Is it possible to eat carbohydrates at night while gaining muscle mass?

Carbohydrates "AT THE NIGHT". Carbohydrates are considered the most dangerous elements of nutrition.

Are they really that harmful and do they become especially dangerous if consumed before bed?
From the point of view of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition, carbohydrates are considered to be the initiators of weight gain, especially if consumed before bed. The basic rule of nutrition is that carbohydrates should be consumed before sunset, which will help maintain a small waist and prevent the formation of fat deposits in the midsection.

. Contrary to popular belief, carbohydrates are an important part of any diet, but does eating carbohydrates before bed actually cause an increase in your scale reading?

In most cases, the common fear of carbohydrates stems from misconceptions about them. Nate Miyaki, author of Intermittent Feast, believes that carbohydrates can be beneficial or harmful depending on the situation. “Carbohydrates Help Us Recover from Stress and Anaerobic Activity, but they Also “Help” us gain weight during periods of reduced activity. It all depends on the activity.” Simply put, athletes who engage in high-intensity training use up glycogen stores and need to replenish these stores to achieve optimal performance. In other situations, the body has sufficient reserves of carbohydrates and, as a result, there is no need for additional carbohydrate intake. Miyaki compares consuming carbohydrates to refueling a car: “If the car is parked in a garage, it doesn’t need fuel. Excessive sugar consumption is like trying to fill a full tank. The fuel will simply overflow. In the human body, this “overflow” enters the bloodstream and helps create excess fat reserves.”

It is this energy balance that is potentially responsible for carbohydrate intake leading to overnight weight gain. But at the same time, nighttime revelry in this regard does not bring harm, because you continue to expend energy. The problem is that too many people overeat during the day, and at night these excesses replenish their fat stores. According to Miyaki, "Consuming Too Much Calories and Carbohydrates in General Creates Weight Problems." In fact, only one study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that eating carbohydrates before bed helps you sleep better at night—important for those who have trouble sleeping. Instead of paying attention to the time of day, it is better to focus your attention on the total volume of carbohydrates consumed and bring it into line with age, weight, and body type.

Carbohydrates consumed in the evening do not become particularly harmful.

Consuming excess amounts of carbohydrates at any time of the day can lead to weight gain and unwanted changes in body proportions.

What is better to eat proteins or carbohydrates at night? Proper nutrition: the important role of proteins and carbohydrates

The basis of proper nutrition is proteins, carbohydrates, fats, consumed in the correct proportions, as well as their correct distribution throughout the day. It turns out that the absorption of certain foods depends on the time of day. Today we will talk about when and why it is better to eat carbohydrates and when to eat proteins.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KO7CvIup-6A

Many people know that proper nutrition in the morning, carbohydrates in the evening, proteins, provides the best metabolism, and also reduces the likelihood of weight gain.

Protein is the foundation

Protein plays an important role in the development of muscle tissue and is also an essential material for the functioning of the body. Eating enough protein will provide us with healthy shiny hair, beautiful skin, and good, unbreakable nails.

That is why proper nutrition with proteins and carbohydrates involves eating protein foods in the morning at lunch and in the evening. The fact is that the body practically cannot store protein “in reserve.” If you reduce protein foods in your diet, then many vitamins, for example B12, will not be supplied.

Protein can be of either animal or plant origin. Proper nutrition requires both. An adult needs a considerable amount of protein per day, depending on the type of activity and body type, from 50 to 100 grams.

Attention!

But many may confuse pure proteins with protein-containing products. For example, 100 grams of protein-rich soy contains only 35 grams of protein, and 100 grams of chicken contains 20 grams.

If you are going to stick to a healthy diet of proteins and carbohydrates, then you should know that it is best to eat foods high in protein but low in fat. Here is an example of protein-rich and healthy foods:

• chicken, especially chicken fillet
• turkey fillet
• soy products and soybeans
• cottage cheese, low-fat cheese, milk, natural yogurt
• egg white
• seafood especially squid
• sea ​​fish
• lean beef

Laws of proper nutrition: carbohydrates in the morning, proteins in the evening

The opinions of nutritionists are divided: some believe that proper nutrition means taking carbohydrates in the morning and proteins in the evening, while others believe that every meal should be complete. Let's figure it out.

