Nutrition

In the first part of this article, we took a closer look at 6 common bodybuilding nutritional habits and found out that they are, to some extent, myths and misinterpretations of scientific facts. In this part of this article, we will take a look at 6 other bodybuilding nutrition habits and their truthfulness.

7 Eat protein every 3 hours or you will shrivel up

One of my favorite approaches to nitpicking is the habit of gym-goers and bodybuilders who practically insist on an intravenous protein infusion all day long. These people seem to have an absolute infatuation with protein, which is probably related to the fact that skeletal muscle tissue is the body's largest reservoir of amino acids. They therefore assume that the more often they provide their body with a boost of protein, the more optimally they will stimulate their muscle growth.

However, this is not the case. Scientific studies show that the body has a refractory period after protein intake, which blunts the protein synthesis response (8). This means that consuming protein too frequently is actually an inhibitory and inefficient process if you are trying to optimize your muscle protein synthesis response to your food intake.

A more pragmatic approach is to eat an optimal amount of protein, let the protein synthesis reaction run its course until it returns to its baseline level, and eat another protein-rich meal soon after. It's safe to say that if you eat a sufficient amount of leucine-rich complete protein at each meal, the rate of protein synthesis will be elevated for at least 4 to 6 hours after that meal, so the idea that you need to eat protein every 3 hours (or more often) is not a very sensible idea.

Something to keep in mind when it comes to many things in health and fitness is that more is not always better. Just because some dietary protein is indeed crucial for maintaining and growing your muscles doesn't mean you can't overdo it with protein intake.

Conclusion

Rather than continuously consuming protein/amino acids throughout the day, try to space your meals further apart - say every 5-6 hours - and make sure that each of these meals contains a nominal amount of a leucine-rich, complete protein source (although the actual amount will vary based on your weight and needs, but for most people 30+ grams is a good starting point).

Don't fall victim to the idea that your body will suddenly go into a catabolic state because you're feeling hungry and it's been more than 3 hours since your last meal or protein shake. You don't need to eat protein all the time and you probably won't be doing yourself any favors. Eat a solid, balanced meal, let yourself get hungry and then eat again - it's really not that complicated.

8. the more bland your diet is, the more hardcore you are

This is one thing I'll never understand - the idea prevalent among many bodybuilders that a monotonous, bland and boring diet is somehow better for body development and performance purposes than a diet that is varied and includes some flavor.

Sadly, many people adhere to the "clean diet" viewpoint and assume that a clean diet includes nothing more than chicken breast, broccoli and brown rice. Reality check...eating bland, boring chicken breast that's dry as the Gobi desert doesn't make you healthier, better or more hardcore...it makes you a lazy sock because you're not more creative in the kitchen.

There are millions of ways to maintain a healthy diet with nutrient dense foods that also taste good. There seems to be this silly idea prevalent in the bodybuilding subculture that in order to achieve the body of your dreams and optimal performance, you have to sacrifice all your favorite foods and the enjoyment of food altogether. Wake up and realize the truth that healthy eating and enjoyment don't have to be mutually exclusive.

Conclusion

Okay, Brutus Biceps, no one cares that all you choke down is bland chicken breast, dry rice and asparagus...this won't make you look or perform any better than the guy who makes his food taste good and has some variety in his diet. If you really want to win a prize for being "more hardcore", then try to figure out how to incorporate foods you really like into your diet, because that's the mark of someone who can control themselves and keep their life in balance.

If you truly believe that sacrificing flavor in your diet means that you're somehow more hardcore or will potentially be more successful, then you're just being a stubborn fool. Food is a privilege and something that sustains us mentally and physically - not a chore that you have to fulfill and should see as a sacrifice.

9. fruit is forbidden

We all know that fruit (well, at least apples) are indeed forbidden in the biblical sense, but this isn't about Adam and Eve...this is about the physiological effects of sugar (and fructose in particular). The theory that fruit is inherently bad because of its sugar content is more than short-sighted and is probably related to the growing evidence linking sugar consumption to obesity and other ailments (9).

Most fruit has a sugar content of less than 40% fructose. Fructose is primarily metabolized in the liver and the average liver stores 50 to 60 grams of glycogen. To put this into perspective, the average apple contains about 10 grams of fructose. When the liver's glycogen stores are replenished, most of the intermediate products of fructose metabolism are used for de novo triglyceride synthesis (fat synthesis) in the hepatocytes. You should keep in mind that even though fructose can be converted into triglycerides (fats), this does not necessarily mean that they are automatically stored in adipose tissue.

Probably the most important point to consider is that fruit is highly nutrient dense and contains a large amount of water, which dramatically increases the satiety index (10). In short, the higher the satiety index of a food, the less likely you are to "overeat" on other foods.

As with all other foods, there are of course reasonable limits for fruit and it is possible to eat too much fruit.

Conclusion

As mentioned above, fructose is not an insulinogenic carbohydrate source and does not sufficiently replenish muscle glycogen stores as other carbohydrate sources do, so relying on fruit as the sole source of carbohydrate is not ideal for most people looking to maintain or build muscle - although for the sake of completeness it should be mentioned that fruit contains not only fructose but also sucrose (table sugar).

