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Introducing nutrient timing -

Nutrient timing is the practice of eating certain foods at certain times in order to achieve a certain outcome, such as building muscle or losing weight.

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Area of extensive research -

Nutrient timing has been around for decades in the context of professional sport, and many aspects of it have been extensively studied.

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Nutrition timing for athletes -

Indeed, John Ivy, a leading researcher in carbohydrate timing, published a book in 2004 called ‘Nutrient Timing: The Future of Sports Nutrition.’

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Nutrition timing for non-athletes -

Since then, many nutritional resources have promoted nutrient timing as the most effective way to lose fat, gain muscle, and improve performance.

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Research limitations - Looking more closely at the research, however, it is clear that the findings on nutrient timing and its effectiveness are far from conclusive.

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Short-term markers only -

The first significant limitation of the current research is that it looks only at short-term blood markers and ignores the long-term results (or lack thereof).

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Participants - The current research is also limited in the sense that most studies look only at ultra-endurance athletes, whose physiques do not match that of the average person.

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What this means -

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A closer look -

Let's delve a little bit deeper into the science. When people talk about nutrient timing, they often refer to what is known as the "anabolic window."

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The anabolic window -

This concept is based on the idea that the body has a period of 15-60 minutes after exercise in which it is in the perfect condition to absorb nutrients.

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Carb replenishment -

This theory is based on two main principles, and the first is carb replenishment. According to this principle, when you give your body carbohydrates straight after a workout, it absorbs them more quickly.

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Impact on recovery and performance -

By absorbing the carbohydrates more quickly, the body in turn stores more glycogen, which both speeds up recovery and improves performance.

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What the research shows -

On the one hand, the existing research does show that glycogen is replenished more quickly within 30-60 minutes after exercising.

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Caveat -

On the other hand, it has been suggested that this timing is only relevant if you are training several times in the same day.

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For the majority of people -

If, like most people, you only work out once per day at most, it is likely your body has plenty of time to replenish glycogen just by eating at normal mealtimes.

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Protein intake -

The second principle of the anabolic window is protein intake, according to which eating protein after a workout makes up for the protein used during exercise and stimulates the production of protein in the body.

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Timing not so important -

While this does make perfect sense, research suggests that protein intake does not actually need to happen in such a short window after working out.

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Overall intake -

In fact, it is the total daily intake of protein that is important. Indeed, people should be focusing on eating high-quality protein at each meal.

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Maintain a balanced diet -

The obvious conclusion to draw from all of this is that if you are getting all the nutrients you need from a balanced diet, the anabolic window is probably less important than we are sometimes led to believe.

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Elite athletes -

The likely exceptions to this are elite athletes, and people who work out more than once per day.

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Pre-workout nutrition -

What you consume during the pre-workout window, by contrast, may indeed have a significant impact on whether you are able to achieve your goals.

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Pre-workout nutrition -

Research suggests, for example, that eating a well-balanced, easily digestible meal 60-150 minutes (about two and a half hours) before exercise may help improve performance.

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Fasting beforehand -

By contrast, if your goal is to lose fat, research suggests that training with less food in your body may be more effective.

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Hydration - Hydration levels have also been linked with health and performance. In general, people tend not to drink enough water before working out.

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How much water to drink -

According to Healthline, it is recommended to drink 12-16 oz (300-450ml) of water and electrolytes before working out.

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Vitamins and supplements -

Finally, vitamins have been shown to negatively affect performance during a workout. What's more, they may actually reduce the benefits of training.

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Vitamins and supplements -

While vitamins are an important part of your daily nutrition, it may not be a good idea to take them directly before exercise.

Sources: (Healthline) (WebMD)

See also: Signs your diet is doing more harm than good

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