There are some real but relatively modest benefits to protein timing, Planells says.
“We see increases in muscle protein synthesis when protein is consumed around exercise, and there’s good evidence that spreading protein out across the day supports muscle health better than loading it all into one meal,” he says.
When you consume protein, what matters is not just the amount but also how evenly you spread it across the day. For many people, protein intake tends to be skewed toward dinner. However, a study of healthy young men found that those who evenly distributed protein across three meals, allocating more to breakfast, showed greater increases in lean muscle mass after 12 weeks of resistance training than those who ate most of their daily protein at dinner. Both groups consumed the same amount of total calories and protein.
“Eating a high-protein breakfast also supports hunger and fullness through the day, often leading to less snacking, fewer cravings, and better control at future meals,” says Eva Weston, RDN, who is in private practice in San Antonio, Texas.
Protein timing applies at the other end of the day, too. Eating protein before bed may help your muscles repair and grow overnight, which can improve muscle mass and strength over time when combined with resistance training. For older adults, who are already more susceptible to muscle loss, this strategy may be especially useful for preserving what they have.
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