DOES PRE-SLEEP CASEIN MAKE YOU BURN MORE CALORIES DURING SLEEP? The researchers found that calories burned during sleep were about 12 calories higher when the subject’s consumed casein before bed compared to the placebo group. Appetite scores were lower the next morning, and fullness scores were higher the next day for those that consumed casein before bed.
DOES PRE SLEEP CASEIN RESULT IN MORE CALORIES BURNED SUMMARY
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Casein before bed led to an increase in sleep calories burned of roughly ~12 calories.
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Casein before bed resulted in a decrease in appetite the next morning.
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Casein before bed has a very small effect on burning calories while sleeping and will have minimal effects on weight loss.
Over the past decade, it has been recommended to avoid meals later in the day to prevent weight and fat gain. (Kinsey & Ormsbee, 2015; Mukherjee et al., 2020) Eating late at night has been associated with negative cardiometabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes. (Matheson et al., 2014) Traditionally, calories consumed before bed were believed to be not conducive to weight loss and was suggested to contribute to fat storage. (Katayose et al., 2009) This belief was been debunked in recent years.
In the last few years, protein before bed has not been associated with weight gain or increases in fat gain. Other benefits of drinking a protein shake before bed are increased muscle protein synthesis and increased lean muscle tissue. (Trommelen et al., 2018; Trommelen & van Loon, 2016)
However, recent studies have shown that total protein intake is more important to build muscle rather than eating protein before bed. The notion that a casein shake before bed will magically result in gaining muscle has been referred to as the casein before bed myth.
CAN I HAVE A PROTEIN SHAKE BEFORE BED AND NOT GAIN WEIGHT?
Dietary protein has a greater thermogenic effect compared to carbohydrates and fats. (Arciero et al., 2013; Whitehead et al., 1996) A study by Madzima et al. found that 48 grams of casein before sleep resulted in an increase in the metabolic rate the next morning. (Madzima et al., 2018)
Other benefits of casein before bed in a reduction in appetite the next morning. (Ormsbee et al., 2015; Ormsbee et al., 2022) If casein before bed can increase metabolic rate and reduce appetite, this could be a potential way to reduce body weight over an extended period of time.
IS IT OK TO DRINK A PROTEIN SHAKE BEFORE BED?
One of the potential limitations of previous research was that the protein before was not the same as the control group. Did the increased protein intake drive the beneficial changes in gaining muscle or was the specific timing issue of protein before bed that elicited the effects? Are the beneficial effects of protein a “total protein effect” (the changes are a result because the subjects are consuming more protein in their diet) or a “time effect” (the changes are being elicited because the protein is being consumed before bed)?
Researchers had subjects consume 40 grams of protein (i.e., casein protein) with dinner after resistance exercise, and a placebo group performed resistance but got a placebo. They had the subject sleep in a metabolic chamber for 24 hours that measures metabolism (i.e., total calories burned, sleep calories burned) and fat burning during sleep. Appetite was also measured the next morning as well. A key component of this study was that all the subjects consumed the same total daily protein.
DOES PRE-SLEEP CASEIN MAKE YOU BURN MORE CALORIES DURING SLEEP?
The researchers found that calories burned during sleep were about 12 calories higher when the subject’s consumed casein before bed compared to the placebo group. Appetite scores were lower the next morning, and fullness scores were higher the next day for those that consumed casein before bed. Another interesting finding was that protein before bed increased carbohydrates burned during sleep, but it did not lower fat metabolism.(Hao et al., 2022)
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