Nutrient Timing - Does it Matter?

Let’s talk nutrient timing! Is this something that we really need to worry about? Science says….it depends. So, what is nutrient timing? Basically, nutrient timing is knowing when to eat, how much to eat and what to eat before, during or after an exercise/training session. This may support your specific sport performance, muscle growth, and/or fat loss…depending on your goals. Some nutrient timing strategies include eating every three to four hours, eating carbs and proteins during, before and after workouts and not eating fats around workout times.

Nutrient timing is specifically designed to maximize athletic performance. It is important to state that this may not be critical for everyone, but for the high-level athlete, it may be the difference maker. When strategies are implemented properly this can increase an athlete’s available energy and aid faster recovery.

So, what is happening behind the scenes? Glycogen is a form of fuel reserve in the body that comes from the food and drink we consume. It’s the storage form of glucose. Glycogen is stored in the body – some in the muscles, and some in the liver – and provides energy when glucose levels decrease.

Traditional resistance exercise has been shown to have less of an impact on muscle glycogen concentration than endurance exercise, however; studies have shown that resistance exercise can also significantly reduce muscle glycogen as well. Resistance exercise stimulates Muscle Protein Synthesis, or MPS, which is the process of building muscle mass. MPS is further stimulated and augmented by eating protein.

"You cannot build muscle mass without being consistent with a resistance training program." - Savannah Carver

To be clear, nutrient timing is just one part of the equation when it comes to increasing muscle mass. You cannot build muscle mass without being consistent with a resistance training program. In combination of that, we really need to have the right fuel, rest and recovery.

Some very simple take away’s from learning more about nutrient timing would be that ideally, we would consume simple carbs around our hours of exercise. Examples of that would be: bananas (fruit), coconut water, oatmeal, and honey. Another thing to keep in mind would be to keep high levels of fat out of our diet right before or after a workout (around 5-15g before and 0g intra and immediate post workout). Always aiming to keep a balanced level of protein in each meal throughout the day.

If you have any further questions about any of this message me and I would be happy to answer your questions!