Best food for before bed

Inzah Dude

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What is the best food for before bed? Is it cottage cheese? Milk? I heard chicken is the slowest digesting food becuz of having so much protien and is a solid food unlike milk so why does everyone recommend milk instead of this? And why is cottage cheese better then this?
 
pogue

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This is because cottage cheese contains casein which a slow digesting protein. While you're sleeping, your body converts to a catabolic state to rest your muscles and build your immune system back up. But, if you're a hardgainer or are in a bulking cycle, this isn't a good thing. Ideally, you want a slow digesting protein that digests throughout the night or at least part of the night.

Casein does this, and studiest show that micellar casein is better. Basically, it just clots in your stomach and slowly releases into the fat cells where it digests over time. Micellar casein studies have shown that it digests for over 7 hours. Molecular makes a micellar/whey protein combo which does this. Or you can make your own from protein customizer or factory.
 

Inzah Dude

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Why not chicken tho if its takes longer to digest?
 

pjorstad

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I take casein powder ( i don't bother with that cottage cheese bullshit) and it takes about 4 to 5 hours just to finish digesting if i take about 30-40 grams. Then it always takes 2+ hours for amino acids to clear out of the system and then another hour or so to actually enter a catabolic state. IMO 30-40 grams of just the powder will last you the full 8 hours of sleep with NO catabolic stage. I find though that when i go longer i need a small dose somewhere in the night of more protein to ensure my stomach doesn't get empty early in the night.
 

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Depends on the size of it, but its generally a long time, reason being the amount of protein content and connective tissue (which is almost impossible to fully digest) so if you eat a large piece of chicken it generally keeps you full for awhile since its still digesting....
 

u4ik_rage

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Here's a good article from T-Mag on this subject (no, I don't call myself a T-Man). I've been doing it for about a month and it's now become a ritual. I feel great when I wake up and I'm not starving, like I used to be.

http://www.testosterone.net/nation_articles/236cat.jsp

It's got sample meals based on bodytype, but here's my personal shake, version 2.2:

16oz 2% milk
2 tablespoons of Udo's
2 scoops of whey (46 grams protein)
1 scoop of muscle milk pina colada (shake was disgusting until I added this)
 

DarCSA

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I use one similar to that. 2 Cups milk, 1 banana, 2 scoops protein powder, 1 scoop chocolate powder for flavor, 2 tbs peanut butter, 1/3 cup oatmeal. It comes from YJ and I really like it. Sorry don't use any flax and usually half it and drink 2 during the course of a day. 
 

u4ik_rage

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Yeah, if I added banana that would really give the flavor a good kick. The Udo's can get nasty if I forget to shake and it's all at the top. This probably doesn't matter since I'm awake for about a minute but my mind tells me the flavor needs fixin'.
 

Workman

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I take casein powder ( i don't bother with that cottage cheese bullshit) and it takes about 4 to 5 hours just to finish digesting if i take about 30-40 grams. Then it always takes 2+ hours for amino acids to clear out of the system and then another hour or so to actually enter a catabolic state. IMO 30-40 grams of just the powder will last you the full 8 hours of sleep with NO catabolic stage. I find though that when i go longer i need a small dose somewhere in the night of more protein to ensure my stomach doesn't get empty early in the night.

How can you tell when your finished digesting something and/or your stomach is empty?
 

Workman

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What about some sort of IV system to feed you at night?
 
sage

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ya, thats pushing it. i think waking up in the middle of the night to feed yourself and going back to sleep is pushing the envelope personally. i consider a sound sleep more beneficial than waking yourself up, feeding your body and heading back to sleep for another few hours. (unless you automatcially get up to piss everynight...my case) but still Sage
 

Workman

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Here is some info from John Berardi.

• Casein protein intake (30g) produces moderate but prolonged hyperaminoacidemia. After two hours, blood amino acids are elevated by about 32% and after four hours by about 35%. After seven hours, blood amino acids are still elevated. This is ideal for prevention of protein breakdown but does nothing for protein synthesis (3,4).


Well, if I had an ideal nighttime protein shake to set by the bed, it would include a combination of ingredients that promotes two large bursts of hyperaminoacidemia every four hours (leading to two bursts of synthesis — one at bedtime and one four hours later) and a prolonged low-level hyperaminoacidemia (to inhibit breakdown). Now, part of this can be accomplished with a milk-isolate blend taken immediately before bed. There are many such blends on the market.

At this point, you might be asking yourself why I simply don't recommend milk. Well, I'm hesitate to suggest milk as a result of the recent data showing that unfermented, intact milk (skim or whole) may not be all that great for you. The high incidence of milk allergies and lactose intolerance coupled with a huge insulin index makes me hesitant to give my endorsement to the moo juice. However, milk products like cottage cheese behave differently than milk and are another solid choice. The whey content of cottage cheese could use some beefing up though, so don't be afraid to throw in some whey or milk isolates.

Although quite effective, unfortunately this route doesn't allow for the second burst of fast protein and hyperaminoacidemia that we want about four hours into our slumber. So the simplest way to do this would be to make a big shake/meal before bed, consume half at bedtime and the other half in the middle of the night.

