If the body is low in glucose and glycogen, cortisol will send amino acids to the liver to make new glucose, referred to as gluconeogeneses. Thus, in exercise, when carbohydrate sources are dwindling, cortisol takes the building blocks of proteins amino acids and uses them for new glucose synthesis.

The Anabolic Hormones One widely known anabolic hormone is insulin. Insulin sensitivity is increased during aerobic and resistance exercise, which literally means there is an enhanced glucose uptake for muscle contraction. It also accelerates the transport of amino acids into muscle and stimulates protein synthesis in muscles Levenhagen et al.

However, during sustained aerobic exercise insulin levels in the blood decrease slightly because epinephrine and norepinephrine inhibit the release of insulin from the pancreas. Another important anabolic hormone is testosterone. Testosterone is a powerful hormone for protein synthesis and muscle hypertrophy.

Growth hormone is an anabolic hormone that promotes bone and cartilage growth. It is also responsible for stimulating IGF-I, a hormone responsible for the development of muscle cells from myoblasts immature muscle cells into myotubes growing muscles cells and then into mature muscle fibers.

High levels of IGF-I are needed in order to promote muscle hypertrophy. Growth hormone also increases protein synthesis Volek, The Three Nutrient Timing Phases The nutrient timing system is split into three distinct phases: 1 Energy Phase just before and during workout 2 Anabolic Phase post 45 minutes of workout 3 Growth Phase remainder of the day The Energy Phase Muscle glycogen is the primary fuel followed by fat used by the body during exercise.

Low muscle glycogen stores result in muscle fatigue and the body's inability to complete high intensity exercise Levenhagen et al. The depletion of muscle glycogen is also a major contributing factor in acute muscle weakness and reduced force production Haff et al.

Both aerobic and anaerobic exercise decrease glycogen stores, so the need for carbohydrates is high for all types of exercise during this energy phase. Several hormonal and physiological responses occur during the energy phase.

Prior to aerobic exercise, protein intake with carbohydrate supplementation has been shown to stimulate protein synthesis post-exercise Volek et al.

Carbohydrate supplementation prior to resistance training can increase the body's capacity to perform more sets, repetitions and prolong a resistance training workout Haff et al. The Anabolic Phase: The Minute Optimal Window The anabolic phase is a critical phase occurring within 45 minutes post-exercise.

It is during this time that muscle cells are particularly sensitive to insulin, making it necessary to ingest the proper nutrients in order to make gains in muscle endurance and strength.

If the proper nutrients are ingested 2 - 4 hours post-exercise they will not have the same effect. It is also during this time in which the anabolic hormones begin working to repair the muscle and decrease its inflammation.

Immediate ingestion of carbohydrate is important because insulin sensitivity causes the muscle cell membranes to be more permeable to glucose within 45 minutes post-exercise. This results in faster rates of glycogen storage and provides the body with enough glucose to initiate the recovery process Burke et al.

Muscle glycogen stores are replenished the fastest within the first hour after exercise. Consuming carbohydrate within an hour after exercise also helps to increase protein synthesis Gibala, The Growth Phase The growth phase consists of the 18 - 20 hours post-exercise when muscle repair, growth and strength occur.

According to authors Ivy and Portman, the goals of this phase are to maintain insulin sensitivity in order to continue to replenish glycogen stores and to maintain the anabolic state. Consuming a protein and carbohydrate meal within 1 - 3 hours after resistance training has a positive stimulating effect on protein synthesis Volek, Carbohydrate meals with moderate to high glycemic indexes are more favorable to enhance post-exercise fueling.

Higher levels of glycogen storage post-exercise are found in individuals who have eaten high glycemic foods when compared to those that have eaten low glycemic foods Burke et al. Some may benefit from carbohydrate ingestion before exercise while others gain the most advantage by exercising in a fasted state.

Working with a sports nutrition specialist can provide clients individualized guidance. It takes into account their training program. It also considers how their body responds to protein and carbs.

At the same time, this professional can help with more than just nutrient timing. They can offer advice on calorie intake, how to create a balanced meal, and more.

You can offer this advice yourself by becoming a certified nutrition coach. Through a partnership with Precision Nutrition, ISSA offers Nutrition Coach certification.