However, it certainly makes sense to include moderate amounts of fruit in your daily diet - primarily due to its overall nutrient content and its positive effects on appetite and satiety. It's safe to say that most people could benefit from up to 5 portions of fruit a day (and more).

Don't give up fruit. It's not your enemy just because it contains some sugar/fructose.

10. it's after 10pm - all carbs are now converted to fat (sarcasm intended)

I love it when people make assumptions about the body based on simple deductions.In this case, many bodybuilders and gym goers alike assume the following: Carbs -> insulin -> storage hormone -> evening -> sedentary -> carbs are stored as fat.

Just because it's 7pm and you eat a few carbs doesn't mean that some crazy, time-controlled glycolytic pathway is activated and tells your body to store all those carbs as fat tissue. Your body metabolizes carbohydrates the same way regardless of the time of day. Of course, there is a certain biorhythm regarding hormone release, but there is no controlled scientific study to date that shows that eating later in the evening results in a deterioration in body composition.

A study conducted over the course of a year with rhesus monkeys (which are genetically very similar to humans) showed that monkeys who ate most of their food in the evening were no more likely to gain weight than monkeys who ate very little in the evening (11).

Conclusion

Don't fear carbohydrates in the evening simply because you're not as active at that time or you're about to go to bed. As long as your daily food intake is within your needs, the timing of your food intake is secondary. Some people even sleep better if they eat carbohydrates in the evening, due to the serotonin-boosting effects of carbohydrates.

However, it is still likely to be beneficial if you eat more of your carbohydrates around your training window. For some people, this might indeed be late at night and that's perfectly fine - your body will still appreciate those carbs.

11. soy protein is not synonymous with femininity

Another funny conclusion that people in the fitness world draw is the following: Soy -> estrogen -> female hormones -> bad for men.

Yes, soy (protein) does indeed increase estrogen receptor activity and suppress androgen receptor activity - but not to any significant degree as long as you don't consume large amounts (over 60 grams per day) (12). In moderate amounts, however, soy protein can be a good source of isoflavones, lecithin and other phytonutrients.

Soy protein does not have as high a bioavailability as whey protein, egg protein and casein, but it is still a good source of protein (unlike many other plant proteins). For this reason, it is one of the best protein options for people following a vegan diet.

There is also evidence that nominal amounts of soy protein (about 25 grams) per day may play a role in reducing the risk of heart disease, lowering cholesterol levels, reducing blood pressure and preventing osteoporosis (13, 14).

Conclusion

Get over the idea that all estrogen is bad and that soy protein is the downfall of the male sex. There is no real evidence that 20 to 30 grams of soy protein per day has any negative hormonal effects.

The benefits of moderate amounts of soy protein make it a sensible addition to anyone's diet - and not just for gym-goers and bodybuilders. It is also an excellent ingredient for many recipes due to its exceptional heat stability.

12. if you weren't so damn restrictive with your diet, you wouldn't need "cheat meals" either

The concept of "cheat meals" (or, even worse, "cheat days") has always been kind of a sad thing to me, mostly because it shows how bad people's relationship with food has become. The reality is that if people understood moderation and how to incorporate all the foods they like to eat into their diet (that sounds kind of IIFYM), there wouldn't be such a thing as cheat meals or cheat days.

What I would recommend to people - and especially bodybuilders - is to stop looking at food through a black and white lens, as food is inherently dynamic. Instead of looking at food as clearly good or bad, you should look at it in terms of its actual nutritional and caloric content. If you do this, you'll soon stop seeing certain foods you like as forbidden and learn that you don't have to completely ban them from your diet and can stop stuffing yourself with foods you normally deny yourself at certain planned (or unplanned times).

The more pragmatic way to use so-called cheat meals or days is to use refeed days, where you increase your calorie intake (and usually your carbohydrate intake) in a methodical and controlled way. It is generally best to do this during a phase where you are trying to lose fat and your progress is stagnant to help bring certain metabolic factors back to life.

Conclusion

This is somewhat related to the previously mentioned habit of following an extremely bland and monotonous diet and thinking that you are more hardcore because of it. It is almost always the individuals who are very restrictive in their daily diet who end up with a hamburger tirade at the nearest McDonalds.

So what does this tell you? Well, for one, it means that you need to stop the nonsense and incorporate the foods you like into your diet. For another, you need to learn to understand that a cheat meal is simply a lame excuse to overeat on foods that wouldn't be out of your reach if you could control yourself. Lastly, realize that refeeds are the smarter approach in the long run and may actually have metabolic benefits for people who struggle to lose weight while on a calorie-restricted diet.

Final thoughts - why these habits will never be laid to rest

It doesn't bode well for future generations that many of the dietary habits discussed here, despite their futility, still characterize the bodybuilding and fitness subculture to this day. But at the end of the day, such quirks and idiosyncrasies are a natural part of evolution in many areas.

Many of these habits have evolved over decades and even if some of them are neither scientifically based nor practical, many people have found a way to make them work. I would be an arrogant person if I said that professional bodybuilders couldn't be successful by eating mass amounts of protein every 2 to 3 hours. But just because these people have chosen to eat this way doesn't necessarily mean it's optimal. Many people in the bodybuilding and fitness subculture are successful not because what they are doing is the right way, but because they are doing other things that mask and/or make up for their deficiencies and flaws.