In the morning, carbohydrates are easier to digest and also provide energy. But not all carbohydrates are created equal. Carbohydrates can be divided into 2 groups: fast and slow, or as they are also called simple and complex.

The latter include bread products (whole grains), beans and peas (dry), fruits (uncooked), vegetables (greens, tomatoes, dairy products and beans). These products are useful to eat both for breakfast and throughout the day, with the exception of dinner.

They will provide you with energy for a long time, and the feeling of hunger will not come as quickly as after a snack with fast or simple carbohydrates.

These include: sugar, white bread, baked goods, refined rice, chocolate (white and milk), bananas, melons, sweet carbonated drinks, honey, most sweet confectionery products. These products are not suitable for dietary nutrition.

For example, sugar and bread should be excluded altogether; as for honey, eat bananas and melons in reasonable quantities, preferably on days when you have high energy expenditures.

Fast carbohydrates can be consumed in the first half of the day, but preferably for the second breakfast, since they will interfere with the production of insulin during the first meal.

Important!

Proper nutrition in the morning, carbohydrates in the evening, proteins means that carbohydrates are most easily digested in the morning, but this does not mean that protein foods should be excluded for breakfast. At the same time, in the evening, we do not need carbohydrates, as well as excess energy, and protein is more beneficial for our body.

As we can see, proteins and carbohydrates play an important role in proper nutrition, and in order for them to be as healthy and nutritious as possible, you should remember which foods to eat and at what time.

Chemical composition

The fruit contains many valuable vitamins and minerals, which make the pear a useful and necessary addition to the daily diet. The advantage of the fruit is its low calorie content, which allows it to be included in the diet of people who are on a diet.

A detailed description of the composition is given in the table:

The ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates (BJC) in the product is uneven, which is explained by the predominance of the latter in its composition. For every 100 g there is the following ratio: 0.5/0.4/10-11 g.

The average fruit weighs from 150 to 200 g. The weight largely depends on the variety of pear. There are dwarf varieties whose fruits do not exceed 100 grams.

The calorie content of a pear also depends on the type and method of its preparation:

The fresh fruit with peel has the lowest calorie content. In 1 piece medium size only 65 to 100 kcal.

Carbohydrates at night: harm and benefit. Is it possible to eat carbohydrates at night?

IS IT POSSIBLE TO EAT CARBOHYDRATES AT NIGHT?

Everyone has already learned by heart that you can’t eat CARBOHYDRATES at night. Well done!

Now let's quickly learn in WHAT CASES YOU CAN AND NEED CARBOHYDRATES AT NIGHT!

Nate Miyaki, author of Intermittent Fast, very correctly noted that carbohydrates can be beneficial or harmful depending on the context (situation). On the one hand, carbohydrates help to recover after a hard ANAEROBIC (attention! strength or sprint/HIIT) workout, on the other hand, with LACK OF ACTIVITY, EXCESS CARBOHYDRATES (what is not used for energy) will go into fat.

In simple words, if you train intensely and regularly, then you need to regularly replenish the glycogen stores that you will use up during these workouts.

If you sit in the office and go to Pilates 2 times a week (count lying on the mat), then CARBOHYDRATES at night are strictly contraindicated for you. And in general, overusing carbohydrates throughout the day will give the same result - fat gain.

How many carbohydrates are too many is another question. Now we are talking about the TIME of taking them, and not about the quantity!

Your body is a machine. If you use it constantly, you empty the tank (glycogen stores) pretty quickly. If your car is parked in a garage, then there is simply no need to refuel it often. Attempts to fill a full tank with gasoline will result in the fuel overflowing. That is, carbohydrates, for lack of space (free glycogen depots), will begin to be converted into reserves (fat).