This course teaches you how to determine optimal fat, carbohydrate, and protein intake for individual clients. You also gain access to more than 40 nutrition coaching tools. By becoming an ISSA Nutritionist, you'll learn the foundations of how food fuels the body, plus step by step methods for implementing a healthy eating plan into clients' lifestyles.

Farouk El-Sabban. EC Nutrition 2. Yang, F. OR Effects of Protein Supplement Timing during 4-Week Resistance Training on Muscle Hypertrophy in Males. Exercise Biochemistry Review , 1 2. Pihoker, A. et al. The effects of nutrient timing on training adaptations in resistance-trained females.

Journal Of Science And Medicine In Sport , 22 4 , Smith, H. Nutrient timing and metabolic regulation. The Journal Of Physiology , 6 , Escobar, K. Protein Applications in Sports Nutrition—Part II. Kafkas, A. Resistance Training: Nutrient Timing in Terms of Protein Consumption.

Journal Of Athletic Performance And Nutrition , 6 2 , Stecker, R. Timing of ergogenic aids and micronutrients on muscle and exercise performance. Journal Of The International Society Of Sports Nutrition , 16 1.

Kume, W. Acute Effect of the Timing of Resistance Exercise and Nutrient Intake on Muscle Protein Breakdown. Nutrients , 12 4 , Morton, R. Nutritional interventions to augment resistance training-induced skeletal muscle hypertrophy.

Frontiers In Physiology , 6. Casazza, G. Energy Availability, Macronutrient Intake, and Nutritional Supplementation for Improving Exercise Performance in Endurance Athletes. Current Sports Medicine Reports , 17 6 , Hull, M. Availability of a sports dietitian may lead to improved performance and recovery of NCAA division I baseball athletes.

Journal Of The International Society Of Sports Nutrition , 14 1. All Categories Anatomy Audio Blogs Behavior Change Business More. BY: ISSA DATE: What Is Nutrient Timing?

Science-Supported Nutrient Timing Benefits Nutrient timing can help maximize muscle growth. Nutrient Timing Strategies Based on Fitness Goal The strategy you use when timing nutrition will vary based on your desired goal.

Muscle Growth and Strength Protein is key to helping muscle grow. Weight Loss or Body Fat Reduction What does nutrient timing look like if the goal is weight loss?

It notes that fat loss can be achieved for this type of athlete by: Carbohydrate intake: training in a fasted state Protein intake: scattered throughout the day every 3 to 5 hours The path to fat loss without losing muscle changes depends on exercise intensity.

Improved Athletic Performance Performance nutrition is gaining in popularity. Nutrient timing is defined as the "manipulation of nutrient consumption at specific times in and around exercise bouts to improve performance, recovery, and adaptation.

To effectively implement nutrient timing, an understanding of macronutrient metabolism, energy systems, and exercise physiology is important. The metabolic fates of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates during rest, exercise, and recovery are imperative to science.

While research on the manipulation of fats exists, specific timing strategies have yet to show clear and repeated success when augmenting performance or recovery. These windows focus largely on glycogen availability in the muscles, or how saturated the muscles are with carbohydrates.

It also considers the digestion and absorption rate of specific nutrients, and substrate utilization during exercise. Moderate to high-intensity exercise relies heavily on carbohydrates as a fuel source, however, glycogen stores in the body are limited and can only supply the body with energy for up to a few hours during continued high-intensity bouts.

Therefore, "filling up the gas tank" is imperative to improve performance and prevent fatigue. It takes roughly about hours for carbohydrates to be fully digested and assimilated into muscle and liver glycogen. Therefore, the first feeding priority before exercise is a meal at least 4 hours before competition to fully saturate muscle glycogen stores.

Want to see how you can put this information to use as a fitness pro? Look into our Certified Sports Nutrition Coach course! The purpose of post-workout feedings at specific times is to augment the recovery process, which in turn implies muscle recovery.

Muscle recovery goals will vary based on the sport an athlete is participating in but can include muscle strength, muscle growth, or prevention of muscle soreness. Since muscles store carbohydrates and amino acids make up the structure of skeletal tissues, feedings are largely focused on carbohydrates and proteins.

When studies compared the effects of carbohydrate or protein feedings on muscle protein synthesis, they found that together they have the greatest effect on increasing muscle protein synthesis. Regarding muscle strength and growth, it has been found that the greatest effect of protein consumption is largely dependent on the last dose consumed.

