Ever wonder when is the appropriate time to eat a meal while working out? Should I eat prior to going to the gym or should I wait till I’m done. How long do I have before I lose my metabolic edge post workout? Without a doubt proper nutrition is key to a successful workout and it’s the driving force on how well you grow and maintain your gains. Hundreds of articles have been written about nutrient timing since it was first conceptualized in the 1970s and 1980s. There has been one research paper in particular that was published in 2008 and as of 2017 has been accessed over 122,000 times. For those of you who don’t understand the research realm, the more an article is accessed and referenced the more important it becomes to future research. The review paper was from the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) and its position stands on nutrient timing (see references below).
The position statement from the ISSN covers 12 points to nutrient timing. I am only going to share a few that may be pertinent to you. You can access the entire article via this link: ISSN
- “Consuming carbohydrates solely or in combination with protein during resistance exercises increases muscle glycogen stores, ameliorates [this means to improve on something that is not good] muscle damage, and facilitates greater acute and chronic training adaptations” (Kerksick, et. al 2017).
- “Post-exercise ingestion (immediately to 2-hours post) of high-quality protein sources stimulates robust increases in muscle protein synthesis (MPS)” (Kerksick, et.al 2017).
- “Ingestion of essential amino acids (EAA; approximately 10 g) either in free form or as part of a protein bolus of approximately 20-40g has shown to maximally stimulate muscle protein synthesis (MPS)” (Kerksick, et.al 2017). [ a bolus is a medical term that means a ball of something or a mass… when you chew your food and it gets all bunched up in your mouth prior to swallowing it, that is a bolus].
- “Ingesting a 20 - 40 g protein dose (0.25-0.40 g/kg body mass/dose) of high-quality source every three to 4 hours appears to most favorably affect MPS rates when compare to other dietary patterns and is associated with improved body composition and performance outcomes” (Kerksick, et.al 2017).
- “Consuming casein protein (~30-40 g) prior to sleep can acutely increase MPS and metabolic rate throughout the night without influencing lipolysis” (Kerksick, et.al 2017). [Lipolysis mean to break down fats into fatty acids]
These are just 5 of the 12 position statements from the ISSN in regards to nutrient timing. I encourage you to read the entire article if you are interested and as always do your own research on what’s best for your situation.
Reference/Disclaimer:
CHAD M. KERKSICK et al. International society of sports nutrition position stand: nutrient timing. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, [s. l.], v. 14, n. 1, 2017. DOI 10.1186/s12970-017-0189-4. Accessed Feb. 23, 2024.
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