Nutrient Timing - why, what, when

Does this ring a bell? 

“No carbs after 6 pm”
“Training fasted burns fat stores”
“Eating breakfast fires up your metabolism” 

I’m sure you’ve heard of some of these or maybe you’ve even said them yourself. 

But none of these statements are actually true.

Studies have proven that timing (when we eat our food) alone doesn’t have any substantial impact on fat loss. Calories & macronutrients consumed over the entire day will dictate your rate of fat loss/gain, it doesn’t really matter when your at them

But one thing does impact fat loss and body composition changes is how much intensity and effort we put into our workouts.

And one thing that is hugely impactful when it comes to performance impactor? Nutrient Timing. 

Nutrient timing refers to what macro nutrients (food) we eat before, during and after our workouts

Our body has a specific & preferred use for each of the macronutrients:

Carbs are the body’s preferred source for energy production

Protein is the body’s preferred source for muscle repair and building

Fat is the body’s preferred fuel for micronutrient absorption and low impact movement energy source

Nutrition Timing is about how we maximise our glycogen stores to get the most from our muscles in session and then how we assist our body post workout to repair muscle damage. 

Woah … mind blown

For pre & post workout, our bodies mostly want carbs & protein, given we are expecting to deplete our energy systems and fatigue our muscle systems

Protein helps our body to repair muscle by producing Muscle Protein Synthesis. Does anyone else think anything with “thesis” at the end sounds very scientific and important? well in this case that’s extremely accurate! Muscle Protein Synthesis is very important because it is the driving factor to create muscle growth, it is what creates the other elements to perform in the best way to create the best outcome. 

When it comes to carbs, our body not only utilizes them for energy production, our muscles hold glycogen (aka glucose aka carbs) stores, which we deplete when we workout with intensity. When our muscles are depleted of glycogen they will fatigue rapidly and lactic acid is produced. So it’s important we eat carbs pre-workout to “top up” our muscle glycogen stores.

To implement effective nutrient timing, here’s two tips: 

Pre-Workout 
To create the energy you need for a workout eat a high carb source within 60 mins before. 
E.g Fruit, honey, bread, juice, rice, rice cakes, jam, granola, oars, starchy veggies. 

Post Workout
Time to replenish our glycogen stores & assist our muscles with muscle protein synthesis to repair!
Eat a meal with protein & carbs 60-90mins after working out. 
E.g. Protein shake, yoghurt, PB & granola, a main meal with protein, carbs & fats. 

Another note - high fat foods inhibits the body’s ability to turn carbs to glycogen, so it’s best to eat your fats in other times of the day, away from your workouts.

It is important to remember that in order for all of this impressive sounding stuff to work, your calories & macronutrients need to be correct! If you need help with this I am here to help! You can take a look at my FREE Nutrition Essentials Guide or join my Facebook Group Lifted Ladies to ask questions, feel motivated & learn more.

Ok babe, it’s time for me to eat before my workout! Let me know how your outcome changes when you implement Nutrition Timing by sending me a dm! 

- Kate xx