidi Skolnik say that chasing around 35 to 50 grams of protein at the top of the day will lead to other advantages like improved energy, blood pressure, cholesterol and A1C blood sugar numbers.

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An article from two years ago in the publication First For Women, details the effects of this practice. “Eating protein upon waking halts the damage and flips the switch from storing belly fat to burning it. The change is thanks to protein’s high thermic effect, or the rate it makes the body burn calories—which is up to 10 times higher than any other nutrient,” it says. The article, titled Adding Extra Protein Is The Best Way To Fire Up Metabolism, adds data of 10,000 people who have successfully avoided excess weight gain. The had one thing in common: following protein-rich diets consumed in the right way.

It’s the small habits that build towards bigger fitness goals. Just like a good push-up leads to a stronger bench press, diet done right is not about consuming the right things, but also in an effective manner. One easy way to shift protein to the top of the day is by changing the timing of when you take your supplements (i.e. if you take supplements).

Switching milk for yoghurt, or swapping paneer tikka masala for a simpler paneer-based meal at breakfast is a good start so that you don’t shock the system. The evening smoothie can be made earlier and cereal can be swapped for oatmeal. Remember to keep the meals as enjoyable as they were, but if eating them at a different time can make a big change. It’s worth a try.

Pulasta Dhar is a football commentator, podcaster and writer.

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