5 myths about mealtime

Doing online research for a healthy diet can be daunting! The issue of meal times is a classic example of these topics about which one can read both things and their opposites. Finding information about what to eat, when, and how much can be a confusing experience.

• “Should I eat breakfast or will my metabolism slow down if I skip it?”
• “Is it true that eating 6 meals a day is better for your metabolism than eating 2 or 3 meals a day?”
• “Are carbohydrates eaten in the evening (after 6 p.m.) more likely to be stored as fat?”

The questions about meal distribution seem endless. Here we will evaluate all these points and in the process dispel some myths regarding meal times.

Carbohydrates eaten in the evening (after 6 p.m.) are more likely to be stored as fat

This misconception seems to stem from the idea that carbohydrates increase the body's production of insulin, a highly anabolic storage hormone. Since most people are not very active in the evening, they fear that the insulin secretion associated with carbohydrates will cause them to be stored as fat. In fact, it's not the time of day that determines whether carbohydrates (or any other nutrients) will be stored as fat or used as an energy source. It's much more complicated than that. The liver and part of the muscle make up the sugar in the body. Reserves in the form of glycogen. If sugar intake does not exceed the body's needs, it will be used to replenish the body's glycogen stores. And it's not because you're not pushing iron, your body suddenly no longer needs carbohydrates and stores them as fat. In fact, if an hour-long weight training session burns 200 calories, the body at rest without the slightest activity burns between 1,300 to 1,800 calories distributed over 24 hours, day and night. These calories consumed by basic metabolism are used, for example, to maintain the body temperature at 37°C, to allow the organs (heart, lungs, brain, etc.) to perform their functions. Therefore, large amounts of energy are constantly needed, even during the night. So don't worry about this meal timing myth. What's more, many people (especially those who exercise in the evening) benefit from eating a moderate portion of carbohydrates later in the day, because carbohydrates contribute to muscle recovery after exercise. In addition, carbohydrates increase the production of serotonin in the brain, which is a neurotransmitter responsible for a feeling of relaxation and calm. So, eating carbohydrates in the evening can help you relax and sleep better. A little clarification, it is not recommended to eat right before bed, because the process of digesting food can interfere with sleep. However, if you eat at 10pm and go to sleep at midnight, there is no problem. Ideally, lay down for 2 to 3 days after the meal on your couch after the gastrointestinal tract, phase où the aliments past the estomac in the testin grêle.En résumé, the consommation of glucides after 18 hours of posing no problem. It is the total amount of carbohydrates you eat daily that determines whether your weight will decrease, increase, or stay the same.

Small, regular meals speed up the metabolism

One of the most common topics of discussion in the sports world is how often we should eat. Surprisingly, there's not much to discuss based on research findings, with the vast majority of studies showing that meal frequency has no significant effect on metabolism (or fat loss). But why has this myth become so popular when scientific data suggests that is not the case? In short, some people believe that if you eat frequently, you naturally increase the amount of energy/calories you burn daily due to excess calories. Thermic effect of food (TEF). The thermic effect of food is the amount of calories we burn each time we consume food (we burn calories when we digest food). Many people believe that the calories we expend to digest food increase when we eat smaller, more frequent meals. However, studies have shown (1) that when energy expenditure is equal between two types of diets, the net thermic effect of food at the end of the day is the same for both, regardless of meal frequency. In detail, if the net nutritional thermic effect of six 150-gram chicken breasts is 300 calories, then eating just one breast at a time gives a nutritional thermic effect of 50 calories per serving. If you eat three at once, it will be 150 calories per serving. No matter how you slice the chicken breast, the net thermic effect of the food at the end of the day will still be 300 calories.

Skipping breakfast can lead to weight gain

Skipping breakfast (the first meal of the day) is similar to practicing short-term intermittent fasting. According to several studies (2), intermittent fasting (16 hours to 24 hours) has various physiological benefits, such as better utilization of fat as an energy source and increased growth hormone production. The interesting thing about intermittent fasting is that it contradicts popular belief. , research (3) shows that it is actually beneficial for long-term health and longevity. But what about muscle loss? You may have heard at the gym that skipping breakfast can send your body into “catabolic mode”… which is not catabolic mode a good thing, it is true that the body needs amino acids (which we get by simply breaking down the proteins provided by the diet) to repair muscles Preserve and build. So we may think that if we skip breakfast, or if we don't eat protein at breakfast, the body will not get the amino acids needed to regenerate muscles. With this in mind, many people fear that their muscles will melt like snow in the sun. However, you should know that if you have consumed enough proteins the day before, you still have enough amino acids circulating in your body. Furthermore, carbohydrates and fats are the body's preferred energy sources before it seeks to convert proteins into energy. In short, skipping breakfast is good for fat loss and not bad for muscle growth, and may also be beneficial for: better insulin sensitivity (muscles have more glycogen and look fuller and plumper), and increased growth hormone levels (increased muscle mass and decreased fat). Mass).

You should drink a protein shake immediately after exercise

Most people who go to the gym, especially bodybuilders and other weightlifters, assume that the moment they finish their last workout, their body goes into “catabolic mode.” To combat this phenomenon, tradition requires drinking a protein drink after exercise, but guess what? Research (4) shows that there is no significant difference in body composition between people who drink a protein shake immediately after training and those who wait 2 to 3 hours after training to eat. Physiologically, this is because your muscles are ready to absorb protein at any time (not a few minutes after training). So you don't have to worry about missing the “building window” that so many health and fitness experts talk about. This myth has been spreading for decades, to allow supplement manufacturers to sell more proteins: whey, hydrolyzed protein, BCAA, etc.

Eating late at night causes weight gain

Regarding the myth of eating carbs after 6 p.m., eating late at night does not inherently mean that the food you eat will go directly to your hips, and although the body has a biorhythm that regulates the secretion of hormones, this does not mean that the body goes directly. To “fat storage” mode in the evening. The body doesn't have an off switch when it comes to managing nutrients, look no further than Spain. It is not uncommon for the largest meal of the day to be eaten after 9pm until 11pm. Are they overweight compared to France where we tend to eat between 6pm and 8pm? No, a meta-analysis (5) reveals that people who prefer to consume most of their calories at dinner have a similar body composition to people who eat the same meal earlier in the day. As mentioned above, this does not mean that eating a heavy meal before going to bed has no consequences (for the quality of your sleep), but there is no reason to believe that eating later in the evening will lead to weight gain.