If you read just about any book on nutrition for athletes, you’ll probably read a section that talks about nutrient timing. The chapter will probably talk about how important it is to eat protein immediately post-workout to recover and and gain muscle and strength.

Despite the fact that many athletes, authors, and coaches consider it a given that you need to eat post-workout, that’s really an open question at this point.

In this podcast, you’re going to hear from Alan Aragon and Brad Schoenfeld, two researchers and coaches who recently completed a new review study on whether or not you need to eat protein immediately after your workouts if you’re trying to gain muscle. This study was focused on muscle growth, but it also has some relevance to recovery in general.