In general, consuming too many calories and carbohydrates creates weight problems. Instead of paying attention to the time of day, it is better to focus your attention on the total volume of carbohydrates consumed and adjust it in accordance with age, weight, body type, activity level, etc. (this is a matter of quantity, which will be discussed in another article ).

Consuming excess amounts of carbohydrates at any time of the day can lead to weight gain and unwanted changes in body proportions. All sorts of diets like “-60″6 where in the morning you can eat everything in unlimited quantities INITIALLY give girls the wrong idea of ​​how the body works.

And now, WHO AND WHEN CAN

1/ If you don't sleep well

Eating carbs at night helps you fall asleep better (especially if you eat a low-carb diet during the day)

A simple mechanism works here: the intake of carbohydrates into the body (no matter what kind of sweets or rice) automatically leads to the production of the hormone insulin by the pancreas. The task of this hormone is to remove excess sugar (glucose) from the blood. Along the way, insulin also “takes” all essential amino acids from the blood, except tryptophan. Tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin (the hormone of joy, as well as fatigue and lethargy). As a result, after porridge at night you will sleep like a baby.

2/ If you do strength training in the morning, then it is much more effective to load up in the evening. If you do strength training in the evening, then to fill the carbohydrate window, you can completely eat CARBOHYDRATES AT NIGHT.

3/ If you train regularly, your workouts are ANAEROBIC (strength and HIIT), you have a moderate subcutaneous fat percentage (not higher than 25%), you do not abuse carbohydrates during the day, then you CAN HAVE CARBS AT NIGHT (and not only after training, but in general it is POSSIBLE!)

You can, even if you have a fat burning program!

And now WHO AND WHEN IS NOT allowed

1/ If you have a high percentage of subcutaneous fat (above 25%)

2/ If you DO NOT train in the gym, but instead go to Pilates and “strength” training in group programs (which are actually cardio)

3/ If you have insulin resistance

In this case, you need to very carefully introduce carbohydrates into your diet, not just at night!

Misconceptions and myths about nutrition for muscle growth

1. When you are in a calorie deficit, you can gain lean muscle mass. Unfortunately, these are just dreams, because muscles will not grow without replenishing the proper energy costs.

2. The feeling of permissiveness in gastronomic excesses is one of the most dangerous misconceptions among mass gainers. The optimal excess of calories for weight gain is no more than 500. And here, along with pies, cakes, beer, and smoked lard, the body receives thousands of calories.

3. Most athletes who adhere to the accepted nutrition system believe that it is difficult for vegetarians and raw foodists to gain weight, although in fact this is a very common misconception. All essential amino acids and proteins are found in plant foods. You can also use soy protein. Vegetarian bodybuilders have long developed the principle of complementarity of products in the diet - consuming several types of plant products that contain different amino acids at one time. Plant foods are also rich in carbohydrates, and also help build lean muscle mass, preventing atherosclerosis and obesity. The only disadvantage of this diet is the deficiency of cyanocobalamin (B12), which is not found in plant foods, and its deficiency leads to anemia.

Why you shouldn't eat complex carbohydrates at night. Is it possible to lose weight by eating carbohydrates at night?

To lose weight, you should not eat carbohydrates at night. This theory is based on the idea that glycogen not used before bed turns into fat. It’s logical to think this way if we consider that our body is like a large supermarket.

But our body is not a store in which products (glycogen) not sold that day are stored (turned into fat) in order to sell them (use as energy) the next day.

Can you imagine how our body must behave in order for the glycogen that is stored in the liver (about 100 g) and / or in the muscles (the amount depends on the size of the individual muscles) to turn into fat overnight? Our body would eventually have to perform such a crazy number of biochemical reactions.

Interesting research

In 2011, the Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem conducted a study to confirm what everyone already knew. Namely, that the time of day when you can eat carbohydrates on a low-calorie diet does not affect weight loss.

The study also aimed to understand whether there were differences in anthropometric, biochemical and inflammatory parameters, as well as differences in the feelings of satiety and hunger experienced by a person who eats the majority of carbohydrates for dinner in a day.