What is the PERFECT protein powder before bed?

Such a formula might contain 15g of regular whey protein, 30g of casein, and 15g of time-released, encapsulated whey protein that sits around in the gut for four hours and is magically released during one big digestive burst at that time. With such a formula, the 60g protein dose would definitely keep you covered for the overnight fast and might help you pack on a little extra muscle.

Excited yet? Well, don't fall for the trap. I'm sorry to tell you that such a formula is probably impossible to make. First of all, I'm not aware of any technology that will allow such a precision release of protein at a predetermined time. Secondly, if there were a way to do this, the costs would certainly be prohibitive.

But what about the current crop of overnight protein formulas popping up in magazine ads? What are they supposed to do? Well, unfortunately they don't even claim to accomplish the goals I set out above. All they claim to do is provide you with a slow released protein that keeps blood levels of amino acids low and stable all night, thus minimizing protein breakdown. Considering that plain old cottage cheese can accomplish this goal, these formulations aren't so revolutionary.

In fact, either milk protein blends or homemade whey/casein combinations may even be superior to slow digesting proteins alone, as indicated above. The combination of fast and slow may be best for both increasing muscle protein synthesis and preventing muscle protein breakdown. So why the need for fancy overnight protein products? At a price of four to seven bucks per 50g of protein (based on the brands I've looked at), I can't see one. All I can see is the rich robbing from the misinformed poor.

• A better and more-affordable choice is plain old cottage cheese and/or a blend of proteins like those found in Low-Carb Grow! (Milk itself isn't a good choice however.)
 

Biggs

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I use flax meal in cottage cheese, been working fine for me so far. Mebbe a spoon of pb occasionally too.
 

u4ik_rage

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ya, thats pushing it. i think waking up in the middle of the night to feed yourself and going back to sleep is pushing the envelope personally. i consider a sound sleep more beneficial than waking yourself up, feeding your body and heading back to sleep for another few hours. (unless you automatcially get up to piss everynight...my case) but still Sage
I don't set my alarm or anything. I just wake up at some point in the night for the bathroom. The shake is on my nightstand. It takes less than 10 seconds to chug and I usually don't even remember drinking it. It effects my sleep in abslutely no way, so I don't see why anybody (working out) wouldn't do this.
 

Workman

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I don't set my alarm or anything. I just wake up at some point in the night for the bathroom. The shake is on my nightstand. It takes less than 10 seconds to chug and I usually don't even remember drinking it. It effects my sleep in abslutely no way, so I don't see why anybody (working out) wouldn't do this.
VERY good info bro.

Do you have ice in it, keep it in a cooler or not worry about it getting warm?

I am going to be starting this tonight. Hell if you do just 500 cals that is an extra pound a week. I am ALL for that. :)
 

u4ik_rage

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Thanks. I used to think you've gotta be a nutcase and overly obsessed to wake up at 4am to eat. But I get up anyway, sometime from 3-5am, so why not?

I don't set it on ice or anything, but it's usually still cool because of the milk. I'd recommend you skim over the different meals in the T-Mag article so you put in the right macronutrients for your metabolism/body type.
 

Workman

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Thanks. I used to think you've gotta be a nutcase and overly obsessed to wake up at 4am to eat. But I get up anyway, sometime from 3-5am, so why not?

I don't set it on ice or anything, but it's usually still cool because of the milk. I'd recommend you skim over the different meals in the T-Mag article so you put in the right macronutrients for your metabolism/body type.
Thanks I did read the entire article and will get down exactly what to use.

BTW nice avatar GO BUCSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!
 

Jess

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I get home from work at 10 am and go to bed at 11:30am, so I usually eat a can of tuna, make a low carb shake or some egg whites before bed:(
 

ex_banana-eater

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ya, thats pushing it. i think waking up in the middle of the night to feed yourself and going back to sleep is pushing the envelope personally. i consider a sound sleep more beneficial than waking yourself up, feeding your body and heading back to sleep for another few hours. (unless you automatcially get up to piss everynight...my case) but still Sage
I agree, I used to do that, but got sick more frequently without a sound sleep. I will attempt to master it during the summer holidays however...
 

ex_banana-eater

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BTW now that I've stopped waking up in the night, I have a combination like this

Whey/Maltodextrine
Soy/Banana
Casein/Lactose (or brown rice)
and Flax (or olive oil)

It sets an anabolic environment with the whey and maltodextrine, the soy is long lasting and has a high glutamic content, and they casein is most anti-catabolic of all. The flax helps slow absorbtion of it all.
 
sage

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Whey/Maltodextrine
Soy/Banana
Casein/Lactose (or brown rice)
and Flax (or olive oil)