I just find it ironic that so many people in the gym just mindlessly follow their role models and don't have a clue why they are actually practicing these habits. If Arnold Schwarzenegger insidiously told everyone that he only got hard and defined by cake and ice cream, I could well imagine that everyone would start swapping their protein shake for a bucket of Ben & Jerry's.

What I'm ultimately getting at is that unsubstantiated claims and baseless habits in bodybuilding and fitness will always exist, if not thrive, because people who are successful (or look like they're in good shape) are practicing these habits and because all the average exercisers are emulating them. This is the reason I always tell people to look at things critically and question the meaning behind everything they do. Take the time to educate yourself to avoid wasting time and effort both in and out of the gym.

References:

1. Ivy J, Portman R. Nutrient timing. In: Carol Rosenberg, ed. The Future of Sports Nutrition: Nutrient Timing. CA: Basic Health Publications Inc 2007:7-14.
2. Lemon PW, Berardi JM, Noreen EE. The role of protein and amino acid supplements in the athlete's diet: does type or timing of ingestion matter? Curr Sports Med Rep 2002;1:214-21.
3. Kromhout, Daan, et al. "Dietary saturated and trans-fatty acids and cholesterol and 25-year mortality from coronary heart disease: the seven countries study." Preventive medicine 24.3 (1995): 308-315.
4. Blesso, Christopher N., et al. "Whole egg consumption improves lipoprotein profiles and insulin sensitivity to a greater extent than yolk-free egg substitute in individuals with metabolic syndrome." Metabolism 62.3 (2013): 400-410.
5. Koopman, R., Beelen, M., Stellingwerff, T., Pennings, B., Saris, W. H., Kies, A. K., ... & Van Loon, L. J. (2007). Coingestion of carbohydrate with protein does not further augment postexercise muscle protein synthesis. American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology And Metabolism, 293(3), E833-E842.
6. Kimball, S. R., Jurasinski, C. V., Lawrence, J. C., & Jefferson, L. S. (1997). Insulin stimulates protein synthesis in skeletal muscle by enhancing the association of eIF-4E and eIF-4G. American Journal of Physiology-Cell Physiology, 272(2), C754-C759
7. Tarnopolsky, M. A., et al. "Evaluation of protein requirements for trained strength athletes." Journal of Applied Physiology 73.5 (1992): 1986-1995.
8. Bolster, Douglas R., Leonard S. Jefferson, and Scot R. Kimball. "Regulation of protein synthesis associated with skeletal muscle hypertrophy by insulin-, amino acid- and exercise-induced signaling." Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 63.02 (2004): 351-356.
9. Stanhope, Kimber L., Jean-Marc Schwarz, and Peter J. Havel. "Adverse metabolic effects of dietary fructose: results from the recent epidemiological, clinical, and mechanistic studies." Current opinion in lipidology 24.3 (2013): 198-206.
10. Holt, Susanne HA, et al. "A satiety index of common foods." European journal of clinical nutrition 49.9 (1995): 675-690.
11. Oregon Health & Science University (2006, February 2). Scientists Dispel Late-Night Eating/Weight Gain Myth. ScienceDaily. Retrieved May 12, 2014, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/02/060202080832.html
12. Hamilton-Reeves, J. M., Rebello, S. A., Thomas, W., Slaton, J. W., & Kurzer, M. S. (2007). Isoflavone-rich soy protein isolate suppresses androgen receptor expression without altering estrogen receptor-β expression or serum hormonal profiles in men at high risk of prostate cancer. The Journal of nutrition, 137(7), 1769-1775.
13. Soybean isoflavones improve cardiovascular risk factors without affecting the reproductive system of peripubertal rhesus monkeys. J Nutr 126(1):43-50.
14. Zhou JR, Yu L, Zhong Y & Blackburn GL. 2003. soy phytochemicals and tea bioactive components synergistically inhibit androgen-sensitive human prostate tumors in mice. J Nutr 133(2):516-521.

Source: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/myth-fact-bodybuilding-nutrition-habits

Pop-Tarts after training, egg whites and a metabolic boost. There are some strange habits in the world of muscle building nutrition. Find out which ones are legitimate and which ones might be a waste of time.

It's time we took a look at all the advances that have been made in the bodybuilding subculture over the last few decades. Thanks to iron athletes all over the world, we've wasted more egg yolks than any other species ever will and practically exhausted all the protein-rich foods on earth.

But fear not, the new generation of bros out there can now move on to more important topics, like which flavor of Pop-Tarts is best for IIFYM (if it fits your macros) and whether it's mandatory to consume a leucine-rich protein source exactly 30.5605767 seconds after finishing a workout for optimal protein synthesis.

Okay, satire aside. Fitness and bodybuilding devotees have developed some strange (for lack of a better term) habits over the course of evolution and health, fitness and bodybuilding that they believe are necessary to achieve the best possible appearance and performance. But the pragmatist in me wonders "why?" when faced with many of these habits.

