Nutrition and training: what and how often to eat to see results?

About the correct approach to nutrition during intensive training – the expert of “Championship”, wellness coach Andrei Semeshov.

I noticed that as soon as a person turns to fitness, he or she immediately starts to wonder how to build the diet properly and correctly. God forbid, catabolism will overtake the muscles, and the forty-five-minute torture in the gym will be in vain.

Eat every three hours. Do not eat after six. Immediately after a workout (right in the locker room!) you need a protein shake with a banana. Or not with a banana, but only with chocolate, because “fast carbs”? There are plenty of clear recommendations on what to do with food before, during and after a workout. The only pity is that they are often completely contradictory. So what to do? Who to listen to in the end?
I propose to approach the question from the position of common sense and a little bit of physiology.

When to eat to grow muscles?

Panic fear of catabolism haunts all beginners who aim for voluminous muscles. I have seen how guys (girls were not seen in such cases) brought containers of rice directly to the gym to fill up on carbohydrates between approaches. And almost every third person organizes “business lunches” in the locker room.

But let’s remember that the process of digestion and assimilation of the fastest carbohydrates is not so rapid. Even liquid food will pass through the stomach for half an hour, and solid – from six hours and longer. And after all, digestion, during which we assimilate all the nutrients, continues in the intestines. That is, even if you start snacking immediately after your workout, you will not be able to immediately reverse the catabolic processes.

Trying to eat immediately after exercise has another disadvantage. Lifting weights, our body goes into a state of stress. And the reaction to stress from the physiological point of view is always the same (only the strength of the response differs). Among other things, blood flow is redistributed from the digestive organs in favor of muscles. This is how our body prepares us to overcome danger – the “hit or run” defense response. And it takes a certain amount of time to readjust to the peaceful mode. Pushing food into yourself sooner is not the smartest thing to do. Of course, no one will tell you exactly to the minutes, how long it is better to wait. But in practice, taking a shower, walking/driving home or to a restaurant is a great tactic.

What and how often to eat between workouts?

The regularity of meals is equally important. I’ve heard stories of even setting an alarm clock at regular intervals at night to drink a protein shake. However, there is this fact: without food at all, only on water, a person can live for about two months. And will not die. Will seven or even nine hours of sleep negate all your efforts in the gym? Especially since some types of food, especially fats, can be digested by the body for a whole day. That is, it is enough to have a normal dinner and fearlessly fall asleep – your muscles will continue to recover in your sleep even without additional snacks in a semi-conscious state.

Many people are wary of carbohydrates in the evening. And in vain. The popular belief that in the morning pasta will go to the muscles, and in the evening straight into the fat, does not correspond to the truth. The total daily calorie and intake of proteins, fats and carbohydrates is important. If you eat less than you spend, you will lose weight. If you eat in surplus, your body will start building new muscle fibers (and fat cells at the same time. We will definitely talk about how to minimize this process in the next materials).

Again, listen to yourself. If you are uncomfortable falling asleep with a full stomach, limit yourself to a light protein dinner with vegetables in the evening. If there are no problems with falling asleep, you can eat whatever your heart desires. Even croissants with condensed milk.

And remember that adequate rest is no less, and maybe even more important in building muscles than a well-composed diet.

So why do we come up with different protocols? First of all, we like to play different games, that’s just the way it works. And following some complicated strict diet can be perceived as an adventure, a challenge. An element of gamification can help to overcome the not the most pleasant feeling of slight malnutrition. Secondly, each of us is different. Someone can not live without breakfast, lunch and dinner, even better with a couple of snacks in between. And let the portions be small (calories are limited), it is easier for them. Others, and I am among them, have no problem to skip breakfast and lunch, but closer to the evening, especially before going to bed, it is simply necessary for psychological comfort to eat a dense meal. Accordingly, it would be reasonable for the former to choose the scheme with a split diet, and for the latter – with interval fasting, when all meals are compressed by time in the interval of several hours.

If negative calorie intake is observed, both of them will lose weight with equal success. Equally they will gain weight. After all, no diet is not an indulgence “eat as much as you want and lose weight”. It is possible to successfully store pounds on keto, and even on the toughest “carbohydrate-free”.

Who to listen to in this case?

The answer is banal – yourself, your body. You consciously decide to lose weight. You realize that sometimes it will be uncomfortable and you will have to limit yourself. But it is in your power to choose a diet or, if you like, a diet, so that this discomfort was tolerated as easily as possible.

Is your goal to build muscle? The hike does not change. You determine your daily calorie intake and distribute it throughout the day so that it does not violate your usual routine. Agree, if you have an office job with many meetings, then arrange snack breaks at a strictly defined time – not the most convenient option. So don’t worry. Make yourself a full breakfast, lunch and dinner. The absence of snacks and afternoon snacks will not hinder muscle growth.