Waking up to eat...

get1cuz
get1cuz Members Posts: 58
edited December 2011 in The Weight Room
I've heard stories of actors like hugh jackmen (when training for wolverine) and the guy who played captain america
setting the alarm so they can get up in the middle of the night eat a can of tuna/or drink protien powder

has anyone tried this??
has it made a significant difference??

Comments

  • truth spitter
    truth spitter Members Posts: 3,845 ✭✭✭
    edited December 2011
    Totally unnecessary. They are just obsessive and it's for their psyche.
  • Will Munny
    Will Munny Members Posts: 30,199 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited December 2011
    For some people to maintain extremely low levels of fat while also mainting a much larger than normal muscle I've heard of people doing this. I know when Brock Lesnar still wrestled in college he would wake up in the middle of the night, go for a job and eat a small rotisseray chicken and go back tos leep.
  • get1cuz
    get1cuz Members Posts: 58
    edited December 2011
    found this info
    Aminos at Midnight

    "Wake up in the middle of the night and drink a protein shake."

    Bet you've heard that one before, huh? The idea is that we catabolize or lose a little muscle during the night as our bodies run out of fuel. Consume some amino acid tablets in the middle of the night, or even a protein shake, and you'll keep this muscle and maybe even gain more.

    But does that work? And if it does work, does it work enough to even cause noticeable muscle gains? What would be the effect of a lifter ingesting a handful of aminos or sucking down a protein drink in the middle of the night over, say, a six-month period? We asked the experts.

    "I don't believe in that," said elite strength coach Charles Poliquin. "Sleep is for sleep. As soon as you're awake for more than three seconds you disturb melatonin production, and melatonin is part of the hormonal cascade that builds muscle. Plus, the digestive system is made to rest at night."

    So what about taking a handful of aminos before bed? Poliquin notes, "A lot of people find that too stimulating and they wake up in the middle of the night. Instead, the best thing before bed is something that will keep your blood sugar constant. Casein, the slow-release protein, is a good choice."

    That's one strike against middle-of-the-night meals. Next we went to Christopher Mohr, PhD, RD. "The pattern of sleep is more effective than disrupting your sleep cycle to pop some aminos," he said. "There's very solid data about quality sleep, hormone levels, and its effects on the body. Most dudes don't get enough solid sleep anyhow; getting eight well-rested hours of sleep will do a lot more for recovery and rejuvenation than disrupting it to swallow some aminos. "

    Okay, so what about pre-bedtime nutrition? "If you're tremendously concerned," said Dr. Mohr, "eat some cottage cheese as a bedtime snack with some raw nuts ? two slow digesting food options."

    Mike Roussell, nutritionist and doctoral candidate in Nutritional Sciences, adds this: "I think that the effect here is smaller than most people would like to admit. From a muscle-building standpoint, you'll find more benefit from getting uninterrupted sleep than from the amino acid boost you'd get from a middle-of-the-night shake. People don't get enough sleep as it is, so don't forcibly interrupt the little that you are getting for some protein."

    Okay, so setting an alarm for a 3AM protein or amino acid tablet feeding isn't a good idea, but what if you wake up to ? in the middle of the night anyway? Can you go ahead and get some "bonus nutrition" then to stave off any potential catabolism?

    Roussell says, "Although the effect is probably very small, I'm all about doing a lot of little things which then add up to a bigger effect. So if you're already getting up in the middle of the night, then it wouldn't hurt to pop a handful of BCAA tablets or a protein shake laced with added Leucine."

    Finally, we asked Dr. Lonnie Lowery, who warned us that this is all pretty speculative given the lack of data in healthy weight trainers. But he did note that glucose tolerance stinks at night while sleeping, so BCAA or a small 10-20 gram protein drink in the wee hours does seem advantageous.

    "They provide muscle-sparing aminos that don't add up to too many calories or spike blood sugar at a time when muscles are resistant," he said. Like Poliquin, Dr. Lowery also gave a nod to the idea that "gut rest" might be necessary on some level.

    Conclusion: Based on these responses, what's the final answer? Well, we always encourage self-experimentation since everyone is different, but here's some general advice:

    1. Don't purposefully wake up in the middle of the night just to consume a protein shake or BCAA tablets. The benefits of uninterrupted sleep outweigh the benefits of middle-of-the-night feedings.

    2. If you're waking up anyway to ? or let the dog out, a small protein shake (one-half to one-scoop of Metabolic Drive? Low-Carb) or a serving of amino acids (3 tablets of BIOTEST? BCAA) can't hurt. Just leave a glass of water and the tablets sitting on your nightstand or on your bathroom countertop.

    If going for the protein shake option, just place the powder in an empty glass with a spoon. Add water and slug it down. Another option would be to blend the small protein shake with ice, then leave it on a bedside table. In the middle of the night, give it a quick shake or stir and slam it down. But do not do this if it disturbs your sleep!

    3. A better method than middle-of-the-night feedings is to be smart about your pre-bed meal. Consuming a casein-containing meal such as cottage cheese or Metabolic Drive low-carb will prevent any negative nighttime catabolism if paired with a good breakfast upon waking that also contains adequate protein. (The real risk of muscle loss comes from skipping breakfast, not from skipping 3AM feedings.)

