A fellow Fitpreneur friend of ours, Andrew at Seymour Health & Fitness, asked us to feature on his newsletter. We met Andrew while we were all working for Life Time Fitness, he is very passionate about his profession and knowledgeable in this field so it was a pleasure to work with him on this. We took the opportunity to give our take on this popular topic in the fitness industry. Does nutrient timing really matter for muscle growth? Keep reading to see my opinion!

ANDREW: There are so many takes on good versus poor nutrition. It seems there is a new fad diet every year. Celebrities are promoting quick fixes. How does the general public know what to believe and what not to believe?

US: It can be hard to know whose information to trust or what style diet to follow because there is so much information out there. Of course, majority of the time a celebrity is sponsored by said company, they are getting commission for promoting that magic pill or diet program. So take it with a grain of salt and do your research on whether that program suits your goals or not.

You’re exactly right, there are SO many views on nutrition + diets in general. The thing is, is all diets work, if you follow them. Although, not every diet will work with your lifestyle or the foods you enjoy eating. It all depends on your individual goals. Don’t start a diet just because everyone else is doing it, this is where an expert comes in handy. There are a lot of social media influencers out there and it’s becoming more and more common to rave about a specific eating style, which increases the likelihood of people wanting to try it out, but the lack of scientific information out there on the details of WHY and WHO can benefit from these styles of eating is the issue. Do your own research, or hire an expert to help you decide what the best eating style for your body, your goals, and your lifestyle.

To help you understand if the information is logical + scientific, I suggest looking at who is providing the information. I always ensure when I’m reading something it is from someone who has credentials in the field of study. Credentials aren’t everything, but the more education + experience someone has in the field it’s more likely they are a reliable source.

ANDREW: Give me your thoughts on the original food pyramid. Is this still something that people should revolve their nutritional choices around?

US: The USDA now updates the nutritional guidelines every 5 years. New research is done on food + nutrition every single day and we are forever learning about the best practices, thus the recommended dietary guidelines should be adjusted as frequently as possible to ensure we are staying up to date with the newest findings. For reference, below are a few graphics of how the food pyramid has adapted through the last few decades.

1992 Food Pyramid

2005 Food Pyramid

2015-2020 Food Guidelines *current*

Currently, the USDA follows the MyPlate guidelines (last image). They adjusted the way the pyramid is displayed so it now reflects a typical meal, making it easier to understand what foods should be incorporated into your meals. I think these graphics are great for the general public to see and understand, but if you’re an athlete or someone looking for a specific body composition or desired outcome then you might need to make some adjustments. Unfortunately, there is no portion dedicated to healthy fats on the new MyPlate guidelines. The research coming out about the benefits of incorporating dietary fats into your diet are significant and should be incorporated.  

Everyone’s goals are going to vary, so their nutrition will likely be adjusted accordingly. When someone is trying to lose weight, they’ll likely be in a caloric deficit meaning they are eating under their Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) - the amount of calories needed to maintain your current weight, which will likely aid in weight loss. Eating in abundance to your BMR will either make you gain weight, or balance out your calorie expenditure based on your workouts.

If you’re looking to up your performance, build muscle, drop body fat, or gain/lose weight in a healthy manner, the dietary guidelines probably won’t suit your needs. You will need to be more specific on your calorie breakdown and portion sizes. The dietary guidelines are just that, a guide, not a tailored specific program catered to your goals.

ANDREW: Whatever your fitness goals, food is a fuel source. We should fuel our body with quality sources of protein, plenty of vegetables, healthy fats, healthy carbohydrates, antioxidants, and hydrate abundantly. The most common issues I see range from simply eating too much to not getting nearly enough protein to adults eating like children. Everybody is different but can you explain the importance of properly fueling the body? What are some staple foods that everyone should have on their plate?

US: How your meals are organized will greatly depend on your goals, whether that be fat loss, muscle gain, or maintenance. Overall, I recommend incorporating lean proteins, healthy fats, and high fiber vegetables into every meal. After you’ve incorporated those staple macronutrients, adding in complex carbohydrates would be the next adjustment based on your specific goals/needs. As always, eating whole, minimally processed foods are best.

• It’s recommended to stick with grass fed, wild caught, pasture raised, no antibiotics or hormones added, and organic for the highest quality nutrients out there. Yes, that might cost you more in the long run but if you’re looking for maximum benefit with the food your intaking, quality food is necessary.

It’s important to recognize how our bodies are affected by the food we put on our plates. The energy we receive from food differs based on nutrient type. Different macronutrients create different amounts of heat in the body during digestion, causing your body to work harder for certain nutrients than others. Another factor that affects how energy is absorbed is the health and function of your GI (gastrointestinal) tract. If your bacteria are imbalanced, you’re less likely to uptake as many nutrients.

Whether you’re trying to lose weight or gain weight, energy balance is important. Calories in vs calories out is an old description of energy balance, although still true, there are a lot more factors that go into your progress. Carbohydrates are stored as glycogen - primarily in the muscle + liver. Dietary fats are stored as triglycerides - stored in muscle, adipose tissue, and liver. Proteins don’t really get stored, more like they are on reserve.

• Everything you eat has to go somewhere. More energy in than out means we gain mass. You can gain mass as fat (triglyceride storage) or lean mass (with carbohydrate storage and muscle gain + proteins in bone and connective tissue). Our bodies can only gain lean mass so fast, so while eating in a caloric surplus to ideally gain lean mass you’re likely to gain fat as well.

• If you intake less energy than you put out, you’ll lose weight. If energy intake is low enough or carbohydrate + fat stores are in short supply, the body will turn to protein from our muscles for energy. This is not ideal during a weight loss phase, which is why it’s so important to have the right macronutrient ratio while in a caloric deficit.