The study involved seventy-eight police agents whose body mass index (BMI) was greater than 30. The study was conducted over a 6-month period. Blood samples were taken on days 0, 7, 90 and 180, and in addition, hunger levels were recorded every 4 hours (from 8:00 to 20:00).

Anthropometric measurements were taken throughout the study and the end result was unexpected. In addition to weight loss, the fat index decreased, and hunger levels decreased from time to time.

Thus, the study showed that it is important not when to eat individual types of products, but how much in total. With an overall low calorie intake, time of day is not as important.

Don't forget that proper rest is very important for losing weight. If your significant other is constantly interfering with your sound sleep, pay attention to the anti-snoring snore stopper, reviews of which are very encouraging.

Why you shouldn't eat carbohydrates at night. Is it okay to consume carbohydrates before bed?

For a bodybuilder, carbohydrate intake directly depends on the time of day. For example, in the morning most of the daily dose is consumed. The fact is that glycogen reserves in the liver are depleted overnight, which leads to a lack of energy. To provide itself with the proper level of energy, the body begins to extract it from muscle tissue. Thus, if you do not consume enough carbohydrates in the morning, you may experience muscle loss.

Before training, it is also common to take some “slow” carbohydrates. They will ensure a continuous supply of energy to the athlete’s body and make the workout more effective. After exercise, glycogen stores are again depleted, which promotes the release of catabolic hormones, the purpose of which is to break down muscles. That is why taking “fast” carbohydrates immediately after training can block catabolic hormones, and this plays a vital role in gaining muscle mass.

And now about the most important thing. Can I take carbohydrates before bed? If you have consumed enough of them during the day, then taking carbohydrates before bed will lead to an increase in subcutaneous fat. Experts note that you can consume carbohydrates no later than 4 hours before bedtime. This conclusion was confirmed by a group of scientists who undertook to study this problem. It turned out that body temperature and heart rate directly depend on carbohydrate intake. Those athletes who loaded themselves with carbohydrates 2-3 hours before bed slept much worse, since their body temperature was increased and their heart beat faster. Good sleep is accompanied by the opposite processes: low body temperature and low heart rate. In this sense, those athletes who refused to consume carbohydrates at night had an advantage, eating most of them at breakfast. Their sleep was much better, and subcutaneous fat did not accumulate overnight.

Fruits are fast or slow carbohydrates

Fast carbohydrates

Most fruits have a low glycemic load because they contain negligible amounts of carbohydrates. They do not have any particular effect on blood sugar levels; satiety is felt for a long time after eating them. Fruits contain a lot of water and cellulose, but are quite low in calories. However, when eating large amounts of sweet fruits such as bananas and grapes, the unused energy can lead to excess body weight.

Many, of course, have questions: are fruits carbohydrates or fiber, are fruits simple or complex carbohydrates? Many fruits contain cellulose and pectin - natural fat burners that speed up metabolism. You can and even need to use them when losing weight. Cellulose is the same carbohydrates, but they are not broken down and not absorbed by the body. Almost all fruits promote weight loss, since their calorie content is very low, they have a positive effect on the body and health. It is advisable to eat them separately from main meals.

Is it possible to eat carbohydrates at night? Carbohydrates at night - you can!

Is it possible to eat carbohydrates at night?

This article should be of interest to bodybuilders who train in the evening. I previously wrote in this article that training in the evening is less effective than training in the morning. But what can you do if you have work in the morning and during the day, but you need to work out. And since we are training, we need to eat well after training, because this meal is the most important!

True, most nutritionists do not advise taking carbohydrates after 6 pm. Dinner is recommended with a protein such as eggs, fish or chicken. This is due to the fact that at night the susceptibility of cells to the hormone insulin decreases, and excess sugar can turn into fat.

On the other hand, if you do not eat carbohydrates after training in the evening, the secretion of the hormone cortisol will increase. The purpose of cortisol is to provide energy to the body in the absence of carbohydrates. And he does this in a barbaric way: he burns muscles, obtaining glucose from them! Read more about fighting cortisol here.