Why do bodybuilders throw out the egg yolk and eat only the egg white? Why is sodium inherently unhealthy? Why is a bland, simple, monotonous diet inherently healthier and better for fat loss and muscle building? Why are carbohydrates banned after 6pm (or any other random time in the evening)? Why do most exercisers believe that their bodies will atrophy if they don't eat a meal exactly every 3 hours?

Do these habits make any sense or has the bodybuilding subculture instilled unsustainable and nonsensical practices in people who work out in the gym? Does the human body really work in such a "black and white" way as many of these iron addicts believe?

The task of examining these practices more closely for their meaning is onerous, but I believe it is worth the necessary time to look at these popular bodybuilding and fitness habits with an unbiased approach and examine what truly has a scientific basis and what is just utter nonsense propagated by people with ulterior motives and subjective views.

Let the games begin

This is the nuts and bolts folks - the point at which boys become men and girls become women... Okay, maybe I'm taking this a little too far, but I think you know where I'm going with this. Below you'll find a list of habits that are prevalent in the health, fitness and bodybuilding subculture, as well as a detailed look at whether or not they actually make sense in the big picture of things.

Before you read any further, take a moment to set aside any biases you may have about any habits you practice yourself. I myself was once a chicken breast loving, 6 meals a day eating, Tupperware carrying athlete, but thankfully my open mindedness has shown me that this may not be a necessary lifestyle - not even for bodybuilding purposes. If you're not open-minded and unwilling to accept facts based on scientific evidence despite your prior beliefs, then you're probably wasting your time.

1. the "anabolic window of opportunity" is not closing as quickly as you think

I find it fitting to start with the long-held idea that we only have a limited amount of time after a workout to replenish the body's depleted stores of nutrients. This is undoubtedly one of the most commonly practiced habits in the bodybuilding subculture, with many exercisers downright panicking if they have to go without their oh-so-valuable protein and carbohydrate shake for even 15 to 30 minutes after a workout.

It may come as a surprise to you that you actually have quite a bit of time after your workout (especially if you've eaten a solid meal before your workout ) to reap the physiological benefits of nutrient intake - and when I say "quite a bit of time", we're talking several hours, not just minutes as some people seem to think.

You might be wondering why this is the case. Well, you should consider that if you eat a meal of reasonable size before training, it will take more than 5 to 6 hours before circulating substrate levels (i.e. nutrient levels in the blood) return to baseline. Therefore, the food you ate before your workout will often continue to be used long after you have finished your workout.

In addition, the acute responses to resistance training such as an upregulation of GLUT4 expression in muscle tissue and an increased muscle protein synthesis response appear to persist for hours even if you have exercised in a fasted state (1. 2). However, if you have trained in a fasted state, it would certainly be wise to consume protein/amino acids very soon after training to take advantage of the acute metabolic response to training.

Conclusion

Now before you get the idea of starving yourself after a workout, it's worth noting that the bottom line here is not that you shouldn't eat anything at all after a workout...rather, it's that you shouldn't drive yourself crazy over every nanosecond that passes between your last repetition and your post-workout food intake. Just make sure you're eating a quality protein source for the first few hours after your workout (say 0 to 3 hours, depending on the study you're looking at) and you'll be fine.

2. if you want to do yourself some good...then eat the damn egg yolk too

As alluded to in the introduction to this article, many bodybuilders and health enthusiasts insist on forgoing whole eggs in favor of egg whites. This habit seems to stem from the idea that egg yolks contain fat (and cholesterol) and are therefore inherently useless and unhealthy. However, this assumption is very short-sighted.

Consider this: an egg white is only a few grams of protein with small amounts of micronutrients, while the egg yolk is a very nutrient dense food that contains significant amounts of B vitamins, fat-soluble vitamins (such as A, E, D and K) and is a good source of the essential fatty acid DHA, which is important for heart health.

If you are avoiding whole eggs (and/or egg yolks) for fear of their cholesterol content, then you should realize that scientific research suggests that dietary cholesterol is not as significant a factor as saturated fat consumption when it comes to raising cholesterol levels (3). Some studies even suggest that eating a few whole eggs a day may actually improve blood lipid levels and insulin sensitivity (4).

Conclusion

The main message is that food is much more than just its macronutrient composition and calorie content. The advantage of egg white is that it is low in calories and contains high quality protein, but this comes at the cost of a very low content of other nutrients. In contrast, egg yolks have a high nutrient density and are also an excellent source of protein and essential fatty acids.

Of course, egg yolks obviously contain more calories due to the additional macronutrients, but these are not "empty calories". In addition to this, egg yolks will satiate you much better than egg whites due to their fat content.

At the end of the day, don't be afraid to use a few egg yolks when preparing your morning omelette. Remember that when you eat whole eggs, you're getting the best of both worlds - and as an added bonus, you don't have to go to the trouble of separating each egg and worrying that every yellow drop in the pan is going to kill you.

3. want to build muscle? Then forgo a maximum insulin spike and increase insulin levels just a little.

Almost every gym junkie will tell you that you need to eat rapidly absorbable carbohydrates immediately after a workout to elicit a dramatic insulin response. This may sound good in theory, as insulin is a highly anabolic storage hormone and is beneficial for muscle building and repair.

