Eating Late at Night Is bad? or Myth

[Kam]

I was just wondering as I had my chicken and rice at about 8 o clock tonight. Before that I had a bowl of ceral and pwo protein shake for lunch. But does your body convert that to fat or is this just a wives tale?

And this isn't a constant occurance actually i try not to eat after 5pm unless it's a health snake.

 

[bpmartyr]

I was just wondering as I had my chicken and rice at about 8 o clock tonight. Before that I had a bowl of ceral and pwo protein shake for lunch. But does your body convert that to fat or is this just a wives tale?

And this isn't a constant occurance actually i try not to eat after 5pm unless it's a health snake.

Hasn't hurt me and I generally eat every 2 hrs no matter what time it is. I even get up in the middle of the night to eat. The trick is to watch your total daily intake vs expenditure. There are some who have issues with carbs in the evening (I don't) so they shoot for protein & fats before bed. I just ate some rye triscuts, some salmon and a plate of fresh veggies and I am hitting the hay in like 10 minutes. FWIW

EDIT: You should not eat snake before bed, even if it is a healthy one.:rofl:

 

[DaveB]

I tend to limit my carbohydrate intake after 5 pm too, when I bulking and cutting, just seems to make logical sense in my mind, on an off day can imagine the carbohydrates being 'trapped' in the blood stream, with no preference to muscle partition (maybe ALA, vandyl sulphate would help)

That being said I would never sacrifice me post work out carbohydrates and post post work out carbohydrates no matter how late I workout (usually get to the gym at 7.30pm). Since if you have had a strenuous workout and depleted glycogen, I believe it will partition to muscles as a preference as oppose to fat cells. I generally stick to low GI carbohydrates most of the time as well to avoid big insulin spikes. Currently undecided about directly post workout which way to go so trying high and low.

As always there are counter points one being on hormonal output (GH and test), and GH is mostly secreted in the early hours of sleep and evening diet can affect this.

Vernikos-Daneliss, J., et al. Changes in glucose, insulin, and growth hormone levels associated with bedrest.Aviat Space Environ Med. 1976 Jun;47(6):583-7

Just try each combination and see what works for you, as everbody can tolerate carbs differently

 

[200wannabe]

I have read that the accumulation of FFA in the bloodstream during the day can lead to greater insulin resistance later in the day, possibly explaining the issues with carbs.

But the standard 'anything you eat after 6pm will turn into fat' idea , yes that is a myth.

 

[TenMan]

Time is an idea by man, your body doesn't know it should or should not store carbs after XX:00 pm. Excess calories are stored as fat, not carbs after 5.

 

[Pfunk47]

it's a myth - like Tenman said - your body knows no time - your bodies functions start from when you wake - carbs around training time are what you want (dieting or not) pwo meal with carbs then carbs in your next meal is fine (also it depends on what your goals are). Amounts and type of carbs (gi value) is what leads to fat gain - your body type plays a huge role as well. ecto's can eat more carbs and higher valued GI carbs with less consequences than an Endo - excess calories play a role no matter what body type.

 

[chris3g]

myth, like these guys said. Not only that, but you SHOULD be eating some healthy fats and a lean protein source before bed - your body does most of its work repairing the muscles you damaged from lifting (and this what leads to growth) while you sleep, why would you want to deprive it of the nutrients it needs to do this?

 

[TenMan]

... actually i try not to eat after 5pm unless it's a health snake.

I meant to add this... No food for 12+hours = a bad idea. You should try to eat something (eg cottage cheese, milk and whey, MEAT) prior to zonking out for the evening. The food will help to a) keep your metabolism running and b) help to repair muscle.

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[Kam]

Thanks guys, everything that was said makes sense.

 

[Nitrox]

Hasn't hurt me and I generally eat every 2 hrs no matter what time it is. I even get up in the middle of the night to eat. The trick is to watch your total daily intake vs expenditure. There are some who have issues with carbs in the evening (I don't) so they shoot for protein & fats before bed. I just ate some rye triscuts, some salmon and a plate of fresh veggies and I am hitting the hay in like 10 minutes. FWIW

:goodpost:

I religiously have a midnight 30P/50C/20F meal so that the longest interval between meals is about 5 hrs.

it's a myth - like Tenman said - your body knows no time - your bodies functions start from when you wake - carbs around training time are what you want (dieting or not) pwo meal with carbs then carbs in your next meal is fine (also it depends on what your goals are). Amounts and type of carbs (gi value) is what leads to fat gain - your body type plays a huge role as well. ecto's can eat more carbs and higher valued GI carbs with less consequences than an Endo - excess calories play a role no matter what body type.

Actually your body functions 24/7. Ensuring adequate resources for your body around the clock will maximize gains.

For some reason carbs have received a bad rap for being lipogenic. Carbs themselves (regardless of GI) DO NOT lead to fat gain. Energy surpluses in the body at any point in time can contribute to fat gain and carbs are merely one macronutrient that may be involved. Carbs, generally, DO digest quicker than other macros but this can be managed with more frequent smaller meals.

 

[baxter32]

Your body converts some carbs into seratonin, which is vital for proper sleep.... ive noticed that if i skip carbs after 5 completely (as close to possible) or if i fall far below my cals for the day, i have problems sleeping, i get tired but restless...
so some carbs an hour before bed are a good thing, and vital for proper sleep. What the rumor should be is dont eat simple carbs before bed, like candy, the sugar will disrupt your sleep adn keep your hyper

 

[JonesersRX7]

Your body converts some carbs into seratonin, which is vital for proper sleep.... ive noticed that if i skip carbs after 5 completely (as close to possible) or if i fall far below my cals for the day, i have problems sleeping, i get tired but restless...
so some carbs an hour before bed are a good thing, and vital for proper sleep. What the rumor should be is dont eat simple carbs before bed, like candy, the sugar will disrupt your sleep adn keep your hyper

Interesting.... I will have to check into this after I complete the other 100 things I need to do first.

I will have to keep that in the back of my mind next time I can't sleep, when the last time I had carbs was.