It sets an anabolic environment with the whey and maltodextrine, the soy is long lasting and has a high glutamic content, and they casein is most anti-catabolic of all. The flax helps slow absorbtion of it all.
your reasoning is a good attempt :))) however exBE, the high GI before bed i dont recommend at all, even for the greatest of ecto's (which i aint calling you that but making an example).
More easily stored as fat with the matlo and fructose , however the whey/casein, brownrice, the fats are sound choices in your situation. the soy.....aight, ill buy your case but ill opt. for egg albumen if you looking for a "longer lasting" protein source...soy i recommened for individuals concerned about losing a few. Sage
 

ex_banana-eater

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your reasoning is a good attempt :))) however exBE, the high GI before bed i dont recommend at all, even for the greatest of ecto's (which i aint calling you that but making an example).
More easily stored as fat with the matlo and fructose , however the whey/casein, brownrice, the fats are sound choices in your situation. the soy.....aight, ill buy your case but ill opt. for egg albumen if you looking for a "longer lasting" protein source...soy i recommened for individuals concerned about losing a few. Sage
well I dont really get carried away with the malto... its usually 8 grams or less, just enough to carry the whey to the muscles easily. The banana is something I have been experimenting with for the last week. Its there for the vitamins/minerals and easy cals.
Fruits generally do not increase fat gain like it has been made out to be in recent years. The studys that were done were using high fructose corn syrup on rats. The amount of fiber/water in fruits causes alot of calorie use in digestion.
 

Workman

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Well I left a protein drink next to my bed. I drank the protein drink when I got up to go to the bathroom. Got back to sleep just fine.

Worked out real easy. ex-bannana give it a try.


Thanks to all the guys who suggested this. :)
 
hamper19

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Originally posted by ex_banana-eater



thats what i used to do. but im a little bit of an insomniac so i dont seem to fall asleep for a while.
 

same here man...I don't even know when the hell i slept for 8 hours straight...not even 5 hours straight.  Im about to make my before bed meal and through some Tranquil-G in it or something. 

 

for the past few nights, i been eating a 4 oz turkey burger (home made with extra lean ground turkey)....with about 1/2 cup cottage cheese......im hoping the turkey would help me sleep..doesnt seem to work, but still tastes good and has a good mix of protiens..IMO

 

h19
 

John Benz

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I don't set my alarm or anything. I just wake up at some point in the night for the bathroom. The shake is on my nightstand. It takes less than 10 seconds to chug and I usually don't even remember drinking it. It effects my sleep in abslutely no way, so I don't see why anybody (working out) wouldn't do this.
I've done this for about a year now.Just before bed I eat a large protein meal with flax oil, but no carbs. Chicken, cottage cheese, salmon, whatever, but NOT whey protein.
well I dont really get carried away with the malto... its usually 8 grams or less, just enough to carry the whey to the muscles easily. The banana is something I have been experimenting with for the last week. Its there for the vitamins/minerals and easy cals.
Fruits generally do not increase fat gain like it has been made out to be in recent years. The studys that were done were using high fructose corn syrup on rats. The amount of fiber/water in fruits causes alot of calorie use in digestion.
The malto/whey combo is the worst combination I can think of just before bed. Unlike the post-workout situation, where one is trying to halt catabolism from an intense workout and needs an insulin spike and the fastest absorbed protein available; before bed we want to partake of a slowly digested protein, like casein or beef, which will take several hours to digest and be assimilated. Malto, with its GI rating of 130 is not needed or wanted here-NONE at all! Though considered a complex carb, it has a higher spike than Dextrose. Maltodextrin before bed will add only one thing, FAT! And fructose, has little to no impact on insulin levels due to the fact that it does not cause a substantial rise in blood sugar, as it's too busy refilling liver glycogen stores or making triglycerides. banana-eater, I'm not trying to insult you, as I think you are generally a pretty sharp guy, but you are wrong about fructose. All fiber causes calorie use in digestion, but in fruit, there is not enough to make a difference. Bananas have a lot of valuable nutrients like potassium, but with all that fructose, plus 40 grams carbohydrate each, eating one of these before bed is like taking a FAT pill! The quickest way I know to a 40" waistline. :D
 

ex_banana-eater

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I heard that it can be valuable to take a whey and high GI combination in small amounts at ALL meals because it takes the body from an anti-catabolic to an anabolic phase. Why just eat foods to prevent catabolism when you can also create anabolism before bed?

Thanks for the advice guys I stopped using the banana. I just have a multi and some metamucil (sugar free) instead.
 

John Benz

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I heard that it can be valuable to take a whey and high GI combination in small amounts at ALL meals because it takes the body from an anti-catabolic to an anabolic phase. Why just eat foods to prevent catabolism when you can also create anabolism before bed?

Thanks for the advice guys I stopped using the banana. I just have a multi and some metamucil (sugar free) instead.
Bobo has got me convinced that high g.i. carbs are NEVER much good, even post-workout. After trying oatmeal instead of malto/dextro post-workout, I find gains are the same, and bodyfat is dropping. Hate to admit it, but that clown was right about something. :D
 
sage

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i would try oatmeal (cleaner source of complex carbs rather than maltodextrine and corn sugar/dextrose) however, i pound my post workout drink at exactly that...post. (start sipping on it 10 minutes towards the end of the workout) cant bring a microwave/pot to the gym....of course the first whole of after post workout drink (1-1.5 mins after), my meal consist of a cup of oatmeal. So my situation puts it that i would have to stick with what ive been doing for 4-5 years now.
 

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