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? Can essential amino acids also do the trick? Doses of g of essential amino acids can also maximally stimulate muscle protein synthesis. This can improve recovery and leads to favorable changes in body composition such as increases or maintenance in lean mass and decreases in fat mass.

During exercise, frequent feedings of g of high GI carbs per hour of training can help increase performance, maintain normal blood glucose levels, and prevent early fatigue.

Post-exercise, protein should be consumed as soon as possible after exercise. However, you can still maximally stimulate muscle protein synthesis up to 2 hours post-exercise by consuming g of a rich protein.

When it comes to strength, recovery, and improved body composition it is recommended that protein be consumed in intervals of every hours to promote a positive state of nitrogen balance.

If your goal is to build muscle, carbohydrates, and protein should be consumed together. Nutrient timing can be employed at any level, however, if you are looking to gain a competitive edge and boost your performance, nutrient timing may be the key to your success. Her first introduction to working with professional athletes was back in when she worked at the UFC performance institute in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Since then, Jackie has worked with various professional fighters and other clientele and now operates under her company she started back in March, The Fight Nutritionist LLC.

John Ivy, has published many studies showing its potential benefits. In , he published a book called Nutrient Timing: The Future of Sports Nutrition. Since then, many nutritional programs and books have promoted nutrient timing as the key method for losing fat, gaining muscle and improving performance.

However, a closer look at the research shows that these findings are far from conclusive, and have two significant limitations 1 , 5 :. For these reasons, the findings in much of the research that supports nutrient timing may not apply to everyone. Nutrient timing has been around for several decades.

The anabolic window is the most commonly referenced part of nutrient timing 7. However, even though research on the anabolic window is far from conclusive, it is regarded as an important fact by many professionals and fitness enthusiasts.

Both of these principles are correct to some extent, but human metabolism and nutrition are not as black and white as many people like to think. One main aspect of the anabolic window is carb replenishment, since carbs are stored in the muscles and liver as glycogen.

Research has shown that glycogen is replenished faster within 30—60 minutes after working out, which supports the anabolic window theory 8 , 9. However, timing may only be relevant if you are training several times a day, or have multiple athletic events within a day.

For the average person who works out once a day, there is plenty of time to replenish glycogen at each meal Additionally, some research actually shows training with lower muscle glycogen to be beneficial, especially if your goal is fitness and fat loss New research has even shown immediate replenishment may reduce the fitness benefits you receive from that session So although immediate glycogen synthesis makes sense in theory, it does not apply to most people in most situations.

The second aspect of the anabolic window is the use of protein to stimulate muscle protein synthesis MPS , which plays a key role in recovery and growth.

Instead, focus on your total daily protein intake , and make sure you eat high-quality protein at each meal A recent meta-analysis by leading researcher Dr. Brad Schoenfeld also arrived at this conclusion, summarizing that daily protein and nutrient intake is the priority In short, if you meet your total daily needs for protein, calories and other nutrients, the anabolic window is less important than most people believe.

Two exceptions are elite athletes or people who train several times per day, who may need to maximize fuel replenishment between sessions. The anabolic window is a period of time after workouts that is said to be crucial for nutrient intake.

Depending on your goals, the correct timing for taking certain supplements may actually aid performance For example, performance-enhancing supplements like caffeine must be taken at the right time in order to have the proper effect This also applies to food.

A well-balanced, easily digestible meal eaten 60— minutes before a workout may improve performance, especially if you have not eaten for several hours In contrast, if your goal is fat loss, training with less food may help you burn fat, improve insulin sensitivity and provide other important long-term benefits 17 , Hydration is also closely linked to health and performance.

Many people tend to be dehydrated before working out, so it may be important to drink around 12—16 oz — ml of water and electrolytes before the workout 19 , 20 , Additionally, vitamins may affect workout performance, and may even reduce training benefits.

So although vitamins are important nutrients, it may be best not to take them close to your workout Nutrient timing may play an important role in pre-workout nutrition, especially if you want to maximize performance, improve body composition or have specific health goals.

