Should you ditch your night cream for a SHAKE?
They claim to help you de-stress, sleep and even lose weight. So...
Now who doesn’t enjoy a cup of warm cocoa at bedtime? Most of us, as these days we’d rather not load up on sugar — a serving of hot chocolate contains about 23g, including milk.
But its healthier successor is the evening protein shake. Low in sugar and carbs, it gives you a steady fuel supply to aid recovery overnight. (It’s often chocolate-flavoured, too.)
It allegedly helps you sleep better and gives you greater muscle mass and a boosted metabolism (which means faster fat burning). But how much of this is proven? will a shake before bed give us enough of a glow that we can ditch our night cream? or is it simply a helpful addition to our fitness regime?
Research by Dr Tim Snijders at the Department of Human Biology at Maastricht University in the Netherlands shows consuming protein supplements before bed can increase muscle protein synthesis (the process of building muscle mass). This is significant for over-35s who need to preserve muscle, which naturally decreases as we age.
‘There’s a continuous process of muscle protein synthesis and breakdown,’ says Dr Snijders. ‘A continuous supply of additional proteins is needed to maintain muscle mass.’ During the day, meals keep us topped up. ‘when you ingest protein it can be a stimulus for the muscle to increase its synthesis rate for a couple of hours. So you’re gaining more muscle than you’re losing,’ he says.
‘But during the night, we don’t eat, and our breakdown rate is actually higher compared with our synthesis rate. You effectively lose skeletal muscle mass while you sleep.’
Dr Snijders found protein ingested before bed ‘increases your protein synthesis rate during the night’. The daily recommended intake is roughly 0.75g per kilogram of body weight. Dr Snijders says daytime studies show ‘you need between 20 to 30g of protein to stimulate muscle protein synthesis.’
when it comes to protein in milk, whey is absorbed faster than casein. But, taken before bed, ‘casein may be more beneficial as amino acids are released over a longer period,’ Dr Snijders adds. Studies have also shown that, after exercise, plant-based proteins are less effective in promoting muscle protein synthesis than animal-based ones.
what of the added spices, minerals and vitamins found in shakes? ‘During sleep, a lot of processes help the body recover,’ says Dr Snijders. ‘If you supply building blocks necessary to help that, it could be beneficial.’
So far, so good, but as to the rumours that a shake helps the body burn fat and improves sleep quality, alas, says Dr Snijders, neither is scientifically proven.
‘ Studies suggest increasing protein intake may help you lose weight over a long period, but this is mainly to do with the greater satiety from protein ingestion compared with fat and carbohydrates,’ he says.
Yet, when it comes to sleep quality, scientific proof may not be essential. Sleep expert Dr Neil Stanley, author of How To Sleep well, tells me what we need most for good sleep is ‘a relaxed body and a quiet mind’.
He adds: ‘People of a certain age swear by Horlicks. There’s nothing magic in it, but you’ve got to wait for the milk to boil and for it to cool. You drink it while relaxing.’ He says if a protein shake is part of your relaxation routine, it will be no different.
BEST FOR INSOMNIACS IN NEED OF SHUT-EYE
Bodyism Pure Serenity (£50 for 240g, net-aporter.com) THIS cacaoflavoured shake from James Duigan — the trainer responsible for keeping models Rosie Huntington-whiteley and Lara Stone trim — claims to be a ‘super-charged sleep saviour’.
The blend contains calming chamomile, amino acids and hops. Its modest protein content (4g in an 8g serving) is from pea and brown rice. It’s only 32 calories if you have it with water, but I added half milk, half boiled water, which bumps up the protein.
It’s fortified with zinc, which boosts the immune system and has anti-inflammatory properties, making it beneficial for the skin. The wealth of B vitamins helps energy and brain function too.
It uses a natural sweetener, stevia, and it’s not too sweet. It has a peppery kick and tastes like a posh malted milk. The tension in my shoulders eases. An hour later I can’t keep my eyes open. 4/5
BEST FOR CALMING STRESS HEADS
Motion Nutrition Chocolate Spice (£24.99 for 12 sachets, motion nutrition.com) DeveLoPeD by a stress expert, this vegan protein powder with cacao, chamomile, ginger, cinnamon and cardamom promises to help you ‘switch off’.
one 30g serving boasts 16.2g of protein (from pea, rice, sunflower and pumpkin seeds). of the 5.6g carbs, only 1.9g are sugars. Its fat content is also low — 1.5g — and it’s only 109 calories. Designed to de-stress, partly thanks to its oats — which contain tryptophan, an amino acid the brain makes into serotonin, which relaxes the body — it also contains reishi mushroom to boost the immune system.
I mix it with warm milk, and it tastes great — delicately spiced. The consistency is wonderful, too — like a silken hot cocoa. This is a sophisticated drink you’d choose as a nightcap, regardless of its benefits. I go to bed feeling calm, and sleep soundly. 5/5
BEST FOR WEIGHT WATCHERS
MyProtein Overnight Recovery Blend (£24.99 for 1kg, myprotein.com) THIS chocolateflavoured formula has 206 calories in a 60g portion if mixed with water, as well as 2g fat, 3.5g carbs (of which 2.1g are sugars), and a whopping 45g protein (a blend of milk protein isolate, micellar casein from milk, and whey protein concentrate from milk and soy.)
Casein is regarded as the best fat-busting product, because its slow absorption leaves you feeling fuller for longer, and also helps maintain muscle.
other key ingredients include zinc, magnesium — which helps to reduce fatigue — and the amino acid L-glutamine, which supports the immune system.
If we need more glutamine than our body can produce, we may break down protein stores, such as muscle, hence its inclusion.
The amount of protein seems excessive, given that I’m a relatively small adult who skipped the gym today.
It’s also artificially sweet (thanks to Sucralose) and that sweetness becomes oppressive.
I can’t finish it. If I’d trained hard and wanted a convenient way to rebuild muscle and gain strength, while staving off hunger pangs, this might suit. But it would require some dedication. 3/5
BEST FOR THE FITNESS FANATICS
The Protein Works The Big Z Hot Chocolate (£13.99 for 500g, theprotein works.com) THIS contains only 107 calories, a hefty 22.5g dollop of slowabsorbing protein in one 30g serving.
I blend this with water and heat it — it tastes decent, if a little sweet (Sucralose again). But it’s truly enjoyable with cold milk.
This will suit those with a good exercise regime — it’s made with micellar casein and whey protein concentrate from milk.
It’s fortified with amino acids such as L-ornithine, L-tryptophan, L-glycine and L-theanine. A trial found L-ornithine supplementation could relieve stress and improve sleep quality. 4/5