Consuming protein is necessary for muscle growth and repair. There is no single best time for this, but rather it depends on individual goals. There are some evidences that consuming protein can help a person lose weight and that it can help people build muscle mass if they also exercise.
However, research, as yet, does not make it unclear when is the best time to have protein. It is also unclear if there is any best time at all, why this is the case, or whether it is the case for everyone. Most people in the United States get enough protein in their diet. Still, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) say many people should vary the types of food containing protein that they eat.
If a person is trying to build muscle mass, they may also take protein in the form of supplements to help them build muscle tissue after exercise. Currently, there is little solid evidence regarding when the best time to eat protein might be to encourage weight loss. For example, researchers published a study in the journal Advances in Nutrition suggesting that eating snacks that contain protein may reduce the number of calories a person consumes at their next meal.
However, the research paper also points out that studies demonstrating this are scarce and sometimes conflicting. They suggest more studies are needed to confirm their findings. This was also the conclusion of a study in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. In contrast, a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that a diet generally higher in protein can improve body weight management. The classification of higher protein in the study was 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day.
Research is still evolving about the relationship between protein and weight loss, including when is the best time to eat protein for this purpose.Various studies have looked at whether there is a link between the time a person consumes protein and hypertrophy, which is how much muscle a person builds after exercise. However, the results are unclear. Two studies in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism and the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition suggest there is no relationship between building muscle and the timing of consuming protein.