I have a busy schedule and find myself having to squeeze in some late-night workouts. Is it OK to eat a meal close to when I go to bed?
ANSWER
Recent studies have shown that the key may not necessarily be the timing of your meal but what you eat. A 2014 study in the British Journal of Nutrition found that eating 30 grams of whey or casein protein 30 minutes before bed can up your resting energy expenditure (or amount of calories required by your body while nonactive) the next morning. And a study that appeared in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise discovered that downing 40 grams of casein three and a half hours after working out, but also 30 minutes before bed, boosted muscle-protein synthesis while sleeping. And finally, a 2015 study from Maastricht University in the Netherlands showed that when subjects consumed 28 grams of protein plus 15 grams of carbs every night before sleep, they were stronger and had bigger muscles after 12 weeks than those taking the placebo.
A POST-WORKOUT MEAL 30 MINUTES BEFORE BED CAN KEEP YOU GROWING ALL NIGHT.
The body utilizes carbohydrates to restock glucose and glycogen stores for energy, and protein helps boost metabolism—plus it spurs muscle growth and repair—so a good bedtime meal should contain carbohydrates and protein, just in smaller portions.
Eat a small snack around bedtime. Stick with lean proteins and healthy complex carbs like cottage cheese or Greek yogurt with some fruit, protein powder with milk and whole-grain cereal, or a peanut butter sandwich on sprouted bread.
