Most people eat food before going to bed or after waking up. Find out how dangerous nighttime binge eating is in bodybuilding. According to statistics, about 1.5 million of the world's population eat while in a state of sleep, and do not realize what they are doing. In medicine, this is called nighttime eating disorder, and scientists cannot yet explain the mechanisms behind this phenomenon. Some of them suggest that this is possible after a certain emotional event or under the influence of prolonged stress. Others are convinced that this is due to a sharp drop in glucose levels.
This phenomenon exists, and now we will try to find out how dangerous nightly overeating in bodybuilding is. Scientists have been talking about the dangers of eating before bedtime for a long time. Previously, it was believed that this makes the body actively store fats. However, in the course of experiments, it was found that eating time does not affect body fat. Much more important is how many calories a person burns during the day.
But at the same time, it is known that the human body follows cycles and its chemistry changes significantly throughout the day. Almost all processes occurring in the body, including hormonal and metabolic ones, undergo changes. For this reason, it can be assumed that the timing of the meal should be an important factor. At night, the body decreases its activity and prepares itself for rest. What can happen after an evening meal?
Changes in the body with night meals
It has been established with certainty that night work inflicts great harm on the body. According to the results of numerous studies, we can say with complete confidence that people who are forced to work at night are much more susceptible to obesity and diseases of the heart and vascular system. It was also found that the body's response to food intake at different times is significantly different.
So, say, the stomach is faster free of food during the day, as it obeys circadian cycles. Hormonal and enzymatic reactions are also more efficient during the daytime. All of the above applies to the work of other organs and systems of the body. Glucose sensitivity is significantly lower in the evening, which poses a greater risk of obesity.
If a person consumes a large number of calories in the evening, then this shifts the balance of good and bad cholesterol towards the latter. This in turn increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. Scientists conducted a study in which people who worked the night shift took part. The subjects were divided into three groups, which used different nutrition programs. They had the same calorie content, but the ratio of fat to carbohydrate was different.
When using a high-carbohydrate nutrition program, about 60% of the calories the body received from carbohydrates and 20% from fats. The high-fat nutrition program, in turn, provided about 45% of the calories with fat and 40% with carbohydrates. The subjects ate food every 4 hours.
Thus, the scientists found that the hormonal background changed depending on the time of day. The level of the main catabolic hormone, cortisol, decreased at eight and four in the morning, as well as at twelve at night. The rest of the time, the activity of the hormone did not change. The hormone that displays the activity of the digestive tract - pancreatic polypeptide, showed maximum activity during the daytime, and after eight in the evening it sharply decreased. Subjects on a high-carb diet had lower glucagon levels. It should be recognized that this is characteristic of high-carbohydrate nutrition programs, since this substance stimulates the process of gluconeogenesis in the liver. This leads to an increase in the level of glucose in the body.
In addition, in the course of the study, it was found that the body has the ability to buffer the effects of meals of various sizes. Eating a large number of carbohydrates at night leads to an increase in triglyceride levels, reduces the body's energy expenditure, and increases irritability and drowsiness. When eating late, the feeling of hunger is practically not satisfied, which can lead to overeating.
Also, insulin resistance is very dangerous for the body with late food intake. The body begins to synthesize more insulin. Most athletes should be aware that this hormone is both the main anabolic and contributes to the deposition of fat reserves. Even a simple lack of sleep can lead to this.
In this regard, many athletes probably have a fair question: what can be used before going to bed, if necessary. In fact, the answer is also known to most athletes - protein. Keep in mind, however, that certain amino acid compounds can cause insomnia in some people. For this reason, it is advisable that the last meal was no later than four hours before bedtime.
How to avoid obesity when you binge at night?
Now it is worth giving some useful tips on how to avoid or minimize fat storage:
- Eat more protein and less carbohydrates, but do it in moderation. Athletes need to consume at least 100 grams of carbohydrates during the day.
- Take carbohydrates in the morning, and protein during the day and evening.
- In training sessions, a burning sensation in the muscles should be achieved, since lactic acid helps to accelerate the synthesis of growth hormone and, as a result, to fat burning.
- Get enough sleep. If you often do not get enough sleep, then it will be much more difficult to deal with excess fat.
- Use a fractional power plan. This will increase metabolism and reduce the amount of fat stored in the body.
You can also advise to eat more healthy fats, which are found in nuts and fish.
For more about nighttime binge eating and its effects on the body, see this video:
