What is the best time of day to take whey protein supplement

For muscle maintenance or growth, have whey protein early in the day—after waiting about an hour after waking, and before 10:00 a.m. Early intake is associated with greater muscle protein synthesis and growth than concentrating protein later in the day; the proposed explanation involves the circadian clock gene BMAL. 1 2

The timing guidance concerns protein intake generally, not a special advantage of whey specifically. Protein later in the day is not ruled out or considered harmful. 3