I've read different ideas on this subject.

Is it good to eat food late at night?

Some say your metabolism is the slowest at night and so no eating before bed.
Some say your body is going through a rebuilding process overnight, so eat protein before going to sleep.
Some say that your body will store all late night food as fat.
Some say your body is going through an 8 hour fast and that isn't good for you.
Some say it depends on how much you exercise
Some say just drink water to fill your stomach if you are hungry late at night.


And last but not least...some say that Batman Begins was the best of the Batman movies (but that has nothing to do with this topic).


Your thoughts?
Opinions?

Batman begins was a great Batman movie ,more dark and violent....less cartoonish.

I think its not so great to eat large meals late at night...as your body generally has less energy demands and therefore really doesnt need a large energy supply in the form of all the KJ that are being put in through the food intake.

If your body is not going to need the energy for work of some description then it will store this energy for a time that it is required, in the form of triacylglycerides in adipose tissue.

When you sleep your metabolic rate is at one of the lowest it can be...this is called your resting metabolic rate.

Generally most people don't do a lot in the late evening so really there is no point in eating a lot.

It is possible to snack if you are feeling really hungry on foods that are not energy dense but that are nutrient dense like vegetables or fruits...that way you can feel fuller without the energy intake and at the same time top up on nutrients for the body.

Nothing wrong with the water suggestion except you dont want to be drinking to much water late at night and end up waking up in the middle of the night busting to go to the toilet. I hate getting disrupted sleep.

Thats also another good reason to not eat to much late at night and thats if you are trying to sleep.....but your body is busily trying to digest whatever you ate ,which can make sleep more restless for a lot of people.

Most people get enough protein in their diet for the essential and conditionally essential amino acids levels to be fine. Don't forget the body can synthesise the others. Unless your protein intake is inadequate and your doing some intense workouts in the evening....I cant see how the protein intake will be of any benefit.

Ive read somewhere that when a person is sitting watching television that the metabolic rate is even lower than when sleeping....I mean its all a different story if you work out in the evening or work night shifts etc and everyone is different.

Sometimes its hard to avoid like when youve been working or gone straight to the gym after work etc so that when you get home its very late and you havent eaten for a while....the best thing to do is plan for these types of occasions by having some good foods to snack on. When you do get home eat good food and another thing that can help is to eat more slowly. It takes time for the food to pass from the stomach to the duodenum (start of the small intestine) this is where the main receptors are that tell your brain youve eaten enough. I think its generally about 20 minutes.

So eat more slowly and enjoy what youre eating. that way you wont over eat. You know that feeling when you eat alot pretty fast and then stop when you feel full then shortly after your stomach hurts because your so full. yep

Not enough time to let the food move through the digestive tract.

Also try not to be on the go when eating, aside from the above reasons..when your driving and eating or walking around the house and eating...your digestive functions will be impaired due to competition for blood supply and sympathetic nervous system competing against the hormones of the parasympathetic nervous system which deals with digestion.





I really liked the first 3 batmen though.....how good was jack nicholson as the joker ,man what a perfect role for him ;)

I agree with Hamish. I try not to eat anything too late. That way, it gives my body time to digest the food and break it down otherwise it'll just sit in your stomach while you sleep. It's almost like eating before you fight or train, your body just won't have time to break it down before you start feeling sluggish and sick.

What about exercising late at night? Any reason why not?

Batman begins and Batman are pretty level-pegging..Michael Keaton for comedy, Christian Bale for the action factor. Oh and Qui-Gon was quite good too;)

I've been told to take protein before sleep because it helps with the 'repair' stage of the muscle.

Brian, I have included 4 Habits that my clients must stick too for body composition and or performance in the ring! Their are 5 other habits however these are the big one's to get down first!

Hope this helps brother,

Is it good to eat food late at night?

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Habit 1: Feeding Opportunities- Eat every 2-3hrs
Rather than thinking of eating a meal or snack every 2-3hrs think of it as a “feeding opportunity” therefore it will help you shift towards the fact you have an opportunity to make your body better or worse! Therefore create a feeding opportunity every 2-3hrs.

Why; Research indicates that applying this habit will dramatically impact on your body composition/health/performance because you are increasing your metabolism or your ability to burn calories!