Regular protein feedings every hours in doses of grams have shown the greatest benefit in improving muscle growth, and strength and leading to favorable changes in body composition.

However, regarding specific feeding windows, muscle protein synthesis is greatest immediately after up to 2 hours post-exercise.

How much protein should be consumed in that time frame?

Food will help a lack of energy only if the problem is food related. You may think that's obvious, but it's not to some. If you're tired because you haven't slept enough, for instance, eating isn't going to give you energy. What, how much, and when you eat will affect your energy.

Nutrient timing combined with appropriate training maximizes the availability of the energy source you need to get the job done, helps ensure that you have fuel ready and available when you need it, and improves your energy-burning systems. You may believe that just eating when you are hungry is enough, and in some cases this may be true.

But, many times, demands on time interfere with fueling or refueling, and it takes conscious thought and action to make it happen. Additionally, appetites are thrown off by training, so you may not be hungry right after practice, but by not eating, you are starving while sitting at your desk in class or at work.

Many athletes just don't know when and what to eat to optimize their energy stores. By creating and following your own Nutrition Blueprint and incorporating the NTP, your energy and hunger will be more manageable and consistent, whether you are training several times a week, daily, participating in two-a-days, or are in the midst of the competitive season.

During the minutes and hours after exercise, your muscles are recovering from the work you just performed. The energy used and damage that occurred during exercise needs to be restored and repaired so that you are able to function at a high level at your next workout.

Some of this damage is actually necessary to signal repair and growth, and it is this repair and growth that results in gained strength. However, some of the damage is purely negative and needs to be minimized or it will eventually impair health and performance.

Providing the right nutrients, in the right amounts, at the right time can minimize this damage and restore energy in time for the next training session or competition.

The enzymes and hormones that help move nutrients into your muscles are most active right after exercise. Providing the appropriate nutrients at this crucial time helps to start the repair process.

However, this is only one of the crucial times to help repair. Because of limitations in digestion, some nutrients, such as protein, need to be taken over time rather than only right after training, so ingesting protein throughout the day at regular intervals is a much better strategy for the body than ingesting a lot at one meal.

Additionally, stored carbohydrate energy glycogen and glucose and lost fluids may take time to replace. By replacing fuel that was burned and providing nutrients to muscle tissue, you can ensure that your body will repair muscle fibers and restore your energy reserves.

If you train hard on a daily basis or train more than once a day, good recovery nutrition is absolutely vital so that your muscles are well stocked with energy. Most people think of recovery as the time right after exercise, which is partially correct, but how much you take in at subsequent intervals over 24 hours will ultimately determine your body's readiness to train or compete again.

Nutrient timing capitalizes on minimizing muscle tissue breakdown that occurs during and after training and maximizing the muscle repair and building process that occurs afterwards.

Carbohydrate stored in muscles fuels weight training and protects against excessive tissue breakdown and soreness. Following training, during recovery, carbohydrate helps initiate hormonal changes that assist muscle building. Consuming protein and carbohydrate after training has been shown to help hypertrophy adding size to your muscle.

Nutrient timing can be especially relevant for those engaged in regular physical activity, such as athletes, gym-goers, and individuals involved in physically demanding jobs. However, its principles can also be beneficial for anyone looking to optimise their dietary habits for better health and wellness.

This approach aims to fuel our bodies effectively for exercise, aid recovery afterwards, and help us achieve our health and fitness goals more effectively. In the following sections, we will explore the different phases of nutrient timing, the science behind it, and how you can use it to your advantage based on your specific fitness goals and workout routine.

Nutrient timing is typically broken down into three distinct phases: the Energy Phase, the Anabolic Phase, and the Growth Phase. Each phase plays a crucial role in how our bodies respond to exercise and recovery, and understanding these can provide valuable insights into how to optimise our nutrition and training strategies.

The energy phase starts roughly one to four hours before your workout and continues through the duration of your exercise session. During this period, the main goal is to fuel your body and prepare it for the upcoming physical activity. A balanced intake of carbohydrates and protein during this phase can help maximise your energy levels, minimise muscle protein breakdown, and set the stage for better performance.

Complex carbohydrates are particularly beneficial as they provide a sustained release of energy throughout your workout. Hydration is also crucial in this phase.

