Find out if you should be loaded with carbs before bed and if you need to force your stomach late at all to gain maximum muscle mass. There is a very popular myth among people that the digestive system does not work as efficiently in the evening and late meals should be excluded. However, this opinion is completely refuted by the results of numerous experiments conducted by scientists. Today we will talk about the physiology of late meals in sports.
Are late meals acceptable?
Quite a lot of research has been carried out on this topic, and we will focus only on the most interesting ones. For example, in the course of two experiments it was proved that changes in the body during sleep (swallowing, salivation and the number of primary contractions of the esophagus) are not pathological. For this reason, we can say with complete confidence that the digestive system is capable of working at night as efficiently as it does during the day.
For example, the rate of emptying of the stomach primarily depends on the circadian biorhythms of a particular person, and not on the time of eating. The time of day does not have any significant effect on this indicator. Moreover, several studies have found that solid food enters the stomach even faster at night than during the day.
The situation is similar with the secretion of gastric juice. This indicator also largely depends on the individual characteristics of a person, including circadian rhythms. The maximum rate of production of gastric juice is observed between ten (22.00) and two in the morning. At the same time, it does not matter in principle whether a person is awake at this moment or has surrendered to the spell of dreams. Also, scientists have found that the indicators of intestinal motility are higher at night in comparison with daytime.
Scientists also failed to establish a connection between food intake, sleep and the synthesis of the main hormones that regulate the activity of the digestive system. In other words, this process is not associated with sleep and its phases, but depends only on food intake and processing. In addition, one should remember about such a concept as the body's ability to adapt to repetitive conditions. Simply put, if a person is accustomed to nighttime meals, then the body is able to adapt to this and activate all the necessary processes for the successful processing of food.
Metabolic rate at night
If we analyze all the studies on this topic, then we can confidently talk about the complete correspondence of the rate of metabolic processes at night and in the evening. There are some differences in metabolic rate in different sleep phases. So, say, during the REM sleep phase, metabolism is significantly higher than during the day, but in other phases it is lower.
As a result, we can say that during sleep, the rate of metabolic processes in the body practically changes, and the hormonal system efficiently performs its work and activates all the necessary digestion processes without delay. No one will argue that with a sedentary lifestyle, a large amount of, say, flour products can only lead to a set of fat mass. But at the same time, it does not matter at all when you eat your goodies - at night or during the day. The result will not change at all.
How to eat at night so as not to harm your health and gain muscle mass:
