[Rocky]

I expect this to provoke some feedback, given what a lot of people work by. Interesting theory.

EATING LATE will make you fat

It has been commonly assumed that night is the worst time to eat. The logic: night is when the body typically slows down and therefore is more prone to gain fat. Makes sense, but is it true?

There are no conclusive studies or any evidence to prove the assumption that eating late meals causes fat gain more than eating early meals.

Studies reveal that other variables such as the frequency of meals, the glycemic index of food, calorie intake and hormonal balance are the real “power brokers” in the body’s capacity to burn or gain fat.

Even so the notion that eating late causes fat gain is deep rooted. The reason: for most people, who typically eat several meals during the day, any additional meal including a late meal maybe “one too many”. The result is an overwhelming overloading effect on the body often involving fat gain. Does it mean that eating late is a bad idea? Quite the opposite. If daily food intake is planned properly and the evening meal turns to be the main meal, then eating late could be highly rewarding.

There is a substantial amount of evidence that we humans have adapted well to nightly eating. We carry the same genes of our hunter-gatherer ancestors, who were primarily busy gathering or hunting during the daily hours and eating during the nightly hours, while at rest.

Indeed, our body is biologically preprogrammed to work around the circadian clock (i.e. active during the day and relaxing at night). Our inner clock is controlled by two antagonistic autonomic nervous systems: the SNS, with its highly alert “fight or flight” state, responsible for action and reaction to stress during the day, and the PSNS, responsible for relaxation, digestion and sleep during the night. (See Top Ten Diet Fallacies, Fallacy # 1). For that matter our body digests and utilizes nutrients better at night while at rest, than during the highly stressful hours of the day.

Furthermore, night is the time when growth hormone (GH) reaches a peak level. (Peak secretion during non-REM, SWS deep sleep). GH is known to be a potent muscle and bone builder and a fat burner. Late meals, if applied correctly could be most anabolic.

Note that GH actions can not be effectively finalized without the interference of insulin. Late meals, may well take advantage of max GH spike during the night, providing the nutrients required for actually facilitating GH actions, thus promoting protein synthesis in the muscle tissues and fat burning (in particular, abdominal fat).

In conclusion, do not betray your biological destiny. Don’t deny yourself from eating late meals. If you do, your body may come back with a vengeance, to reclaim what was taken away from him, often inducing chronic cravings for food at night, which may result in nocturnal bingeing. Finally, late meals often have a relaxing effect on the body, preparing you for sleep. If nothing else, late meals can help bring a happy end for a tough day.

[MaKaVeLi]

very interesting...thanx for the post rocky

[Ironslave]

Originally Posted by Rocky

There are no conclusive studies or any evidence to prove the assumption that eating late meals causes fat gain more than eating early meals.

Not true, studies have been done and shown insulin sensitivity/ glucose tolerance is higher in mornings than evenings. I can find them if wanted but ive wrote papers on it before and know for sure they have been done.

[philosopher]

interesting...
if you find the studies pm them to me hdogg if you want.

[Rocky]

I knew Hdogg would be here with the de-bunking. Not saying I buy into everything he says, but some of it may be on the nail. I guess it's all about what and how much you eat at what times, like a PWO meal/shake - the window of opportunity! If you haven't already posted those studies then can you add them in here, at least it will provide an alternative view point on the post!

[Q80_MuscleHed]

that's nice .. so if eating doesn't increase ur fat stroge then i will have a meal from burger king in every last meal before going to bed :) :)

[Rocky]

Sounds like a plan to me!

[big_DuuuDE]

The body needs food every 2-3 hours so if you don't eat much atall at night and nothing before bed your likely fasting for 12hours in 24 !
The longer you go without eating the slower the metabolism gets and the higher the cortisol level.
So when you do eat the response is to store as much of the food as possible as the body prepares for the next 'fast'.
Making you fat.
How many fatties don't eat breakfast ? Most of them.
Skipping a meal is the first thing people do to loose weight ....... which works for a short period only, unless cardio & weights are involved.
I try to eat every 2-3hrs and have a small bowl of uncooked oats mixed with 30g Milk concentrate (or calcium caseinate) 30min-1hr before bed and swallow 5-15g L-Glutamine and a calcium-magnesium-zinc tablet before sleep.

time to eat again ......


BTW nice post Rocky

[jornT]

Originally Posted by Rocky

The reason: for most people, who typically eat several meals during the day, any additional meal including a late meal maybe “one too many”. The result is an overwhelming overloading effect on the body often involving fat gain.

Is this true? I thought eating more meals means a higher metabolic rate, but maybe it's so that that is true a certain extend and after that the opposite happens.

[Ironslave]

Originally Posted by Rocky

I knew Hdogg would be here with the de-bunking. Not saying I buy into everything he says, but some of it may be on the nail. I guess it's all about what and how much you eat at what times, like a PWO meal/shake - the window of opportunity! If you haven't already posted those studies then can you add them in here, at least it will provide an alternative view point on the post!

Sure bud. Pretty much if i give advice i can back it up if called upon.


Decreased hypoglycemic effect of insulin at night in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and healthy subjects'

Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Vol 75, 106-109

DR Garrel, L Bajard, M Harfouche and J Tourniaire
Clinique Endocrinologique, Hopital de l'Antiquaille, Lyon, France.

Diurnal variations in insulin-induced hypoglycemia and in plasma counterregulatory hormone concentrations were explored in eight insulin- dependent diabetic and six healthy subjects during a 100-min iv insulin infusion performed at 0300 h and 1500 h. In healthy subjects, plasma glucose concentrations (mean +/- SD) fell by 35 +/- 2% during the daytime test and by 26.5 +/- 2% during the nocturnal test (P less than 0.01). Plasma cortisol, GH, and epinephrine concentrations increased more during the daytime than during the nocturnal test. In contrast, plasma glucagon concentrations rose more during the nocturnal tests. In insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients, insulin infusion had to be interrupted in three subjects because plasma glucose fell below 1.9 mmol/L 80 min after the beginning of the test. In the other five patients plasma glucose fell by 34 +/- 5% during the daytime test while no significant decrease in plasma glucose was observed in any of the eight patients during the nighttime test. Counterregulatory hormone concentrations were consistent with the results of plasma glucose, with no change during the nocturnal test and significant increases in cortisol, GH, and epinephrine during the daytime test. These results show that insulin sensitivity is decreased at night in comparison to midafternoon in healthy subjects and that in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients this phenomenon is exaggerated, even in patients with defective counterregulation to hypoglycemia.

[fahad]

i usually train late at night and i eat a good couple of meals after wards cuz i think that my insilin level is still sensitive after training.....wut do u think u guys and hdogg.....

[Ironslave]

fahad you are correct, weight training will increase insulin sensitivity at night

[fahad]

hey hdog am just wondering like wut if i lets say wake up in the middle of the night 2 have some whey and oatmeal is it ok cuz i heared there r pros who do it like jay cutler i no u gonna tell me dont lesson 2 pros but tell me wut do u think.....like i mea in another way after waking up in the middle of the night from a dead sleep will ur insulin sensitivity b higher or wut????

[Ironslave]

Originally Posted by fahad

hey hdog am just wondering like wut if i lets say wake up in the middle of the night 2 have some whey and oatmeal is it ok cuz i heared there r pros who do it like jay cutler i no u gonna tell me dont lesson 2 pros but tell me wut do u think.....like i mea in another way after waking up in the middle of the night from a dead sleep will ur insulin sensitivity b higher or wut????

I wouldnt set an alarm to wake up, but if u drink a lot of water u will probably wake up mid night anyways, so yes having a pre made shake there would be a good idea.

[fahad]

Originally Posted by hdogg345

I wouldnt set an alarm to wake up, but if u drink a lot of water u will probably wake up mid night anyways, so yes having a pre made shake there would be a good idea.

but like i mean will the insulin sensitivity b higher after a sleep of good couple of hours or wut????

[Ironslave]

Originally Posted by fahad

but like i mean will the insulin sensitivity b higher after a sleep of good couple of hours or wut????

Yes, the effects of Growth Hormone produced during sleep will increase insulin sensitivity, one of the reasons it is higher in the mornings.