Eating before you sleep? Is it actually bad?

Eating before you sleep? Is it actually bad?

I've always thought that you shouldn't eat before you sleep as your body won't use the food and you'll just put the food on as fat.. However, I read an article in 'Mens Health' which said that it doesn't matter whether you eat before you sleep or not, what matters is the total calories you consume during the day. So what does OT say? I'm basically trying to gain some muscle really so sometimes before I sleep I eat a tuna sandwich which has around 30g of protein.. but will the carbo's that i consume put on the wrong sort of weight for me?

It doesn't matter. I eat a lot before going to bed, I still lose weight.

just eat. 24/7.

*gasp*Men's Health was actually right for once

It doesn't matter....To any parts of your body except the parts that get acid reflux.

just wondering because this is what I heard, but doesn't your metabolism slow down gradually throughout the day...and just a whole shitload more towards nighttime and when you're going to bed? ie...sleeping not saying it stops, but it won't digest the food nearly as efficiently?

I depends what you want to do as well. If your trying to lose weight you shouldn't eat 3 hours b4 you go to bed. I just got out of a Physiological Science class in school with a professor who is a Dr. of Physiological Science and it has been found that eating 3 hours before you go to bed will hurt your weight loss goals. Not trying to go against what you guys are saying, thats just what I was told. If you are bulking, however, eating right before you go to bed won't hurt.

One reason I've heard of a reason not to eat before bed is that it may blunt the body's natural secretion of HGH.

christophers your professor is a fucking moron and is 100% wrong. ask him the following: how does your body physiologically hindered by eating before bed? what is the physiological process in which the body forms adipose tissue in the absent of calories? metabolic slowdown towarsd the end of the day is 100% irrelevant when you acknowledge the simple fact that when the body notices it's in a deficit it will pull from fat. then ask: why was there a study done on female soccer players who ate right before bed and lost more fat than the group who didn't eat right before bed? there was more muscle tissue spared with a meal before bed as opposed to not, more lbm retained = more fat loss the problem with most professors is they are 100% not current on research. in fact they are very far behind. this is why most nutrition based classes are hilarity at it's best. This doesn't even contradict HGH release. The HGH released by not eating may be optimized but in the long run still insignificant especially when compared to the muscle preserved by eating.

christophers yeah and training high reps with low rest periods will increase GH, so why dont you do that? because the miniscule amount is irrelevant No arguement there. See my previous post. Again a matter of the disadvantages (in this case of highreps but supposed fat burning) compared to the advantages of lower reps and hypertrophy and maintenance of muscle mass.

What would happen though if we take two slightly overweight twins.. Their normal daily caloric requirement 2500 calories. One ate 2000 calories. 300 of those calories at 10pm. Another ate 2100 calories. Last meal at 8pm. Any difference in results? Short term or long term?

I always have a shake before bed with 2% milk to get some extra casien protein. Lately ive been drinking 2 scoops muscle milk with 12oz 2% milk, keeps me anabolic overnight ;-)

I only know I sleep better with something in my stomach.

timberwolf I only know I sleep better with something in my stomach. yeah same here. I feel more energized in the morning too

don't you still need energy while you sleep?

the way I look at it is... how many hours between meals.... and yes, that also includes the gap between the last meal before going to bed and the first meal when you get up in the morning... so suppose your last meal was 6pm and you go to bed at 10pm... there's already a 4 hour gap... then you sleep for say.... 8 hours.... and get up at 6am.... and eat right away.... that's a 12 hour gap!!!! Remember, ther's only 24 hours in a day... which leaves only (another) 12 hours to squeeze in 5 to 6 meals??? A 10 to 12 hour gap between meals... is too much.... even if it's sleep time....

Interesting responses..

WHAT do you all eat before bed? protein/fat combo?

t3nchi WHAT do you all eat before bed? protein/fat combo? Like a sandwich or something.. with tuna salad a little salad dressing... i used to sometimes eat fast food just before bed.. now i know that MUST be bad?

I usually have cookies and milk and doritos before bed

cottage cheese

t3nchi WHAT do you all eat before bed? protein/fat combo? mostly protein... personally, I like to keep my carbs earlier in the day... and taper off.... to minimal or none....

It matters with regards to developing acid reflex/esphagitis.

I take a scoop of ON whey + 1.5tbsp of flaxseed oil before bed along with 500mg calcium/mag and 1g vitamin C

for the last meal i avoid food that sticks to my teeth, like doritos.

Eating before you sleep? Is it actually bad?