So, what's the solution? You ask. And the solution, as often happens, is in the “golden mean”! After your evening gym session, take about 50g of carbohydrates. And, carefully monitor your body fat for two weeks. If you do not gain weight with such portions, then increase to 80 g.

This technique will allow you to increase muscle mass, only muscle mass, not fat!

Popular varieties

Currently, many varieties of the popular fruit have been developed. Some are specially cultivated for a specific area, others have been grown for many centuries in places of natural distribution.

"Conference"

The pear received this name in honor of a conference that was held in Britain and was devoted to various methods of growing a fruit-bearing tree. It is distinguished by its rather large size and juicy pulp. The skin of the fruit is green, with small brown pigmented areas.

The average weight of the fruit ranges from 100-300 g. A distinctive feature of pears is their tart taste, as well as the fact that they do not ripen on the tree. To obtain ripe fruit, large green fruits are collected and laid out in a dry place until they ripen for 5-10 days.

The tree is not frost-resistant, but bears fruit until late autumn.

The variety is suitable for canning, eating raw, drying or baking.

Chinese

This variety is quite popular due to its low calorie content and pleasant taste. The pulp is juicy, sweet, but dense. China is considered the birthplace of the variety, where breeders bred it from another, less tasty one. The fruits are quite large and can reach 300 g. The color of the peel is yellow, with small brown inclusions. It was this fact that gave rise to calling the fruits “sandy”.

It is not recommended to eat unripe Chinese pear fruits, as they may adversely affect digestion. If necessary, they are laid out in a dry and warm place for ripening. Ripe fruits are best stored in the refrigerator. The variety is ideal for drying, making jam, canning in general, and baking.

"Williams"

Another name for this variety is “Duchess”. It is considered one of the best among summer varieties. It has large fruits with a dense skin. The color is mostly green, but when ripe a small pinkish or red spot appears on one or both sides. It becomes a sign of fetal maturity.

The pulp is dense, juicy, with a pleasant sweet and sour taste. The average weight of one fruit is from 130 to 150 g, but there are also large ones - up to 200-250 g. There are several varieties of this variety, some of which become almost completely red or even burgundy when ripe. The shelf life of ripe fruits is up to 14 days.

The fruit is optimal for consumption raw and any method of processing.

Yellow

A widespread variety in Russia. It is unpretentious and fertile, and belongs to the early varieties. The most popular yellow variety is “Limonka”. The fruits are small and rarely exceed a weight of 130 g. The pulp is juicy and soft, the peel is bright yellow, but is not hard after ripening.

Is it harmful to eat carbohydrates at night? Fitness myths: carbohydrates turn into fat in the evening

Not eating carbohydrates in the evening (or not eating at all in the evening), because everything eaten will not have time to be spent on energy and will go into fat - this is still one of the most popular weight loss myths.

On the one hand, metabolism in the first half of the night (the first half of your sleep) actually decreases by 35% (1). But in the second half it grows noticeably. Because of these metabolic ups and downs, average energy expenditure during sleep is not much different than during daytime rest (2).

What Science Says

A recent study conducted at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and published in the journal Obesity examined the issue of evening carbohydrates.

The participants were divided into two groups - control and experimental. Both groups were put on the same calorie deficit for six months with the same amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fat. One group ate carbohydrates throughout the day, and the second group ate 80% of all carbohydrates at dinner. The results showed greater weight loss, abdominal circumference and reduction in body fat mass, greater satiety and less hunger in the second group.

Of course, even though this group lost more fat and had better markers of health at the end of the study (better insulin sensitivity, increased good cholesterol, and decreased bad cholesterol), it is too early to say that this is exactly what you need to eat to lose weight quickly. . More research is needed. But one thing we can take away from it for sure: carbohydrates for dinner by themselves do not make a person fatter, bypassing the daily calorie requirement.

What is the problem?

A no-carb diet after X number of hours sounds good in theory, but doesn't work well in the real world.

