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Have you ever wondered what you should eat before going to bed? Or even if you should eat anything at all before going to bed?!
We hear, see, and read a lot of contradictory information, which might leave you perplexed and make it difficult to respond to questions like:
What is the best fat-loss diet?
What is the most effective muscle-building diet?
What are the best supplements for me to take?
Is it okay if I eat anything before going to bed?
How long can I eat before going to bed?
... to name a few examples.
Today, I'm not going to try to address all of your questions. We'll discuss about what to eat before bed in this blog...
I know, I know... you've probably heard that if you're trying to lose weight, you shouldn't eat four hours before bedtime... but the truth is that eating before bedtime isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Consuming the wrong things before bedtime, like things that push you over your daily calorie or macro goal might lead to undesirable outcomes such as weight gain. I have found that the myth that eating anything before bed comes from less about eating, but more about what they're eating. Personally, cookies, ice cream, cereal and other high-calorie foods were once my weakness.
So, obviously, eliminating these from my diet would reduce my calorie consumption and aid in fat loss. It's also worth noting that while you're sleeping, your body is going through a slew of procedures to help your body recover and prepare for tomorrow. Eating before bed, especially protein before bed, can aid in these processes and, eventually, aid in your results!
WHAT FOODS SHOULD I EAT PRIOR TO GOING TO BED?
Bottom line, protein.
This answer can vary from person to person based on how many calories and macros you have remaining for the day... However, consuming at least a protein source before night is a healthy habit to develop.
No matter if you're trying to reduce weight, burn fat, or develop muscle, eating protein before bed is a good idea. This is because your body is repairing and recovering as you sleep. It is putting in long hours and burning calories to fix itself in preparation for the next day.
You can help give your body the nutrients it needs to set yourself up for greater results by eating a high-quality protein source before bed.
4 KEY BENEFITS OF HAVING PROTEIN BEFORE BED
It can assist you with...
1) Faster recovery
2) Increased fat loss
3) Encouraging the development of lean muscle
4) Improving sleep quality by eliminating nighttime hunger
While this isn't an exhaustive list of advantages, I believe it's clear that, regardless of whether you're trying to lose weight or grow muscle, having protein before bed can be advantageous in both cases. The amount of protein you consume will vary depending on your objectives, but muscle is the most metabolically active tissue in the body, and protein is what fuels it.
Meaning you feed your body with amino acids to help sustain lean muscle tissue when you ingest a portion of protein, which is about 20-25 grams of protein or more in a single sitting. It accomplishes this by putting the muscles into an anabolic condition, in which they primarily burn carbohydrates and lipids for energy.
Your body, you see, is constantly in need of amino acids in order to function normally. If you don't get those amino acids from your food, your body will break down muscle tissue to make them. By providing amino acids to your body through protein-rich foods, you can assist prevent muscle breakdown.
The less muscle tissue you break down, the more you can keep and even create... which, as previously said, can help you achieve your fat-loss goals while also adding lean muscle for the athletic appearance that so many of us desire.
This holds true even when you're sleeping. As a result, giving your body protein before bed can assist keep your body in an anabolic condition for a few hours longer. Having 20 to 40 grams of protein before bed can be well worth it, whether you add a low-calorie, high-protein snack before bed or have to rethink your nutrition plan.
Now, I understand that having chicken breast, cooking eggs, or eating another protein source before bed may not sound too appealing. That's all right; it didn't work for me either. It's for this reason that most people drink a protein shake before going to bed. Before bed, try supplementing with protein powder. It's quick, easy, and can help you satisfy your sweet tooth desires!
However, you may be wondering...
WHAT PROTEIN SHAKE SHOULD I DRINK BEFORE GOING TO BED?
That's a fantastic question!
Using a high-quality whey protein before night can help you achieve better results. A sustained absorbing protein shake is one that has a blend of proteins, usually whey, that breaks down and supplies amino acids to your body over a period of many hours.
"Aren't you supposed to utilize a casein protein powder before bed?" is something else you might have heard.
You can, but Casein Protein doesn't have nearly the same health benefits as Whey Protein. If you've heard that Casein is a "8-hour digesting protein" and that one casein protein shake before bed will keep you anabolic all night, you're mistaken. Because whey protein contains a large amount of necessary amino acids, it is the best choice.
Because your body cannot produce the necessary amino acids you require, you must obtain them through diet or supplementation. As a result, whey protein is a better protein source than casein protein because it contains more Essential Amino Acids (EAAs).
You're helping to set yourself up for greater recovery, stimulating lean muscle growth, and increasing your fat loss efforts by using a higher quality protein source that gives your body more of the important amino acids it needs!
If you don't want to drink a shake, you may turn your Protein Powder into tasty Protein Cookies or Protein Pancakes using only a few easy ingredients!
To Sum It Up?
Modifying your daily calories and macros to allow for protein before bed can be a terrific idea!
Because, once again, it's not that eating after supper is bad; it's that eating too many calories and the wrong macronutrients before bed that you should be concerned about.
If you already consume protein before bed, you can boost your results by upgrading the quality of your protein source or protein powder.
You may increase your results in the same way that you can improve the quality of the meals you eat.