    So, have a two-scoop Metabolic Drive shake about 30-60 minutes before you plan on being asleep. Blend this with very little water so you won't have to urinate too often in the night. Making a thick pudding out of it (lots of ice, very little water) is a good plan.

    For those dieting and strictly controlling every single calorie, swallow three Biotest BCAA tablets right before you climb into the sack. Immediately upon waking take three more. Although Poliquin says that aminos before bed may cause sleep disturbances, we find that most people have no problems with this moderate dosage.

    Now, will all this actually lead to more muscle? Well, it certainly can't hurt provided that sleep isn't disturbed. But in reality, you probably aren't withering away in the middle of the night anyway.

    As long as you "break the fast" of sleep with a good, high-protein breakfast, then there's probably no need to panic about nighttime catabolism. If you really want to get ? about nutrient timing, then focus your efforts around workout nutrition and the 3rd Law of Muscle. That's where your diligence and consistency will make the greatest impact.
  • Madbeats
    Madbeats Members Posts: 544
    edited December 2011
    Your body needs a full night sleep more than a snack interrupting it.
  • animalistik
    animalistik Members Posts: 25
    This is 100% a myth for people in the nutrition field.....weight loss/weight gain comes down to cals in/cals out...simple as that....don't try and make it any harder
  • waterproof
    waterproof Members Posts: 9,412 ✭✭✭✭✭
    i WOULDN'T call this a myth, when you sleep your body is in a Catabolic and for a person who wants to build muslce and keep muscle that's the worst thing for you to be in. When your body sleep your body have to fuel itself to keep all the ? fuctions alive and the body goes to the muscle not the fat. it goes to the place where all the nutrient are at that the body needs and feed of the muscle.

    when your body is in the catabolic state it thinks it's straving so it hold onto the fat and go for the muscle. So yes bodybuilders who try to keep all their gains wake up in the middle of the night to throw down a protein shake and that's why we have Casien whey so it can slowy release protein into your system up to 8 hours a night.

    and that's why when you wake up from your fast you suppose to throw down a shake
  • animalistik
    animalistik Members Posts: 25
    waterproof wrote: »
    i WOULDN'T call this a myth, when you sleep your body is in a Catabolic and for a person who wants to build muslce and keep muscle that's the worst thing for you to be in. When your body sleep your body have to fuel itself to keep all the ? fuctions alive and the body goes to the muscle not the fat. it goes to the place where all the nutrient are at that the body needs and feed of the muscle.

    when your body is in the catabolic state it thinks it's straving so it hold onto the fat and go for the muscle. So yes bodybuilders who try to keep all their gains wake up in the middle of the night to throw down a protein shake and that's why we have Casien whey so it can slowy release protein into your system up to 8 hours a night.

    and that's why when you wake up from your fast you suppose to throw down a shake

    Homie, U ask anyone that has a degree in nutritional science and they will tell you that is strictly myth and no studies have been done to validate that claim....the truth is that it takes more than 2-3 hours for your body to be in a catabolic state....the 2-3 hour thing is promoted by suppliment companies just wanting you to waste your money sum more.

  • waterproof
    waterproof Members Posts: 9,412 ✭✭✭✭✭
    waterproof wrote: »
    i WOULDN'T call this a myth, when you sleep your body is in a Catabolic and for a person who wants to build muslce and keep muscle that's the worst thing for you to be in. When your body sleep your body have to fuel itself to keep all the ? fuctions alive and the body goes to the muscle not the fat. it goes to the place where all the nutrient are at that the body needs and feed of the muscle.

    when your body is in the catabolic state it thinks it's straving so it hold onto the fat and go for the muscle. So yes bodybuilders who try to keep all their gains wake up in the middle of the night to throw down a protein shake and that's why we have Casien whey so it can slowy release protein into your system up to 8 hours a night.

    and that's why when you wake up from your fast you suppose to throw down a shake

    Homie, U ask anyone that has a degree in nutritional science and they will tell you that is strictly myth and no studies have been done to validate that claim....the truth is that it takes more than 2-3 hours for your body to be in a catabolic state....the 2-3 hour thing is promoted by suppliment companies just wanting you to waste your money sum more.

    Homie look i know that it takes on the average 2-3 hours for you body to be in a catabolic state, i deal with the science, physiology of the body....LET ME BE MORE CORRECT WITH MY TERMS since you want to be all specific Muscle breakdown is the term i should of used.

    when you are lack of food for hours there will be muscle breaking down, THE BODYBUILDER ALWAYS STRIVE TO STAY IN AN ANABOLIC and how to stay in the anabolic by eating every 2-3 hours.

    i don't ? with supplement companies you think about, i deal with science.