But before you run off in search of the nearest dextrose-laden bottle of Gatorade to wash down your protein with, you should know that an exorbitant increase in insulin levels within the normal physiological range (the response is not linear) does not have many additional benefits in terms of muscle protein synthesis. Scientific research seems to suggest that even if some insulin enhances the muscle protein synthesis response to a food intake, there is a point of satiety beyond which additional insulin no longer produces a stronger desirable response (5).

In addition to this, you should also bear in mind that you can elicit a sufficient insulin response using complex carbohydrates, which do not necessarily have a high glycemic index. This is not to suggest that you don't need to increase your insulin levels, but a slow, sustained insulin response will have pretty much the same benefits in terms of muscle protein synthesis as a rapid, acute insulin response.

Conclusion

Ultimately, insulin does indeed enhance the muscle protein synthesis response to a nominal dose of amino acids, but excess amounts of rapidly absorbable carbohydrates are neither necessary for this nor do they provide any additional benefits (at least in terms of muscle protein synthesis). (6)

As for the carbohydrate source, this will primarily depend on what your overall goal is. I could see a point in using rapidly absorbable carbohydrates for endurance athletes and exercisers who need to replenish their glycogen stores as quickly as possible, or for bodybuilders doing very long training sessions. The other thing to keep in mind is that fructose (found mainly in fruit) is not an insulinogenic carbohydrate source, so you shouldn't rely solely on high-fructose foods (like most fruits) as a post-workout carbohydrate source.

4. the protein conundrum - do you really need 4.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight?

Protein, protein, protein...in the bodybuilding subculture, the idea that more is always better seems to prevail when it comes to protein. But how much do you really need? Many training methods and programs such as DoggCrapp Training preach that more than 4.5 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight is best, but there isn't much scientific research to suggest that you can benefit from such high amounts of protein.

In fact, an evaluation of protein requirements in strength athletes suggests that a more modest amount (around 2 to 2.7 grams of protein per kilogram of lean body mass) is sufficient for optimal 24-hour protein synthesis and nitrogen balance (7).

The key factor to consider in this context is that many bodybuilders and athletes use performance-enhancing substances that can promote nitrogen retention, so more protein will be better for these individuals. However, it is important that exercisers who do not use performance-enhancing compounds do not assume that they need such large amounts of protein either, as they simply will not benefit in the same way.

Conclusion

If you're an avid exerciser who doesn't use steroids or other performance-enhancing compounds that promote nitrogen retention, then there's no reason to consume 4.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (unless you're into foul-smelling, gaseous emissions escaping your digestive tract aka "protein farts"). As mentioned above, scientific research suggests that efficient protein dosing is 2 to 2.7 grams of protein per kilogram of lean body mass per day.

For individuals using steroids or other performance-enhancing compounds, more protein will indeed likely provide additional benefits, meaning that the 4.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight makes sense in this case (however, this does not mean that there is no maximum).

The best way is to ensure that you are consuming nominal amounts of protein in conjunction with sufficient amounts of carbohydrates and fats to meet your daily calorie allowance.

5 The rise of IIFYM and Pop-Tarts - say goodbye to these micronutrients

This is one of the more fun topics I like to discuss because people seem to tend to stick to their opinion rock solid-no matter how many scientific facts contradict their view (and I love these heated discussions). If you're not familiar with the term IIFYM, it's a nutritional approach based on the idea that the amount of macronutrients and calories is most important, while everything else contained in the food consumed and other factors are largely unimportant.

Much to the chagrin of all "clean eating" advocates, the IIFYM mantra has - for whatever reason - driven many exercisers to eat more Pop-Tarts (and I'm sure Kellogs loves this).

The most important thing that many people jumping on the IIFYM bandwagon overlook is the lack of micronutrient dense foods and a lack of fiber in their diet. As mentioned above, food is much more than a source of calories and macronutrients and overlooking the need for fiber and micronutrients in the diet is probably not a healthy way to eat. Another problem is that the diets of many of these people contain large amounts of sugar and trans fats and yet these people think they are meeting their macronutrient needs.

In addition, it's important to remember that metabolic rates slow down as we age (and these people often lead more sedentary lives), so the headroom available for high calorie density foods like Pop-Tarts decreases. Things you can probably get away with as a teenager will take their toll in later years of your life. I had a lot of friends who could eat tons of pizza, ice cream and all the "good" stuff in their youth and still stay slim. Some of them have maintained those eating habits and are now quite flabby (and in their mid-twenties).

I should clarify that IIFYM is also no better or worse than many other dietary approaches, as it is simple and very practical. However, my main concerns are that people forget the importance of micronutrients, that they don't eat enough fiber, and that they end up lacking the self-control to eat only moderate amounts of the foods they love and therefore end up stuffing themselves with uncontrolled amounts of it.

Conclusion

IIFYM is not an excuse to ignore the importance of micronutrients and fiber or to eat exorbitant amounts of sugar and trans fats. If you're a health-oriented strength athlete trying to develop rock-chiseled abs, it's highly unlikely that you'll meet your macro and micronutrient needs by relying on Pop-Tarts and protein shakes.