Instead, what you eat for breakfast has become the hot topic. Many professionals now recommend a low-carb, high-fat breakfast, which is claimed to improve energy levels, mental function, fat burning and keep you full.

However, while this sounds great in theory, most of these observations are anecdotal and unsupported by research Additionally, some studies show that protein-based breakfasts have health benefits. Athletic success is built on fundamentals. As you adapt to training and support your activity levels with the right foods, your performance will improve.

But after a while, in order to really push your progress you will need another strategy layered on top. And follow a healthy diet that supports their body composition and athletic performance.

In other words, nutrient timing suits those that have already nailed their calories and macros. Nutrient timing techniques provide a competitive edge in athletes whose physiques are primed. And build in timing manipulation as you progress.

As time has passed and research has grown, we now know that nutrient timing provides several key benefits:. Energy balance and food choices are key indicators of a healthy, performance-optimized diet. But evidence shows that timing is too.

Because your body utilizes nutrients differently depending on when they are ingested. Athletes are always looking for that extra edge over competitors. Nutrient timing is a key weapon in your performance arsenal. Providing your body with that push it needs to be successful.

It is therefore important to put strategies in place to help maximize the amount of glycogen stored within the muscle and liver. A diet rich in carbohydrates is key of course, but emerging research has shown that timing carb ingestion is important to maximize overall effects. Note: While strength and team sport athletes require optimal glycogen stores to improve performance, most of the research into nutrient timing using carbohydrates has been conducted on endurance athletes.

Find out more about how glycogen storage can affect exercise performance in our dedicated guide Ever since the late s, coaches have used a technique called carb-loading to maximize intramuscular glycogen 3.

The technique varies from athlete to athlete and from sport to sport , but the most traditional method of carb-loading is a 7-day model:. There are variations on this model too. This technique has been shown to result in supersaturation in glycogen stores - much more than through a traditional high carb diet 4.

The idea is to deplete glycogen stores with a low carb diet and high-volume training regime. Then force muscle cells to overcompensate glycogen storage.

Carb loading has been found to improve long-distance running performance in well-trained athletes, especially when combined with an effective tapering phase prior to competition 5.

These carbs help with glycogen repletion so we do not have chronically low glycogen stores effecting workout performance and muscle growth.

Consuming carbs right after training helps with the likelihood of those carbs being used as glycogen. The alternative is being converted to fat stores at rest. The anabolic affects occur by spiking insulin. Insulin stimulates muscle growth upon binding to the muscle cell surface.

Post-workout carbs show a lot of benefit for your performance and your absorption for glycogen stores. They need to be consumed in a ratio as your pre-workout carbs.

The last macro to worry about for nutrient timing is fats. Fats are very difficult to digest. They slow down the digestion of proteins and lower the glycemic index of carbs. They slow down your digestion of proteins from one to seven hours depending on how much fat is consumed with the protein.

Fats need to be consumed away from your workouts. This way they do not affect the nervous system functionality and glycogen stores of which carbs are trying to promote.

There are exceptions for endurance athletes training for several hours due to the specific energy system they are training because they will be burning more fats during that state. Now that we have talked about the different timings of the different macros, I find it important to also tell you how important nutrient timing is to weight loss.

When you total up all the variables to consider when losing weight, timing falls third in line. Caloric balance and macronutrient amounts take the top two spots.

A deviation from either one of these will make or break a diet plan. As long as you get your calories and macros right, timing is a much smaller concern.

For those trying to obtain the loss of those last few pounds need to be more conscientious about their intake timing in order to make the biggest difference. If you want the best possible results, then nutrient timing could be something to consider. And if you are considering it, follow the macros per meal breakdown Macrostax provides in the app.

One you set a time of day to workout, Macrostax will assign pre and post workout meals with higher carb and lower fat amounts like we talked about to help you optimize your nutrient timing.