  • animalistik
    animalistik Members Posts: 25
    waterproof wrote: »
    waterproof wrote: »
    i WOULDN'T call this a myth, when you sleep your body is in a Catabolic and for a person who wants to build muslce and keep muscle that's the worst thing for you to be in. When your body sleep your body have to fuel itself to keep all the ? fuctions alive and the body goes to the muscle not the fat. it goes to the place where all the nutrient are at that the body needs and feed of the muscle.

    when your body is in the catabolic state it thinks it's straving so it hold onto the fat and go for the muscle. So yes bodybuilders who try to keep all their gains wake up in the middle of the night to throw down a protein shake and that's why we have Casien whey so it can slowy release protein into your system up to 8 hours a night.

    and that's why when you wake up from your fast you suppose to throw down a shake

    Homie, U ask anyone that has a degree in nutritional science and they will tell you that is strictly myth and no studies have been done to validate that claim....the truth is that it takes more than 2-3 hours for your body to be in a catabolic state....the 2-3 hour thing is promoted by suppliment companies just wanting you to waste your money sum more.

    Homie look i know that it takes on the average 2-3 hours for you body to be in a catabolic state, i deal with the science, physiology of the body....LET ME BE MORE CORRECT WITH MY TERMS since you want to be all specific Muscle breakdown is the term i should of used.

    when you are lack of food for hours there will be muscle breaking down, THE BODYBUILDER ALWAYS STRIVE TO STAY IN AN ANABOLIC and how to stay in the anabolic by eating every 2-3 hours.

    i don't ? with supplement companies you think about, i deal with science.

    everything u just said hasn't been proven......Please post a source to those claims .....Josh Hyaduck who is one of the top natural bodybuilders in the world diets using "IIFYM" (If It Fits Your Macros) off-season and when he is dieting for a show...There are many other bodybuilders who do the same thing........They don't count the meal or do that 2-3 hour ? .....and they certainly dont eat or wake up in the middle of the night to eat because they are afraid of going catabolic........
  • waterproof
    waterproof Members Posts: 9,412 ✭✭✭✭✭
    waterproof wrote: »
    waterproof wrote: »
    i WOULDN'T call this a myth, when you sleep your body is in a Catabolic and for a person who wants to build muslce and keep muscle that's the worst thing for you to be in. When your body sleep your body have to fuel itself to keep all the ? fuctions alive and the body goes to the muscle not the fat. it goes to the place where all the nutrient are at that the body needs and feed of the muscle.

    when your body is in the catabolic state it thinks it's straving so it hold onto the fat and go for the muscle. So yes bodybuilders who try to keep all their gains wake up in the middle of the night to throw down a protein shake and that's why we have Casien whey so it can slowy release protein into your system up to 8 hours a night.

    and that's why when you wake up from your fast you suppose to throw down a shake

    Homie, U ask anyone that has a degree in nutritional science and they will tell you that is strictly myth and no studies have been done to validate that claim....the truth is that it takes more than 2-3 hours for your body to be in a catabolic state....the 2-3 hour thing is promoted by suppliment companies just wanting you to waste your money sum more.

    Homie look i know that it takes on the average 2-3 hours for you body to be in a catabolic state, i deal with the science, physiology of the body....LET ME BE MORE CORRECT WITH MY TERMS since you want to be all specific Muscle breakdown is the term i should of used.

    when you are lack of food for hours there will be muscle breaking down, THE BODYBUILDER ALWAYS STRIVE TO STAY IN AN ANABOLIC and how to stay in the anabolic by eating every 2-3 hours.

    i don't ? with supplement companies you think about, i deal with science.

    everything u just said hasn't been proven......Please post a source to those claims .....Josh Hyaduck who is one of the top natural bodybuilders in the world diets using "IIFYM" (If It Fits Your Macros) off-season and when he is dieting for a show...There are many other bodybuilders who do the same thing........They don't count the meal or do that 2-3 hour ? .....and they certainly dont eat or wake up in the middle of the night to eat because they are afraid of going catabolic........

    didn't i just said the correct terms i should of use is muscle breakdown not catabolic. when there is no food in the GI tract the body start breaking down muscle it's simple ass that
  • JJ 1975
    JJ 1975 Members Posts: 336
    Doesn't seem like it makes sense. Your body will continue burning your dinner and stuff while you sleep, and you obviously are laying still so you aren't burning too much. Sleep then eat breakfast.
  • ill_lojikal_kon
    ill_lojikal_kon Members Posts: 179 ✭✭✭
    Protein is usually the last thing that is tapped into as an energy source. Usually your body will utilize the fat in your body while you rest ie fat will be the first means of energy to use while you are asleep.

    And sleep is more important as you build and repair muscle while you are dreaming away. So why the hell you would want to interupt that process makes no damn sense. Get ALL your calories in before you sleep.
  • its....JOHN B
    its....JOHN B Members Posts: 19,830 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2012
    protein shakes make me ? as much as alcohol does I couldnt do this if I wanted to
  • LUClEN
    LUClEN Members Posts: 20,559 ✭✭✭✭✭
    get1cuz wrote: »
    I've heard stories of actors like hugh jackmen (when training for wolverine) and the guy who played captain america
    setting the alarm so they can get up in the middle of the night eat a can of tuna/or drink protien powder

    has anyone tried this??
    has it made a significant difference??

    Cut down on the fish. that mercury will merk you b