Consuming an adequate amount of fluids before and during your workout can help maintain optimal performance levels and prevent dehydration, especially during intense or prolonged sessions.

During this period, your body is primed for nutrient absorption, and the focus shifts towards recovery and muscle growth. Consuming protein during this phase is essential as it provides the amino acids necessary for muscle repair and growth. Additionally, carbohydrates are important to replenish the muscle glycogen used during your workout.

A protein-carbohydrate combo within this window can optimise muscle protein synthesis and expedite recovery. The growth phase encompasses the remainder of the day outside the energy and anabolic phases. This period is all about maintaining an adequate nutrient supply to support muscle repair, growth, and overall body function.

During the growth phase, your nutrient intake should align with your specific goals, be it muscle growth, weight loss, or endurance enhancement. The focus here is on a balanced diet that includes high-quality proteins, a variety of carbohydrates, healthy fats, and plenty of fruits and vegetables to provide essential vitamins and minerals.

In the next sections, we will look at the science that backs up the concept of nutrient timing and how you can tailor your nutrient intake to different types of workouts and fitness goals.

The concept of nutrient timing is based on physiological principles and is backed by numerous scientific studies. In this period, the body is exceptionally receptive to nutrients.

Exercise induces muscle protein breakdown and depletes muscle glycogen stores, creating a state where nutrients, especially proteins and carbohydrates, can be utilised more effectively for recovery and growth. Research suggests that consuming protein and carbohydrates post-exercise can augment muscle protein synthesis MPS , reduce muscle protein breakdown MPB , replenish glycogen stores, and promote faster recovery.

A study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition supports this, indicating an enhanced anabolic response to protein ingestion post-exercise. This balance is vital for muscle recovery and growth.

Protein consumption after exercise capitalises on this by supplying the body with amino acids, the building blocks for muscle tissue. According to a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition , ingesting protein after resistance exercise enhances muscle protein synthesis and results in a positive protein balance, facilitating muscle recovery and growth.

Glycogen, a form of carbohydrate stored in muscles, is a primary fuel source during high-intensity exercise. Following a workout, these glycogen stores are depleted. Consuming carbohydrates post-exercise aids in replenishing these stores faster. A review in Sports Medicine highlighted that consuming carbohydrates within the first hour post-exercise can expedite glycogen resynthesis, potentially leading to quicker recovery and better performance in subsequent workouts.

A study in the Journal of Sports Sciences revealed that consuming a carbohydrate-protein mix before and during endurance exercise could improve performance. These findings highlight the potential benefits of nutrient timing.

Total daily nutrient intake, food quality, workout routine, and individual goals are all important aspects to consider alongside nutrient timing. The strategic implementation of nutrient timing can be a powerful tool to help reach a variety of fitness goals.

One of the primary goals for many gym-goers and athletes is to increase muscle mass and strength. This is where nutrient timing, particularly around workouts, plays a crucial role. Following resistance training, the body is primed to absorb nutrients and stimulate muscle protein synthesis MPS.

Consuming protein, along with carbohydrates, within the post-workout anabolic window can maximise this process, leading to greater muscle recovery and growth.

Additionally, consuming protein before your workout can increase amino acid availability during the training session, further supporting muscle growth.

While total caloric intake ultimately determines weight loss or gain, nutrient timing can play a part in optimising body composition and helping with fat loss. Eating a protein-rich meal or snack before exercise can enhance fat oxidation, helping your body to burn more fat during the workout.

Post-exercise protein intake can preserve lean muscle mass, ensuring that more of the weight lost comes from fat stores rather than muscle tissue. Moreover, consuming a balanced meal within a couple of hours after exercising can help control hunger and regulate appetite later in the day, which can aid in maintaining a calorie deficit, crucial for weight loss.

For athletes, nutrient timing can significantly impact performance. Consuming carbohydrates before and during prolonged endurance activities can provide a steady supply of energy, helping to maintain performance levels throughout the event. Post-exercise, a combination of proteins and carbohydrates can enhance recovery, replenish glycogen stores, and prepare the body for subsequent training sessions or events.

Nutrient timing is not a one-size-fits-all strategy. Of course, in focusing on when to eat, I'm in no way suggesting we should neglect considering what and how much to eat.