Made with 💙 in Boulder, CO. Come work with us. Back to blog. Nutrient Timing — What to Know and How to Optimize Your Results. Posted: May 24, Author: Taylor Smith.

Two questions are often asked about nutrient timing: 1. PROTEIN There is evidence that show similarities in the development of muscle metabolism and protein feeding.

FATS The last macro to worry about for nutrient timing is fats. Free Recipes. Get recipes straight to your inbox! All of our recipes are nutritious, macro-friendly, and of course, delicious! Get Recipes.

Personalized nutrition plans that are easy and affordable. This is the basis of an April article published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. The strategy for nutrition timing varies based on the sport.

If the athlete runs marathons, fueling up a few hours before the run provides energy for the event. Carbohydrate foods are best. A good calorie count is calories or less. After the race, refuel with a light meal.

If the sport relies on muscle strength, refuel with protein within a few hours. This helps the body as it repairs muscle damage.

Approximately 20 grams is a good place to start. More may be needed if the sport is intense. A carbohydrate rich meal a few hours before aerobic exercise helps provide the energy needed.

Adding a little protein can help keep the energy going. Have a banana carbohydrate with some peanut butter protein. Or eat a couple of wheat crackers carbohydrate with cubes of cheese protein.

When lifting weights, post exercise protein is important. This will help the muscle tissue recover. It also aids in skeletal muscle growth. Aim to consume this protein within a few hours. A protein shake is an easy option. Scrambling some eggs or having a salad with chicken are more options. An endurance athlete needs enough energy to sustain movement long-term.

This involves fueling the body with a high carbohydrate meal a few hours before the training. If the training session is long, a carbohydrate snack may be needed during the workout. Afterward, have a light meal that includes both protein and carbs.

Sports nutrition is an ever-changing field. And every person is different. What works for one client or athlete may not work for another. 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.

Athletes are always looking for that extra edge over competitors. Nutrient timing is a key weapon in your performance arsenal. Providing your body with that push it needs to be successful. It is therefore important to put strategies in place to help maximize the amount of glycogen stored within the muscle and liver.

A diet rich in carbohydrates is key of course, but emerging research has shown that timing carb ingestion is important to maximize overall effects. Note: While strength and team sport athletes require optimal glycogen stores to improve performance, most of the research into nutrient timing using carbohydrates has been conducted on endurance athletes.

Find out more about how glycogen storage can affect exercise performance in our dedicated guide Ever since the late s, coaches have used a technique called carb-loading to maximize intramuscular glycogen 3.

The technique varies from athlete to athlete and from sport to sport , but the most traditional method of carb-loading is a 7-day model:.

There are variations on this model too. This technique has been shown to result in supersaturation in glycogen stores - much more than through a traditional high carb diet 4. The idea is to deplete glycogen stores with a low carb diet and high-volume training regime.

Then force muscle cells to overcompensate glycogen storage. Carb loading has been found to improve long-distance running performance in well-trained athletes, especially when combined with an effective tapering phase prior to competition 5.

Evidence shows that female athletes may need to increase calorie and carb intake in order to optimize the super-compensatory effect 6. This is purely down to physiological differences. It has also been shown to delay fatigue during prolonged endurance training too 7.

This is thought to be due to higher levels of glycogen stores, which not only provides more substrate energy but also decreases indirect oxidation via lactate of non-working muscles. Carb-loading as part of a nutrient timing protocol can lead to glycogen supercompensation and improved endurance performance.

Strategies for carb-loading involve high glycemic carbs during the loading phase, which helps to increase carb intake - but limit fiber high fiber will lead to bloating and discomfort.

Focusing on familiar foods is key in order to limit unwanted adverse effects. Carb-loading on the days prior to competition, or high-intensity training is one strategy to help optimize athletic performance.

Another is to ensure carb intake is increased in the hours beforehand. High-carb meals have been shown to improve cycling work rate when taken four hours prior to exercise by enhancing glycogen synthesis 8. It is not recommended to eat a high-carb meal in the hour immediately prior to exercise due to gastric load and potential negative effects, such as rebound hypoglycemia 9.

