Are Weight Lifters Who Do Not Consume Food Before Bed Harming Muscle Gains?
Many bodybuilding opinions exist in regards to producing maximum muscle gains with the smallest possible body fat percentage, with bodybuilders attempting to manipulate diet variables, including whether to consume food prior to sleep, in order to improve results. Some bodybuilders understand the importance of bedtime meals, but others fear food prior to sleep, especially weight lifters who either quickly gain fat when aiming for muscle gain, or who are focusing primarily on fat loss, and wish to boost the speed of results.
The theory is that eating prior to sleep increases the likelihood of fat gain, and although there is no inherent harm to body fat levels when consuming a late meal, because many diet routines are structured with poorly chosen calories and carbohydrates, not to mention improper meal division, which can detract from metabolic rate, eating before sleep encourages fat storage for many, and some in the bodybuilding world classify later eating as harmful towards body fat control.
The common mistake made is to either use excessive carbohydrates for a bedtime meal, or implement a food intake that circumvents the body's core requirements for muscle growth or preservation (depending upon the goal), which then clearly will result in body fat increase, as energy needs during an overnight fast are less than at any other time. Yet, unlike certain flawed bodybuilding trainers may suggest, a bodybuilder is in great need of calories during sleep, as this is when muscle gains occur at their greatest proportion. In fact, since the body has a lengthy uninterrupted period to build lean muscle tissue, sufficient calories and protein must be present in order to maximize such results, which is why a bedtime meal becomes critical. When nutrients are withheld prior to a lengthy sleep period, although muscles wish to grow during such hours, they are unable to do so, and if an individual is using a lower calorie diet for fat reduction, many times muscle mass will even decline dramatically.
During fat loss periods, one of the most frustrating obstacles for many weight lifters is muscle maintenance, and making dramatic modifications to a diet, whether it be reducing food intake below what is necessary for fat loss due to impatience, or eliminating food later in the evening, will greatly enhance the chance for muscle loss, which further harms metabolism, making future fat loss difficult. Many do not realize that a properly structured bedtime meal can actually aid in fat reduction, as metabolism benefits from a frequent meal structure, and withholding food for prolonged periods can cause the body to limit calorie burn. This can occur not only when decreasing the number of meals during early hours, but also by skipping a moderately sized meal prior to sleep. This is contradictory to the notion that food before bed increases the chance of fat gain or slows fat reduction, but far too many who pursue bedtime meals are using a larger intake than is necessary to properly fuel metabolism and maintain muscle mass, or are using excessive carbohydrates, as if the meal were preceding a weight training workout as opposed to a lengthy sleep session. A meal prior to sleep should be comprised of mostly protein, as the body during rest is seeking primarily recovery and growth (by way of protein synthesis), but eliminating carbohydrates completely will cause the body to waste protein for energy, which robs nutrients for muscle recuperation, and places metabolism at risk.
Certain weight lifters understand the importance of bedtime meals, and try to consume several during the evening, waking up once or twice for additional food, believing this will increase muscle growth, but such a technique is harmful to overall progress, as consuming one properly designed bedtime meal is sufficient to allow for muscle growth and proper metabolic function, while waking up for another one or two meals will disrupt proper sleep patterns, which are just as vital for muscle growth and proper metabolism as the meal itself. Waking up for additional food during the evening prevents the body from utilizing calories properly, so for maximum muscle gain and fat reduction, aiming for a bedtime meal with limited carbohydrate levels and ample protein once before a lengthy sleep is the most productive technique to aim for.
Francesco Castano authors the www.MuscleNOW.com web site, which is a diet and weight training program teaching the exact techniques for building muscle mass without supplements or drugs. He also owns the www.IncrediBody.com online fitness superstore, selling fitness equipment at guaranteed lowest prices.
www.MuscleNOW.com