Macronutrients and calories are indeed the most important factors that will determine whether you will gain weight and what you will perform, which is why IIFYM makes sense in this regard. Just remember to eat foods with high nutrient density and to diversify your diet. There's no reason you can't achieve your body development and performance goals while enjoying the foods you like, but do so in moderation - a slice of cake won't hurt you, but a whole cake might.

6. is your metabolism running at full speed?

The typical mantra in the bodybuilding subculture is that you should eat every 2.5 to 3 hours to keep your metabolism running at full speed. However, this is neither scientifically nor anecdotally true.

The theory that you need to eat frequent meals regularly throughout the day seems to be self perpetuating thanks to mainstream media and high profile bodybuilders extolling the virtues of eating continuously versus eating a few larger meals more spaced out. But frequent smaller meals don't stimulate your metabolism any more than eating just two or three times a day. Here is the reasoning:

Assuming that the energy/nutrient intake is the same for both diets, the thermic effect of food (TEF) will also be identical - regardless of how the nutrients are distributed throughout the day. For example, let's say you eat 3 meals one day (each containing 60 grams of protein, 60 grams of carbohydrates and 20 grams of fat) and 6 meals another day (each containing 30 grams of protein, 30 grams of carbohydrates and 10 grams of fat). The thermic effect of the food per meal will be higher on the days with 3 meals per meal, but over 24 hours the total thermic effect of the food will still be the same as on the days with 6 meals because you eat fewer meals. Another example would be if you have a whole pizza in front of you. The thermal effect of the food when you eat the whole pizza will be the same regardless of how many pieces you divide the pizza into. You could eat half a pizza at 2 meals or an eighth of a pizza at 8 meals - the overall thermal effect will always be the same in the end.

Conclusion

Don't buy into the idea that eating smaller, more frequent meals will somehow magically increase your metabolic rate more than eating fewer larger meals, as this is not the way the body thermodynamically responds to food. At the end of the day, the total energy intake (and also the ratio of macronutrients) will determine the thermic effect of the food - not the frequency of food intake.

These were the first 6 bodybuilding nutritional habits that turned out to be myths and misinterpretations of scientific facts in some respects. In the second part of this article, we will take a look at 6 more common bodybuilding nutrition habits and their truthfulness.

Source: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/myth-fact-bodybuilding-nutrition-habits

James T. Kirk and the crew of the starship Enterprise believed that space was the final frontier - an undiscovered territory with alien worlds, unknown life forms and new civilizations. And so they set out to go where no man had gone before.

Under the leadership of Kirk and his crew, a new generation of nutrition and exercise scientists have embarked on their own voyage of discovery to explore the background of human physiology. Here on Earth, nutrition and exercise researchers have come to the conclusion that the final frontier of muscle building is nutrient timing. And while the science of nutrient timing isn't nearly as exciting as beaming women from alien galaxies aboard your spaceship, if you use it right, this science could help you land some hot women from this galaxy.

What is nutrient timing?

In terms of manipulating body composition and athletic performance, traditional nutritionists have spent much of their time trying to figure out how much and what you should eat to do this. Of course, both of these approaches are of enormous value. Although a myriad of factors influence energy balance (many more factors than a simple assessment of how much you eat and how much you exercise), the laws of thermodynamics are the primary determinant of weight gain and weight loss. Therefore, the question of how much you eat is crucial when it comes to changing your body composition (and indirectly your performance).

But the conventional thermodynamics approach only tells you part of the story. Ultimately, very few people would benefit from focusing solely on weight gain or weight loss. Instead, the focus should be on the composition of the gains or losses. If you are losing equal amounts of fat and muscle in a state of negative energy balance, or gaining equal amounts of fat and muscle in a state of positive energy balance, then you are probably not using the full spectrum of nutrition and training information available to your advantage.

While this may be an oversimplified view of a very complex topic, the thermodynamic approach of measuring calorie intake versus calorie expenditure can in some ways maintain the status quo of body shape. If you have the right genetic predispositions, then the calorie intake vs. calorie expenditure approach may even be all you need to look better naked at any body weight.

But if this isn't the case, then simply counting calories will probably just make you a lighter or heavier version of your former self - and if you're unhappy with your shape, then you won't necessarily like the lighter or heavier version of this).

To get around some of the limitations of the thermodynamic or calorie balance approach, scientists have studied the effects of food choices on changes in body composition. Although these studies are still in their infancy, it is becoming increasingly clear that there is something to the "good" food thing. Despite what naysayers say, once the energy balance is covered, some carbohydrates are better than others. Likewise, some proteins are better than others and some fats are better than others.

Therefore, even if you eat the same amount of calories, choosing foods wisely can upregulate your metabolism, shift your hormonal profile and change the composition of your weight gain or loss - not to mention the health benefits of better diet composition.

As you can see, the science of what you eat has added to the previous big picture, which only considered calories, and expanded our understanding of how to manipulate body composition. By considering the laws of thermodynamics and eating accordingly, we can pave the way for weight loss or weight gain. And by choosing our foods wisely, we could take control of what kind of gains or weight losses we will see. In some ways, the science of what we should eat has given us the power to overcome some of our genetic tendencies (i.e. overall body shape).