One main aspect of the anabolic window is carb replenishment, since carbs are stored in the muscles and liver as glycogen. Research has shown that glycogen is replenished faster within 30—60 minutes after working out, which supports the anabolic window theory 8 , 9. However, timing may only be relevant if you are training several times a day, or have multiple athletic events within a day.

For the average person who works out once a day, there is plenty of time to replenish glycogen at each meal Additionally, some research actually shows training with lower muscle glycogen to be beneficial, especially if your goal is fitness and fat loss New research has even shown immediate replenishment may reduce the fitness benefits you receive from that session So although immediate glycogen synthesis makes sense in theory, it does not apply to most people in most situations.

The second aspect of the anabolic window is the use of protein to stimulate muscle protein synthesis MPS , which plays a key role in recovery and growth.

Instead, focus on your total daily protein intake , and make sure you eat high-quality protein at each meal A recent meta-analysis by leading researcher Dr. Brad Schoenfeld also arrived at this conclusion, summarizing that daily protein and nutrient intake is the priority In short, if you meet your total daily needs for protein, calories and other nutrients, the anabolic window is less important than most people believe.

Two exceptions are elite athletes or people who train several times per day, who may need to maximize fuel replenishment between sessions. The anabolic window is a period of time after workouts that is said to be crucial for nutrient intake.

Depending on your goals, the correct timing for taking certain supplements may actually aid performance For example, performance-enhancing supplements like caffeine must be taken at the right time in order to have the proper effect This also applies to food.

A well-balanced, easily digestible meal eaten 60— minutes before a workout may improve performance, especially if you have not eaten for several hours In contrast, if your goal is fat loss, training with less food may help you burn fat, improve insulin sensitivity and provide other important long-term benefits 17 , Hydration is also closely linked to health and performance.

Many people tend to be dehydrated before working out, so it may be important to drink around 12—16 oz — ml of water and electrolytes before the workout 19 , 20 , Additionally, vitamins may affect workout performance, and may even reduce training benefits.

So although vitamins are important nutrients, it may be best not to take them close to your workout Nutrient timing may play an important role in pre-workout nutrition, especially if you want to maximize performance, improve body composition or have specific health goals.

Instead, what you eat for breakfast has become the hot topic. Many professionals now recommend a low-carb, high-fat breakfast, which is claimed to improve energy levels, mental function, fat burning and keep you full. However, while this sounds great in theory, most of these observations are anecdotal and unsupported by research Additionally, some studies show that protein-based breakfasts have health benefits.

However, this is likely due to the many benefits of protein, and timing probably does not play a role Your breakfast choice should simply reflect your daily dietary preferences and goals.

There is no evidence to support one best approach for breakfast. Your breakfast should reflect your dietary preferences and goals. This reduction of carbs simply helps you reduce total daily calorie intake, creating a calorie deficit — the key factor in weight loss.

The timing is not important. In contrast to eliminating carbs at night, some research actually shows carbs can help with sleep and relaxation, although more research is needed on this This may hold some truth, as carbs release the neurotransmitter serotonin, which helps regulate your sleep cycle.

Cutting carbs at night is not a good tip for losing weight, especially since carbs may help promote sleep. 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. If fat loss is your goal, you'll get more muscle glycogen and a pronounced muscle sparing effect with fewer daily carbs ingested.

So before we move on, it's important to understand that the kcal I recommended for pound men would be better utilized during and after the workout than during any other time of the day and herein lies the gist of nutrient timing.

Nutrients ingested during the Energy and Anabolic Phases can better contribute to muscle gain, repair and recovery when compared to the same nutrients ingested during other times of the day.

Now that I've covered what to eat during the Energy and Anabolic Phases, I'll be back next week with some recommendations for what to eat during the final two phases of the nutrient timing cycle.

John Berardi is president and founder of Science Link Inc and johnberardi.