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Nutrient timing

Updated: Aug 19, 2024




What it is and Why it Matters


In seeking to optimize our nutrition, we have three main levers to play with:


  1. How much we eat - or calorie restriction

  2. What we eat - dietary or nutrient restriction 

  3. When we eat it - Nutrient timing or scheduling


Nutrient timing refers to when you eat certain nutrients and how it impacts your health and fitness goals. While the total calories and macronutrients you consume daily are most important, optimizing when you eat protein, carbs, and fats may provide additional benefits. 


Is it suitable for everyone?

No. Sadly, changing the time you have breakfast is not going to make any difference whatsoever if that breakfast consists of pastries and soda. It’s important to address the fundamentals first. Thankfully, this is not truly all that complicated - follow the rule below and you'll be 90% of the way there.


Eat a variety of whole foods, mostly plants, and move your body every day

Simple, right? Well it does take time and consistency - and as with everything in nutrition, you have to keep working at that 'consistent variety' to find what works for you.


However, once you have the ‘how much’ and ‘what’ to at least within a range where it feels right for your body - you may have a sense of ‘So, what next?’ - and that is where nutrient timing comes into play. 





You’re already eating a well balanced, whole foods, nutrient-dense diet, and exercising - so where do we go from here?


If you work out, you should be timing your nutrients

This approach is relevant for anyone who is working out regularly, since exercise changes the body’s nutrient needs in several important ways. 


There are entire books written around fueling for sports performance (some of my favorites are referenced at the end of this post).


There are so many factors to consider in determining an ideal approach, that I’m not going to attempt to cover more than a few broad principles here. 


Below are the strategies that I believe are at least worth trying, for most people. I'd suggest starting here, listening closely to how your body responds. To take it to the next level, work with a professional who can take your individual needs, history, goals and lifestyle into account.


PROTEIN

- Consuming protein after exercise can help stimulate muscle protein synthesis and maximize repair and recovery. However this has sometimes been overstated in the past (a 30 minute window was advocated, for example). Most research now agrees that a goal of 20-40g of protein within the first 1-2 hours post-workout allows you to take advantage of this ‘anabolic window’.

- Note - some credible sources state that the ‘window’ lasts up to 4 hours, or longer - however that depends on individual factors.

-Spreading protein intake evenly and regularly throughout the day may also help promote muscle growth.

-Plan for more protein on physically active days.

- Whey, casein, eggs, poultry, fish, and beans are great options.




CARBS

- Timing your carbohydrate intake around exercise is beneficial. Consuming carbs before exercise provides readily available fuel for your workout. 

- After exercise, carbs help replenish glycogen stores. 

- For pre-workout fuel, eat 1-4g/kg of carbs 1-4 hours before.

-Focus on low-glycemic options like oats, whole grains, starchy veggies and fruits. 




FATS

- Fat is more slowly digested, so it may be better to limit fat intake around workouts when you want fast energy. 

- Good fats should be consumed with every meal - they help to regulate digestion and metabolism of other nutrients, hormone synthesis and neuro health.

- Fats from avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil, and fatty fish provide anti-inflammatory omega-3s.


MEAL TIMING AND FREQUENCY

There is a lot of research around optimal meal timing and frequency. However, even a cursory review will demonstrate how little the current research body agrees on hard and fast rules to go by.


"Breakfast like a king; lunch like a prince; dinner like a pauper". Or maybe the opposite.

Many of us grew up with some version of this rule. We were told that breakfast was essential for a productive day.


Some studies indeed support the idea that a nutritious breakfast is the best way to begin the day. And for some people - notbaly children, but also many adults - it likely is.


However many other studies suggest that breakfast is the enemy of weight loss - and 'breaking your fast' later in the day - after a longer overnight fast - is better, for metabolism, weight management and overall health. And for some people, it likely is!


You will also find studies that support almost every other meal timing regime - and its opposite. Eating 50% of your calories later in the day helps metabolism - but hang on, it also hinders it. Small regular meals are best. No - snacking is metabolic enemy no. 1!


Taken as a whole, the research is confusing, and surprisingly inconclusive. Because, the thing is ...


... IT DEPENDS

As with so many things in nutrition, the answer likely comes down to ‘it depends on the individual’.


It is important to bear in mind that your nutritional needs at different times of day will depend on many factors such as:


  • Age, sex, genetics

  • Body composition - larger, and more. muscular body types demand more fuel

  • Nature of exercise (intensity, duration, type) 

  • Fitness level - as your fitness increases, you become more efficient at using nutrients

  • Your own daily rhythms - some of us are nutritional night owls, some are early birds

  • Sleep status


This is why it is essential to adopt an attitude of scientific enquiry and become your own 'sample of one' - because each of us truly is unique!


