Acute vs chronic
Acute: resistance exercise sensitizes muscle to protein for many hours, so there is no tiny 30-minute window that suddenly closes. Chronic: total daily protein and progressive resistance training are the larger drivers of hypertrophy outcomes.
Practical timing
A protein-containing meal within a few hours before or after training is a reasonable habit, especially if it helps distribute protein through the day. But do not sacrifice daily protein intake or diet adherence to hit an exact minute.
Evidence notes
- Schoenfeld et al. meta-analysis: total protein intake was the strongest predictor of hypertrophy effect size; narrow timing around training was not shown to be critical. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24299050/
- Morton et al. meta-analysis: protein supplementation supports resistance-training gains; total intake around ~1.6 g/kg/day captured most observed FFM benefit in healthy adults. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28698222/