Protein before or after exercise showed no clear lean-mass difference
Direct comparisons found no statistically significant lean-mass or chest-press difference. A leg-press result favored protein before training, but the broader strength pattern remains uncertain.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
In trials directly assigning participants to protein before or after exercise, timing did not show a statistically significant difference in lean body mass or chest-press strength. Leg-press results favored intake before training. However, the analysis did not establish that timing affected leg-press and chest-press outcomes differently, so a general strength advantage remains uncertain.
The abstract does not specify participant demographics, protein amounts or absolute changes in strength and lean mass. Its nonsignificant results do not establish that the timing options are equivalent.
What researchers found
Protein before versus after exercise
Across trials lasting at least 4 weeks, the pooled difference in lean body mass was not statistically significant.
Body composition and strength
Lean body mass refers to body mass excluding fat. It was assessed separately from performance on chest-press and leg-press exercises. A finding about strength on a particular exercise is not automatically a finding about lean mass.
Interpreting the strength pattern
A significant leg-press result alongside a nonsignificant chest-press result does not itself establish a difference between those outcomes. The review tested that distinction, and the subgroup comparison did not reach statistical significance.
The original publication
Does Protein Ingestion Timing Affect Exercise-Induced Adaptations? A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis.
Casuso RA, Goossens L
Nutrients · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 40647175
- Record checked
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