You completed your workout, drank your protein shake and ate dinner. A couple of hours later it’s time to go to sleep; but wait, you’re hungry again! What do you do? Reach for the first thing you can get your hands on in your pantry? 
Eating empty fillers, such as chips and cookies is like a nightmare for your body. This has happened to all of us and we are often left feeling too full with the wrong food before bedtime. On the other side of spectrum, some people choose to follow the 9pm rule (eating nothing after 9pm) and starve themselves, but how effective is this?
A recent study from the Maastricht University Medical Centre revealed that having a protein shake before bed actually improved protein synthesis. 16 young active males participated in this study by performing a single bout of exercise in the evening, and ingesting either 40 grams of casein protein or a placebo. What they found was that the protein ingested before going to sleep was not only effectively digested and absorbed, but was able to stimulate muscle protein synthesis rates which improved overnight protein balance. Protein was also able to increase amino acid availability (1).
So what can you drink before bed to build more muscle? Instead of eating a whole meal and feeling heavy when you go to sleep, we recommend VPX’s Power Hit. Power Hit contains 33 grams of pure protein, BCAA’s and less than 1 gram of carbohydrates. Another great supplement is Zero Carb, which you can mix with water for a great muscle building drink before bed. Both of these supplements are light on your stomach, so YOU can go to sleep knowing that your muscles are properly being fed throughout the night! It doesn’t get easier than that!
Remember that muscle is a metabolically active tissue. The more lean muscle you have, the less body fat you have. By supplementing with amazing protein sources like Power Hit and Zero Carb, you will be one step closer to achieving that dream body!
The full study can be found here – http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22330017
Res PT, Groen B, Pennings B, Beelen M, Wallis GA, Gijsen AP, Senden JM, van Loon LJ. Protein Ingestion Prior To Sleep Improves Post-Exercise Overnight Recovery. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2012 Feb 9.
