DIET DOCTOR #4
What to eat before bed
May 18, 2009
MUSLEANDFITNESSHERS.COM
Q: Is it bad to eat a protein bar before bed?
A: Not necessarily...as long as it's low carb. However, it's close to impossible to find very low-carb bars these days, especially ones that are palatable. Insulin sensitivity tends to fall later in the day, which means there's an increased risk of storing those carbs as fat, especially the higher the carbs and calorie content of the bar. So you're actually better off going with a bar that is higher in fat, but very low in carbs. The fat will help to slow down the digestion of the protein, which is important at night because you essentially fast for the number of hours you sleep each night. This causes the body to turn to muscle protein, which gets broken down and converted to glucose for fuel. Having a steady supply of protein in your digestive track means that your body can use that protein for a fuel source and leave your muscle protein alone. Look for bars that supply at least 20 grams of protein, preferably ones that list casein protein or milk protein on the ingredient list, as these are slower digesting proteins. Carb content should be close to 10 grams of carbs or less (you can subtract the grams of fiber from the total carbs to calculate this). Of course, the better option before bed would be a casein protein shake, preferably one that includes micellar casein on the ingredient list. Micellar casein is the slowest-digesting protein you can get your hands on. This means it will protect your muscle through the night. Plus most casein protein powders have virtually no carbs. If you think that drinking a shake is not going to satisfy your cravings at night, some companies offer protein pudding that is mostly casein protein and still very little carbs.
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