We've all heard of the anabolic window. Some deem it the holy grail of muscle growth; others see it as nothing more than a layer of complexity that doesn't do much.
In truth, nutrient timing has been the subject of much debate over the years, and you've probably heard many different opinions about it. But how important is nutrient timing in the grand scheme of things? Let's find out.
But First, What Is Nutrient Timing?
In simple terms, nutrient timing refers to the consumption of certain nutrients and amounts at specific times of the day. For example, having 30 grams of protein before or after working out.
Over the years, we've seen many papers on nutrient timing, and dozens of experts have led debates regarding the importance of paying attention to what you eat and when. The question is, does nutrient timing matter? Let's see.
Does Nutrient Timing Matter?
We saw plenty of studies related to nutrient timing in the last century. Naturally, people jumped on the bandwagon, and nutrient timing became the greatest thing since sliced bread. Missing a meal after training was seen as the equivalent of fasting for six days straight.
Around the same time, we also saw the anabolic window skyrocket in popularity. In case you're unfamiliar, the anabolic window is the period after training when the body is considered primed for nutrient uptake. At least, this is what prevailing wisdom suggested.
However, as the body of literature evolved in the early 2000s, researchers found that previous studies often lacked quality. Specifically, they were often short-term and had very few subjects, meaning there was not enough data to draw firm conclusions from. They also looked at certain aspects of the big picture while overlooking others. For example, they would look at nitrogen balance and protein synthesis but would completely ignore muscle growth rates.
With that said, recent research suggests that nutrient timing does matter to some degree. However, researchers now believe that timing our nutrients is not as important as previously thought, and that overall caloric intake and diet composition matter much more.
So, the question is not so much whether nutrient timing matters, but how much does it matter? We are yet to fully understand that.
How to Leverage Nutrient Timing as Part of Your Routine
According to Brad Schoenfeld and Alan Aragon, two foremost experts in hypertrophy and sports nutrition, nutrient timing mostly matters around our workouts. Specifically, they recommend utilising nutrient timing to support training performance and the recovery process as part of a structured nutrition plan.
To achieve this, they suggest consuming a meal with carbohydrates and protein in the hours leading up to a workout, ideally around two hours before training. Then, once the workout is complete, consuming another meal with carbohydrates and protein as part of your post-training nutrition routine.
They also note that if the pre-workout meal is large enough and occurs within two to three hours of training, the post-training meal does not need to happen immediately. Having adequate glucose and amino acids available from the pre-workout meal may be sufficient to support your training and recovery nutrition in the short term.
