Currently I have been working out later at night (7:30) and getting home around 9:00. I know I have been told it takes the body 3 hours to process all the food in your stomach and not to eat 3 hours before sleep. Is it the same with protein? If I drink a protein shake an hour before bed is that bad or will the protein still get to the muscles?

Assuming it is a standard Whey shake....yes...it will still get to all the muscles.


Eating before bed is not necessarily a bad thing.

It depends on a few factors.....like WHAT are you eating before bed...and...is it going to mess up your daily calorie count.

Generally,basically speaking....stay away from simple starchy carbs before bed.

If you haven't yet hit your daily carb count and you decide to eat carbs before bed make sure they are complex carbs.

Seeing as how you are drinking the shake only one hour before bed....personally I would take that along with a slow-digesting protein....like the good old low fat cottage cheese with no added sweeteners or fruit or whatever. You can strain the extra salt out of it by putting it in a strainer and running water over it.

As you sleep you want a steady sustained rate of releasing amino acids.

Whey will not do this.....whereas a casein-based protein will (Micellar casein). Or as stated.....Cottage cheese.