News Finding: As for your eating after your workout, there is really no time constraint -- but you should definitely eat when you're hungry.
Paper Finding: Layman estimated that the anabolic effect of a meal lasts 5-6 hours based on the rate of postprandial amino acid metabolism.
News Context: You may just want to skip a pre-workout meal to avoid nausea or discomfort, but this is a personal choice more than anything else. As for your eating after your workout, there is really no time constraint -- but you should definitely eat when you're hungry. Whether you decide to eat 30 minutes or two hours after your workout, Agnani stressed that this meal is just as important as the one you had before hitting the gym.
Paper Context: This lag in nutrient consumption can be considered significant enough to warrant post-exercise intervention if muscle retention or growth is the primary goal. Layman estimated that the anabolic effect of a meal lasts 5-6 hours based on the rate of postprandial amino acid metabolism. In light of these findings, when training is initiated more than~3-4 hours after the preceding meal, the classical recommendation to consume protein (at least 25 g) as soon as possible seems warranted in order to reverse the catabolic state, which in turn could expedite muscular recovery and growth.