While approaches that take into account how much we eat and what we eat already provide us with a ton of great nutritional information, a new field of research looking at nutrient timing has shown that manipulating the temporal dimension can further help us take control of our body composition and athletic performance. For this reason, nutrient timing - or the science of when you should eat - is becoming an important part of nutrition planning.

What's so special about when we eat?

For the average person who doesn't exercise, the principles of nutrient timing aren't particularly important. Sure, glucose tolerance/insulin sensitivity changes throughout the day, but these changes are usually not critical when it comes to determining nutritional needs. For these people, what and how much they eat is the most important thing. However, while nutrient timing may not be critical for the average person, its importance for athletes should not be underestimated - and this applies to all types of athletic disciplines from team sports to endurance sports to training with weights.

In their book "Nutrient Timing" by Dr. John Ivy and Dr. Robert Portman, you will find an excellent commentary on the current state of sports nutrition practice. In this book, the authors highlight the fact that as scientists began to learn more about the nutritional needs of athletes (i.e. higher energy requirements and the benefits of increased protein intake), many athletes have adopted an attitude of "if protein is good, then more protein is better". In other words, this means that when an athlete finds out that something is "good", they will try to get a lot of it. And for many athletes, the reverse is also true, if they find out that something is 'bad', they will try to avoid it at all costs.

Unfortunately, this is nothing more than a combination of the "how much" and the "what" approach to nutrition. Combine this with a very naive good vs. bad approach to nutrition and you have the perfect recipe for a sub-optimal food intake. Ultimately, very few foods are always good or always bad. This is unfortunate for two reasons.

First, much of the current scientific evidence points to the fact that if you exercise regularly, your body is as much pre-programmed to gain or lose fat as it is to gain or lose muscle at certain times of the day. Add the wrong foods at the wrong times and you will sabotage your efforts in the gym. Add the right foods at the right times and you will see a huge boost forward.

Secondly, some foods (e.g. sugar), although not optimal at certain times of the day, can be very beneficial at other times of the day (e.g. post-workout).

Now let's move beyond the overly simplistic approach to nutrition and take a look at the basics of nutrient timing. In their book, authors Dr. Ivy and Dr. Portman point to three critical times of the day during which nutrient timing is of greater importance. They refer to these three times as the energy phase, anaerobic phase and growth phase. I will add to these three phases another phase that I call the "rest of the day phase".

Nutrient timing - the energy phase

The energy phase is so named because this is the phase during training when energy requirements are at their highest. As you probably know, ATP is the form of energy used by skeletal muscle. This ATP is formed from macronutrients in the diet, which means that carbohydrates, proteins and fats indirectly contribute to the energy of muscle contractions.

The high rates of energy demand during exercise are therefore covered by nutrients consumed and/or stored (the ratio depends on the timing of food intake). This breakdown of nutrients - even if it is absolutely necessary - is by definition catabolic. For this reason, the training phase is characterized by a series of anabolic and catabolic effects.

Although these phenomena are nothing new and occur during most types of exercise, the idea that targeted nutritional intake can shift the anabolic/catabolic balance during exercise and enhance some of the anabolic effects of exercise while reducing some of the catabolic effects is still something relatively new (1; 4; 10; 11; 17).

Here's an example: a protein-carbohydrate supplement consumed pre-workout or in sips during exercise can increase blood flow to skeletal muscle. Since this drink not only increases blood flow, but also enriches the blood with amino acids and glucose, the protein balance of the trained muscle will shift towards a positive protein balance, while the depletion of glycogen stores is significantly slowed down. In addition to this, these amino acids and these glucose units, regardless of their effects on muscle protein and glycogen status, can lead to a reduction in cortisol concentrations and improve the overall immune response.

When consumed in liquid form throughout the training session, this supplement can also prevent dehydration, which is a potent performance killer in both endurance and strength athletes. That's not too shabby for a little old protein-carbohydrate drink, is it?

The "when", the "what" and the "how much" of the energy phase

When you look at the science of nutrient timing in detail, it becomes clear that one of the key phases for nutritional intake is the period of the energy phase, or the period during exercise. Of course, we should not neglect the "what" and the "how much". These will probably be your next two questions, which is why we will address them here.

As mentioned above, it is important to consume some protein and carbohydrates during the energy phase. In my experience, the easiest way to do this is to consume an easily digestible carbohydrate - protein drink. This drink could consist of a well diluted (a 6 to 10% solution, which means 60 to 80 grams of powder to one liter of water) combination of glucose, maltodextrin and whey protein or hydrolyzed whey protein. Proper dilution is important, especially if you are an endurance athlete or training in a hot environment. If you don't dilute your drink enough, you may not be replenishing your body's water stores at an optimal rate (9, 12).

Now that we know when and what to drink, the next question is how much of it. Unfortunately, this question is not so easy to answer. How much you should eat has a lot to do with how much energy you expended during your training session, how much you consume during the rest of the day, whether your primary goal is to build muscle or lose fat, and a number of other factors. However, to give a simple answer, I would recommend starting with 0.8 grams of carbohydrate and 0.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, diluted with about a liter of water over the duration of your workout (5, 17-20). For a person weighing 100 kilograms, this would be 80 grams of carbohydrates and 40 grams of protein during training.

