Meal timing

[yeahbuddy289]

On cycle and bulking... I train on my lunch break. I will eat my lunch around 11:30 then go to the gym until 1:00. Well by 2:00 im starving. I work until 5 so by the time I get home and make dinner its 6. So am I hindering my bodys ability to build muscle by not feeding it when it is screaming for food after a workout? Or am I fine pushing through the hunger as long as Im giving my body everything it needs when I do eat?

[73rr]

It all matters who u ask. I now horrible answer

Some ppl say as long as u hit your macros your good. Others say that u have to eat through out the day. Feeding your body at all times.

If your hungry after a work out. I believe in eating after.
Pack some stuff up to eat well your changing or leaving the gym. Suggestions would be things like protien bars, sweet potatoes, peanut butter, almonds, protien shakes, head of broccoli, and much more things u can throw in a bag and then eat cold.

[GirlyGymRat]

You are bulking right?
I say yes. Need to restore within a couple hours. If u are going hours without eating and your body is screaming at you that it's hungry, u need to provide some fuel. How can your muscles grow when you are hangry?

[GirlyGymRat]

I am no expert so looking for others input.

[yeahbuddy289]

I know it feels so wrong not eating after a workout, especially when im so hungry. Problem is, its tough for me to eat at work. My job is pretty physical and I am usually always moving.

[GirlyGymRat]

I know it feels so wrong not eating after a workout, especially when im so hungry. Problem is, its tough for me to eat at work. My job is pretty physical and I am usually always moving.

U need to figure out how to transport food in vehicle to eat on way back to work. I do son pretty unusual things...I'll eat cold chicken breast if I have too. Protein shakes and bars (less then ideal). Cottage cheese. Nuts. Cold sweet potatoes. (Previously cooked obviously).

You can do it but will require some planning. Are there other options that you think are possible?

[73rr]

I know it feels so wrong not eating after a workout, especially when im so hungry. Problem is, its tough for me to eat at work. My job is pretty physical and I am usually always moving.

If u don't think your able to eat Dearing your drive or eat cold food. Maybe change your workout time. Go before or after work.

I would just eat cold food like girlygymrat and I have suggested

[yeahbuddy289]

I guess I'll try to do something like bringing another meal and try to eat that in the afternoon. I eat 10oz of chicken with 1 cup of rice right before I train... Seems like a lot but an hour after I train it feels like I never ate.

[hellomycognomen]

The "anabolic window of opportunity" has already been largely disproved.
You have a roughly 4 hour window, so if its been about 4 hours since your last high protein meal then a fast digesting protein would be optimal. If its been less than that time then there is no need to rush, just eat when you get home. Additionally research supports that approx 40g of protein is sufficient to induce MPS with leucine being the key and most important amino acid.

Here are some research papers on the subject that you will find beneficial.

-Cheers

Nutrient timing:
http://www.jissn.com/content/pdf/1550-2783-10-5.pdf

Optimal protein intake to maximize muscle protein synthesis:
http://www.biolayne.com/wp-content/u...-Tech-2008.pdf

Lastly I'm personally not a fan of the bulking/cutting cycles. IMO its far better to keep a positive nitrogen balance and either add or restrict the carbs/fats macros to fit your goal. I'm not saying that you do but most people use "bulking" as an excuse to over eat and justify their bf% increase.

[yeahbuddy289]

Thank you for the info! I'm really not trying to over eat and just slop weight onto my body... I just went through a cut so I'm actually a little scared to be putting weight on lol. I keep a close eye on my waist line and how my mid section is looking. I put all that work into dropping body fat I definitely don't want to just put it all back on again lol.

[novastepp]

Thank you for the info! I'm really not trying to over eat and just slop weight onto my body... I just went through a cut so I'm actually a little scared to be putting weight on lol. I keep a close eye on my waist line and how my mid section is looking. I put all that work into dropping body fat I definitely don't want to just put it all back on again lol.

For your situation, it sounds like a couple scoops of whey in water and a quick bit of fruit is something you should bring along, and eat immediately after you workout. I would never go as long as you do without eating, especially around training.