How; From the time you wake add 2.5hrs on top of that e.g. Wake at 7am, feeding opportunity at 7:30am + 2.5hrs = 10am, 12:30, 3pm, 5:30pm, 8pm, 10pm. Repeat the next day…

**************
Habit 2: Eat complete lean Protein with every feeding opportunity.
Every feeding opportunity you want to eat a form of lean protein!

Why; Protein is the most thermic food you can ingest, therefore you increase your metabolic rate, muscle mass, recovery and reduce bodyfat!

How much? General rule of thump, the palm of your hand will hold about 30grams of protein which is ideal for woman, men are generally 40-60grams i.e. 2 servings of your palm!

**************
Habit 3: Eat vegetables with every feeding opportunity!
As it has been demanded from us as a child, EAT your veggies! This time you have a choice or a feeding opportunity to do something good for your body or something bad for your body?! This also means with breakfast!

Why; Vegetables have vitamins, minerals & other plant chemicals that are important for brain & body functions. E.g. Veggies provide an alkaline to the body which helps balance out the acid production from ingesting protein & grains therefore you minimizing bone strength & muscles mass from producing too much acid in the body!

How much? Eat ½ a cup of veggies you enjoy with every feeding opportunity, yes that means every 2-3hrs!

***************
Habit 4: Eat veggies & fruit with any meal & ‘starchy carbs’ after exercise!
Other words consume sugar drinks, pasta, rice, pasta, breads etc… after you have completed or during a training session!

Why; Your body is best conditioned to tolerate these forms of food during and up to 1-3hrs after exercise!
Outside of this these forms of carbs can create insulin spikes & if not used will get stored as fat!
Therefore if you would like to consume these sorts of carbs make sure you exercise first!  Please note this does not mean you don’t ever have carbs, we are just making conscious choices about when & how you have them!

Spida Hunter
www.EHPFitness.com

I think everyone is a little different but in general not too close to bed is good. For many a snack (relatively higher in protein and fat than your daily ratios - for most) is ok but not too close...

the best advice i can give someone is to research how the body truly functions and then make your choices from there.

eating at night won't hurt you imo,especially if it's like mark said high in protein and fat.

this makes sense because we know protein and fat digestion takes up to six hours.no better time to eat something like that then when you are not doing anything else.also,you get tired after a large meal,so what better way to send you off to lala land.

If you eat just carbs, or too high carbs (relative ratios different for everyone) then they are likely to process fast and then you get a blood sugar drop with all the related hormonal results... essentially cortisol (stress/day/get up and go hormone)gets released and even if you don't wake up sleep quality will be effected. If you wake around 3am (think thats about the time for most) its likely blood sugar levels playing a role... (forgetting my times here...)

Interestingly if you don't normally wake at about 2am and you do one night or for a few, there is a very good chance some big mental/emotional stuff is going on in your life... (partly dependent on how decent your sleep patterns are..) We get physical repair from about 10-2 and psychic repair (mental/emotional etc) from about 2-6...

Going to bed at 12 (assuming body even prepared for sleep) you miss out on 2 hours of physical repair...

How is this related to food?? Eat foods that, like sugar, caffeine, alcohol etc and your stress hormones will be up...even if you sleep your quality will be affected.

The right fuel mix (protein/fat and carbs) is different for everyone.. some need jet fuel and some needs diesel... it burns right in your body when the mix is right for your body...

Most people will do better on relatively higher fat/protein at night than relatively higher carbs (relative to what works for them as different times of day are different - like womens monthly cycles - different needs at different times). Some will do better on slightly higher carbs relatively though as a general rule I would say like Kirk and eat more protein and fat...

But like Kirk says.. its finding the right balance for you.

Before bed try eating higher protein and fat for a couple weeks... some earlier and some later and keep track. Then try eating higher carbs for a couple weeks and see what you notice (bet you won't stick with the carbs for a couple weeks)

Most people will do best on the biggest meal for breakfast and a smaller one for dinner. Lunch in the middle... (if eating three meals)

If you eat multiple small meals a day (best for most) then you are already eating a smaller amount at dinner/bed