Nutrient timing - the anabolic phase

The anabolic phase begins immediately after training and lasts for one to two hours. This phase is called "anabolic" because the muscle cells are prepared for muscle growth during this period. Interestingly, even though the cells are being prepared for growth, this phase can remain catabolic in the absence of a good nutritional strategy.

Without adequate nutrient intake, the phase immediately following strength or endurance training is characterized by net muscle catabolism - that's right, muscle tissue continues to be broken down even after training. If you are now asking yourself how this can be, then you are asking the right question. Ultimately, training (and especially training with weights) should make you more muscular, not leaner. And even if you are an endurance athlete, training should not break down your muscles. So how can exercise be so catabolic?

Well, even though the first few hours after exercise induce a net catabolic state (although the rate of protein synthesis increases after exercise, so does the rate of protein breakdown), the body begins to transition to an anabolic state later in the recovery cycle (8, 14). So we typically break down muscle tissue for a while after exercise and then start to rebuild it - and more muscle tissue - later.

However, there is new scientific research that shows that with the right nutritional intervention (protein and carbohydrate supplementation), we can get the repair and rebuilding process to occur during and immediately after exercise (16, 17). Best of all, if we do the nutritional thing right, not only can we activate the repair process faster during and after exercise, but we can also alter the changes in muscle size and/or quality afterwards (16).

The "when", the "what" and the "how much" of the anabolic phase

From now on, when planning your nutrient intake, it's better to consider the energy phase and the anabolic phase as the two key phases of nutrient timing. To maximize your muscle gains and optimize your recovery, you should therefore consume nutrients both during and immediately after training. And again we come to the question of "what" and "how much".

As mentioned above, it is important to consume protein and carbohydrates during the anabolic phase. As with the energy phase, in my experience it is easiest to do this with the help of an easily digestible carbohydrate and protein drink. This drink could consist of a well diluted (a 6 to 10% solution, which means 60 to 80 grams of powder to one liter of water) combination of glucose, maltodextrin and whey protein or hydrolyzed whey protein.

Although the dilution in this case is not as important for rehydration as during the energy phase, as you have already stopped training - and probably sweating - the dilution now serves to prevent digestive problems. I won't go into the details at this point, but simply ask you to take my word for it. You need to dilute.

Now that we know what we should be eating and when we should be eating it, it's time to figure out how much of it we should be eating. Just like during the energy phase, the "how much" has a lot to do with how much energy you expended during your workout, how much you eat during the rest of the day, whether your primary goal is to build muscle or lose fat, etc.

However, just as with the energy phase, a simple recommendation during the anabolic phase is to consume another serving of a drink consisting of 0.8 grams of carbohydrate and 0.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight diluted with approximately one liter of water (5, 17-20).

If you add up the basic recommendations of the energy phase and the anabolic phase, you will find that I have recommended a total consumption of 1.6 grams of carbohydrates and 0.8 grams of protein. For a 100 kilo person, this would be a total of 160 grams of carbohydrates and 80 grams of protein during and immediately after training. Based on what you would normally consider "a lot" of carbs, this may or may not look like a lot of carbs to you.

Regardless, it's important to understand that during and after exercise, insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance are very good (2, 3, 13, 15, 21). Even if you believe you have poor carbohydrate tolerance based on your experience (which too many people do for no real reason), your carbohydrate tolerance will be much better during and after exercise.

And when you consider that most of the carbohydrates you consume during and immediately after exercise are either burned for energy or used to replenish glycogen stores in muscles and liver (even at elevated insulin concentrations) and that the post-workout phase is characterized by a dramatic increase in the rate of fat metabolism (6,7), it should be clear that even a drink with plenty of carbohydrates and protein will not directly lead to an increase in body fat.

However, you should ensure that you compensate for this increased carbohydrate intake during and after exercise by reducing your carbohydrate intake during other times of the day when glycogen resynthesis is not as efficient and an increase in insulin levels is not as beneficial.

For this consideration, it should be clear that using the principles of nutrient timing, you can fuel your body with carbohydrates during and after exercise while reducing your carbohydrate intake during the rest of the day. By using this strategy, carbohydrates are delivered at the exact time when they can best be converted into muscle glycogen and best stimulate muscle growth and/or repair.

If your goal is to build muscle, you will build more muscle per gram of carbohydrate consumed. If, on the other hand, your goal is to lose fat, then you will store more muscle glycogen and achieve a pronounced muscle-protective effect even if you consume fewer carbohydrates during the day. And if maximum athletic performance is your goal, then your recovery will improve dramatically.

Before we go any further, it's important to understand that the 960 kcal I've recommended for a 100 kilo person is better utilized during and after exercise than at other times of the day and this is the crux of nutrient timing. Nutrients consumed during the energy phase and the anabolic phase can contribute to muscle building, muscle repair and recovery to a greater extent than the same nutrients consumed at other times of the day.

Now that we have covered what you should eat during the energy phase and the anabolic phase, in the second part of this article I will give you some recommendations on what you should consume during the remaining two phases of the nutrient timing cycle.

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/diet-fat-loss/science-of-nutrient-timing-1

By John Berardi, PhD