[RaginCajun]

heat your food up and bring it to the gym so that you can eat it on the way home.

[DCI]

For your situation, it sounds like a couple scoops of whey in water and a quick bit of fruit is something you should bring along, and eat immediately after you workout. I would never go as long as you do without eating, especially around training.

Agreed but I'd add oats 1 full egg with 4 egg whites and creatine with glutamine supp in it too. Very nice shake and filling quick and easy to consume too.

[musclestack]

The "anabolic window of opportunity" has already been largely disproved.
You have a roughly 4 hour window, so if its been about 4 hours since your last high protein meal then a fast digesting protein would be optimal. If its been less than that time then there is no need to rush, just eat when you get home. Additionally research supports that approx 40g of protein is sufficient to induce MPS with leucine being the key and most important amino acid.

Here are some research papers on the subject that you will find beneficial.

-Cheers

Nutrient timing:
http://www.jissn.com/content/pdf/1550-2783-10-5.pdf

Optimal protein intake to maximize muscle protein synthesis:
http://www.biolayne.com/wp-content/u...-Tech-2008.pdf

Lastly I'm personally not a fan of the bulking/cutting cycles. IMO its far better to keep a positive nitrogen balance and either add or restrict the carbs/fats macros to fit your goal. I'm not saying that you do but most people use "bulking" as an excuse to over eat and justify their bf% increase.

While I don't have any of my own scientific data to post, I would be inclined to agree with this. A lot of people say you need to eat/have your shake within so many minutes after training. On most days, I will wait about an hour and a half before having my PWO shake consisting of 2 scoops whey, 2 cups oats, 2 tbsp PB, and a banana (1,000 calories). It's not because I believe I need to do it this way, it's just because I rarely feel like eating anything immediately following my workout.

As to the timing of meals: I eat only 4 times a day. However, my meals are very calorie dense (almost all of them are roughly 1,000 cals each). I'm more of a believer in getting all your calories in, rather than macro timing. I've been doing this for the past couple of years, and I'm growing great! I've also done the 7 meals per day thing and, honestly, found no difference. I can see how this may be a problem for some who tend to get very sluggish after having a big meal, but I suppose I've gotten used to it over the past 2 years, and I don't have any issues. My second meal of the day is over 900 calories, and I have no issues hitting legs, hard and heavy, an hour afterwards.

[novastepp]

Agreed but I'd add oats 1 full egg with 4 egg whites and creatine with glutamine supp in it too. Very nice shake and filling quick and easy to consume too.

Glutamine does nothing.

I wouldn't add egg or anything perishable if it's going to be sitting out too long.

[hellomycognomen]

While I don't have any of my own scientific data to post, I would be inclined to agree with this. A lot of people say you need to eat/have your shake within so many minutes after training. On most days, I will wait about an hour and a half before having my PWO shake consisting of 2 scoops whey, 2 cups oats, 2 tbsp PB, and a banana (1,000 calories). It's not because I believe I need to do it this way, it's just because I rarely feel like eating anything immediately following my workout.

As to the timing of meals: I eat only 4 times a day. However, my meals are very calorie dense (almost all of them are roughly 1,000 cals each). I'm more of a believer in getting all your calories in, rather than macro timing. I've been doing this for the past couple of years, and I'm growing great! I've also done the 7 meals per day thing and, honestly, found no difference. I can see how this may be a problem for some who tend to get very sluggish after having a big meal, but I suppose I've gotten used to it over the past 2 years, and I don't have any issues. My second meal of the day is over 900 calories, and I have no issues hitting legs, hard and heavy, an hour afterwards.

I do basically the same thing. Eating four times a day is plenty for me as well. And you are correct that at the end of the day as long as you hit your macros that is what's most important.

[Khazima]

Timing is practically irrelevant, total daily intake is the determining factor of weight loss and gain, optimal is different. Eating every 4-5 hours would be ideal but if you can't it doesn't matter, the reason for this is spiking your MPS (muscle protein synthesis) has a refractory time of 4-5 hours, so spiking it every 4-5 would allow for maximal MPS turnover.

In the end, most of it is minuscia, fit it in when you can and eat enough to gain weight (since you're bulking).