The importance of variety

It is important to recognize that what works for you is likely to change over time. As your activities, and fitness level shift; with hormonal changes, changes in body composition - and - importantly - as our bodies continuously adapt.


Short term vs long term adaptation

Whilst some meal timing interventions like those listed above may cause short term changes, over the long term there are very few instances of any significant changes to long term health outcomes in the current research literature.


That is partly because longitudinal studies in this field are notoriously difficult, and based on selective populations (so not applicable to others), or even mice (who have fewer choices in life and so have rather different adherence levels and life complexities to the average human!)


But it is also because - and this is so important - our bodies are designed to adapt. This tendency to balance out any changes that we make is called Homeostasis, and it is a crucial concept to understand as you learn to flex your 'metabolic levers', including nutrient timing.



Homeostasis - our best friend, and worst enemy!

Homeostasis can be viewed as the "enemy" when it comes to weight management because the body's natural tendency is to maintain a stable internal environment and resist changes to the status quo. Here are a few key reasons why:


  • Set point theory - The body aims to stick to a pre-determined weight range or "set point." It will make metabolic and hormonal adjustments to return to that point after weight loss/gain. This makes long-term weight maintenance a challenge.

  • Decreased metabolism - When calories are restricted for weight loss, the body responds by decreasing its metabolic rate and energy expenditure, burning fewer calories. This makes further weight loss more difficult.

  • Appetite hormones - Hormones like leptin and ghrelin regulate hunger/fullness cues. During weight loss, leptin drops while ghrelin rises, increasing appetite and encouraging overeating.

  • Fat cell regulation - When existing fat cells shrink, the body produces more fat cells to maintain overall fat mass and insulation. More fat cells make fat storage and regain easier.

  • Energy conservation - The body senses weight loss as starvation so it decreases non-essential functions like reproduction to conserve energy. The goal is protecting fat stores for survival.

  • Stress response - Weight loss is perceived as a physiological stressor. The body ups cortisol and insulin levels, which can stimulate fat storage and inhibit loss.


Making homeostasis work with us

Overcoming homeostasis requires adopting lifestyle changes like modified diet and exercise that work with, not against, the body's natural tendencies. Making a variety of smaller changes can avoid stagnation and prevent homeostasis from kicking in full force.


As an example, one recent study offers a fascinating postscript to the meal timing question.


Researchers broke people up into one of four groups:


  1. Habitual breakfast skippers assigned to eat breakfast

  2. Habitual breakfast skippers assigned to skip breakfast

  3. Habitual breakfast eaters assigned to eat breakfast

  4. Habitual breakfast eaters assigned to skip breakfast


Guess what? The groups whose habits and routines were changed were the ones with the most substantial weight loss.


The people who normally ate breakfast and skipped it during the study lost weight. And the people who normally skipped breakfast and ate it during the study lost weight.


The study authors concluded that when people become more aware of their intake, they get better results — whether they eat breakfast or skip it. 


I would add that the simple act of switching up the routine likely contributed a beneficial effect - since anything that challenges the usual routine stimulates the metabolism and bodily systems to work harder to adapt. 


I see this all of the time in people who have tried new diets and exercise regimes. There are rapid changes at the outset, followed by a slowing, stagnation or even reversal.


Hard truth - it is relatively easy to produce short term weight loss with restrictive interventions (of calorie, certain macros, or eating windows). It is much harder to maintain the change in the longer term because the body makes adaptations in its drive towards homeostasis. 

So, is it all futile?


Absolutely not. Even a short term diet or exercise change can be associated with a range of health benefits, beyond weight loss. Body composition may be improved (higher lean body mass %), you might experience more balanced energy levels, hormones, and improved emotional health.  


You might also think of experimenting with different nutrient timing schedules as another way to work out your metabolic muscles. 


Those adaptations that your body makes in response to changes, also build resilience into your system. As you flex your metabolic muscles, your body literally learns and exercises different metabolic pathways. 


So, how do I find what works for me?


  • Refine your meal schedule to support your fitness and health goals. Make intentional variations - for example fuelling workouts with different carb sources and schedules; recovery with different protein types and amounts.

  • Pay close attention to your energy levels - what helps you to perform at the gym? At work? Socially? How are you feeling one hour after consuming this meal? The next day?

  • These are your KPIs, your measures of success. Changes in body composition and underlying health take time but will follow once you know what really gets you going - and keeps you going. 



The ultimate goal? Consistent challenge

As you get stronger and fitter, the key is to keep challenging yourself with new physical efforts - and keep adjusting your nutrients accordingly. This way you will avoid dietary boredom and metabolic stagnation - and your body remains actively engaged in the challenge to keep up with your metabolic needs.


Ultimately, the aim is to maintain a consistently high quality and varied mix of high nutrients that you know works best to fuel your activities - and particularly your greatest physical efforts, so that you are able to perform at your best, in all aspects of life. 





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