Disruptions

If you move most of your food to the first half of the day, it will be difficult to fight evening hunger. And it will definitely come, because it is impossible to eat enough once and for the whole day, no matter how much you eat.

Social isolation

Eating in the evening is part of the culture of our society. And living in a world where you can't go out to dinner with friends or at home with your family is hard. This is one of the reasons why so many people hate diets.

Unnecessary complication

Consistency and patience are two of the most important aspects of dieting that few people discuss. Instead, we're concerned with carb timing, macronutrient ratios on the plate, glycemic index, insulin index, and other things.

Rules help organize nutrition, but unnecessary unreasonable restrictions make the diet less compatible with life. With more freedom in choosing how and when you eat, you're more likely to stay on your diet longer.

The “no food after X hours” diet may not suit everyone, because everyone has their own lifestyle, daily routine and activity level. Choosing the frequency of meals and the distribution of foods throughout the day should be realistic and convenient for you.

Workouts and carbs in the evening

A separate question: should you eat after an evening workout if you want to lose weight? Or should you go to bed hungry so that your body burns more fat?

Here you can read in detail about the importance of nutrition around training.

Carbohydrates are energy. If you train in the evenings, then shifting carbohydrates to the evening makes direct sense: by consuming them before training, you provide yourself with energy for high-quality work. By consuming them after training, you speed up the body's recovery.

Insulin sensitivity is high after exercise (7, 8), so there's no need to worry about turning everything you eat into fat. Moreover, this is impossible on a calorie deficit.

Psychology

For many, shifting most of your calories to the evening may be more effective for weight loss.

Firstly, it's a full dinner with your family or in a restaurant instead of lettuce on your plate.

Secondly, many people work during the day and forget or do not have time to eat properly. Or it’s easier for them to distract themselves from thoughts about food while they’re doing something. In the evening, when all the work is over and a person is left to his own devices, it is very difficult to refuse food - the refrigerator beckons, it sucks in the pit of your stomach, and nothing distracts you from thoughts of hunger.

Thirdly, a sufficient amount of carbohydrates in the last meal helps you fall asleep faster (and there are often problems with falling asleep on a diet).

conclusions

We can argue about the best dietary approaches, but calories will always be at the core of weight loss. This does not mean that the composition of food is not important, but calories are still more important.

There is no point in being afraid that eating at a calorie deficit will be stored as fat. After each meal, the anabolic phase begins when the food begins to be absorbed. Nothing you eat stays in your bloodstream, whether you eat during the day or in the evening.

And then everything is determined by whether you have a calorie deficit during the day or not. If there is, then what is deposited will be extracted and used for energy. If not, then you will have to keep it in reserve and replenish it if you like to eat at night and don’t watch your diet.

Eating in the evening does not make a person fatter. What makes it fatter is too much food (calories) all day long. Being overweight depends on how much you eat, not when.

Use programs that work!

• A clear step-by-step plan for training at home and in the gym.
• For different levels of fitness: fitness beginner and fitness enthusiast.
• Without harmful exercises, fasting and working hard.
• Access to a closed group.

Beneficial features

The benefits of pears in any form for the body are undeniable, since they contain a large amount of valuable substances that are daily necessary for the normal functioning of organs and systems.

The most significant medicinal properties of the fruit:

• normalizes digestion and prevents decay processes in the small intestine;
• stimulates metabolic processes and promotes weight loss;
• helps the rapid evacuation of toxins and waste;
• cleanses the blood and stimulates hematopoietic processes, increases hemoglobin levels;
• prevents loose stools and normalizes intestinal microflora;
• strengthens the heart muscle;
• normalizes cholesterol levels in the blood and prevents the deposition of cholesterol plaques on the walls of blood vessels;
• reduces capillary permeability and strengthens the vascular wall;
• stabilizes the psycho-emotional state;
• prevents thyroid diseases;
• helps in removing parasites;
• has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and mild diuretic properties;
• promotes healing of wounds and cracks;
• strengthens teeth and bones;
• slows down the growth and development of atypical cancer cells;
• eliminates heartburn and stomach pain.