In fact, they're probably your next two questions so let's get to them right away. As indicated above, during the Energy Phase it's important to ingest some protein and carbohydrate. In my experience the easiest way to do this is to drink an easily digested liquid carbohydrate and protein drink.

Dilution is important, especially if you are an endurance athlete or if you're training in a hot environment. If you don't dilute your drink appropriately, you may not replenish your body's water stores at an optimal rate 9; Now that we know when to eat and what to eat, let's figure out how much.

Unfortunately this isn't as easy to answer. How much to eat really has a lot to do with how much energy you're expending during the exercise bout, how much you're eating the rest of the day, whether your primary interest is gaining muscle mass or losing fat mass, and a number of other factors.

For a simple answer, however, I suggest starting out by sipping 0. For you lb guys, that means 80g of carbohydrate and 40g of protein during training. This, of course, is the nutrient make-up of Surge. The Anabolic Phase occurs immediately after the workout and lasts about an hour or two. This phase is titled "anabolic" because it's during this time that the muscle cells are primed for muscle building.

Interestingly, although the cells are primed for muscle building, in the absence of a good nutritional strategy, this phase can remain catabolic. Without adequate nutrition, the period immediately after strength and endurance training is marked by a net muscle catabolism; that's right, after exercise muscles continue to break down.

Now, if you're asking yourself how this can be, you're asking the right question. After all, training especially weight training makes you bigger, not smaller. And even if you're an endurance athlete, your muscles don't exactly break down either.

So how can exercise be so catabolic? Well, for starters, as I've written before, while the few hours after exercise induce a net catabolic state although protein synthesis does increase after exercise, so does breakdown , it's later in the recovery cycle that the body begins to shift toward anabolism 8; So we typically break down for some time after the workout and then start to build back up later whether that "build up" is in muscle size or in muscle quality.

However, with this said, there are new data showing that with the right nutritional intervention protein and carbohydrate supplementation , we can actually repair and improve muscle size or quality during and immediately after exercise 16; For more on what happens during the postexercise period, check out my articles Solving the Post-Workout Puzzle 1 and Solving the Post Workout Puzzle 2.

From now on, when planning your nutritional intake, you'd better consider both the Energy and Anabolic phases as two of the key "whens" of nutrient timing. Therefore, to maximize your muscle gain and recovery, you'll be feeding both during and immediately after exercise.

Again we come to what and how much. As indicated above, during the Anabolic Phase it's important to ingest some protein and carbohydrate. Just like with the Energy Phase, in my experience the easiest way to do this is to drink an easily digested liquid carbohydrate and protein drink. While dilution, in this case, isn't as important for rehydration because you've stopped exercising and presumably, sweating, you're now diluting to prevent gastrointestinal distress.

I won't go to far into detail here - just take my word for it. You must dilute. Just like with the Energy Phase, how much to eat really has a lot to do with how much energy you expend during the exercise bout, how much you eat the rest of the day, whether your primary interest is gaining muscle mass or losing fat mass, and a number of other factors.

However, just like with the Energy Phase, a simple suggestion is to start out by sipping another serving of 0. If you add up the basic suggestions from the Energy Phase and the Anabolic Phase, you'll find that I've recommended about 1. For a lb guy, that's a total of g carbohydrate and 80g of protein during and immediately after training.

Based on your preconceived notions of what constitutes "a lot" of carbs, this may seem like a lot or not much at all. Regardless, it's important to understand that during and after training, insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance is good 2; 3; 13; 15; Even if you've self-diagnosed poor carbohydrate tolerance which too many people do unnecessarily during and after the postexercise period, your carbohydrate tolerance will be much better.

And if you consider that most carbohydrate ingested during and immediately after exercise will either be oxidized for fuel or sent to the muscle and liver for glycogen resynthesis and that even in the presence of increased insulin concentrations, the postexercise period is marked by a dramatic increase in fat metabolism 6; 7 , it should be clear that even a whopping carbohydrate and protein drink will not directly lead to fat gain.

Just be sure to account for this increase in carbohydrate intake by decreasing your carbohydrate intake during other times of the day when carbohydrate resynthesis isn't so efficient and booming insulin isn't so benign.

From this discussion it should be clear that, using the principles of nutrient timing, one can load up on carbs during and after the workout while reducing them for the remainder of the day. If muscle gain is your goal, you'll get more muscle per gram of carbohydrate ingested.