**this is post is brought to you by LifeSum**
Hello M’fitties! I’m taking this week to do a few things (as my birthday is tomorrow and I want to do something special) so enjoy this prewritten post on nutrition and workout timing!
The basic idea of nutrient timing is to optimize not only what you eat but when you eat it. Though the concept has gained immense popularity since the early 2000s, you don’t always need to time when you eat down to the last second, even if you’re serious about muscle building. Nutrient timing can help you train and get fit, but for the best
results, you should learn more about what’s recommended today.
Nutrient Timing and Its History
Nutrient timing entered the mainstream of exercise science in the early 2000s when Dr. John Ivy and Dr. Robert Portman published their book, “Nutrient Timing: The Future of Sports Nutrition.” The idea quickly became popular among sports nutritionists. Fitness magazines, personal trainers, and other people interested in fitness (especially muscle building) soon got on the bandwagon.
The Relationship Between Nutrient Timing and Muscle Building
You don’t need to rigidly time your meals or rush to down a protein shake immediately after exercise. Instead, follow this guideline: Consume 20 to 30 grams of protein per meal.
Eating a bigger breakfast compared to other meals may help you maintain energy throughout the day. However, it’s important that you listen to your body instead of rigidly following what works for other people. You can maximize the relationship between nutrient timing and muscle building with LifeSum.
Developments in Research
Early research divided meals into either post-workout or anytime plates. The idea was to consume lean protein, healthy fats, and vegetables for anytime meals. The aim was to put nutrients into your system when they were most needed. What Has Changed Based on Recent Studies? Early research was limited because long-term results were unknown. Data was also not collected on factors such as fat loss and lean mass gain. The short-term limits of the
research led to some inaccurate claims. For example, it was once believed that you needed to eat easily digestible protein within 45 minutes of exercise and that you needed to eat carbs before (and even during) a workout.
What Past Advice Still Applies?
Nutrient timing may not be the secret weapon that it was originally billed as, but some concepts do offer benefits. For example, the anabolic window concept isn’t totally wrong. However, the optimal time frame to eat a post-workout meal is different than initially believed. The ideal time to eat also depends on factors like exercise intensity
and when you work out.
Nutrient timing matters when it gets results for you, and it doesn’t matter when it has no effect on your fitness. Some studies claim, for example, that breakfast is totally necessary. While others follow intermittent fasting. Track your progress to create a plan that works for you and focus on listening to your body rather than the latest fads.
Do you have a pre or post workout meal? What do you have?