Nutrition can also affect what macronutrients your body utilizes during exercise. This is where nutrient timing comes into play. If you have carbs around your workout, you’re more likely to use them for energy. Athletes training for long sessions or anyone trying to gain mass can take in carbs during their workout to help keep their energy up so the body won’t have to use stored nutrients. Alternately, if you eat a meal higher in protein and fat around your workout your body will use fat during exercise for energy. What matters most is the amount of energy expended verse the amount of energy consumed over time, not the amount of calories you burned during your workout.

ANDREW: In order to build muscle, what should your diet entail?

US: As I mentioned above, if you’re looking to gain mass i.e. muscle then you will need to eat in a caloric surplus. That doesn’t mean you should go eat all the pop tarts as you please, this means eating more calories of nutrient dense foods over a period of time while increasing exercise demands. Regardless of your desired outcome, protein and fat calories will stay relatively the same. Carbohydrate timing + intake is what can be adjusted for your specific needs.

A balanced diet is going to be the most important factor in your ability to build muscle. Protein provides the building blocks for muscle and stimulates muscle protein synthesis (MPS). MPS is the physiological process of adding new amino acids to muscle proteins and is the primary mechanism for muscle growth. Consuming a considerable amount of protein will help optimize recovery and improve training adaptations. For individuals doing high intensity training, protein requirements are around 1.4-2.0 g/kg of body weight - meaning a 150lb person would need about 95-135 grams of protein per day. Like I mentioned earlier, the body doesn’t store protein the same it stores carbs and fats so it's ideal to consume moderate amounts of protein at regular intervals throughout the course of the day.

Eating for your body type can provide your body the right information on how to respond to the food you're eating and your hormonal + sympathetic nervous system characteristics. Once you’ve determined your body type, you can utilize this to make adjustments in your nutrient intake to maximize body composition + other health related goals. Below is a graphic of the 3 different body types (somatotypes).

Most people are not solely one somatotype and there are many different factors that can go into the way your body is displayed, such as years of training. I won’t be going into extensive detail with this, but it’s a great concept to utilize in general when catering to an individuals needs. I want to briefly describe the nutritional recommendations based off of your body type.

• Ectomorph: thin and smaller bone structure with thinner limbs. These people generally do better with more carbohydrates and a moderate amount of protein with lower fat.

  • Nutrient distribution: 55% carbs/25% protein/20% fat

    • Generally speaking, think higher carb, lower fat.

• Endomorph: large bone structure with higher amounts of total body mass and fat mass. Tend to be generally less active, and excess calories are likely stored as fat - meaning they have a lower carb tolerance. Carb intake should be controlled and utilized after exercise.

  • Nutrient distribution: 25% carbs/35% protein/40% fat.

    • Think higher protein + fat, lower carb.

• Mesomorphs: medium sized bone structure + athletic body, if active they usually have a good amount of lean mass. The tend to be testosterone and growth hormone dominant. This profile leads to a predisposition for muscle gain and the maintenance of a lower body fat.

  • Nutrient distribution: 40% carbs/30% protein/30% fat.

    • A mixed diet works best.

With that being said, below is a guide on workout nutrition based off of your specific body type.

Considering your body type, body composition goals and overall health, your ability to handle carbs is improved with exercise. Ideally you want to save the majority of your starchy carbs for when you’re most active. You can utilize the information above to determine your intra +post-workout nutritional needs and daily meal breakdown.

ANDREW: Are there ways to speed up the muscle building process?

US: Naturally? No. Your body can only produce lean muscle mass at a certain rate. Anything that speeds up that process isn’t necessarily natural.

1. Eat in a caloric surplus

2. Progressively lift weights

3. Recover efficiently

ANDREW: Growing up, I was always told that if I didn’t eat protein within 30 minutes of my workout, it was a waste of a workout. I’ve since learned this isn’t necessarily that black and white. How important is nutrient timing for muscle growth?

US: Nutrient timing is based off the idea that nutrients are handled differently during various periods of the day, usually referring to activity. In general, the amount of calories and macronutrients throughout the day is what is going to make the biggest impact long term. Until you have the  fundamentals of nutritional habits down, don’t worry about nutrient timing. With that being said, you can utilize carbohydrates + protein for recovery as an extra tool in your tool box.

Carbohydrate tolerance varies person to person. Nutrient timing can be used to regulate carb intake based off of your carb tolerance + body type (somatotype). Generally speaking, carb tolerance stays high after exercise for about 3 hours. This means that you should plan most of your carbohydrate intake within 3 hours of your workout time. For example, if you’re daily calorie intake is 35% carbs, you should have most of those carbs after exercise. Post workout is when the recovery really starts to begin and that is where starchy carbs + protein rich foods should be consumed.

• I usually tell my clients if their wanting to go out to eat and have a carb heavy meal, after a workout is the most opportune time :)
  

ANDREW: What is more important to consume post workout: protein to aid in muscle growth or simple carbohydrates to replenish glycogen stores?

US: Both! Post workout nutrition is based around three main concepts; to replenish glycogen, decrease protein breakdown, and increase protein synthesis. When you’re working out you are damaging tissues and using stored fuel. Rebuilding + repairing occurs from the breakdown of damaged proteins + the construction of new ones (protein synthesis) - known as protein turnover. During resistance training, you’re doing a lot of breaking down and not a lot of building back up. Not only is protein breakdown occurring but stored carbs are being used up.

Post workout nutrition is crucial for metabolic adaptations necessary for muscle building. Your muscles are ready to accept nutrients immediately after workout. Those nutrients can help stimulate muscle repair, muscle growth, and muscle strength. If you don’t replenish adequately post workout, you decrease muscle glycogen storage and protein synthesis. This is where that 3 hour window comes into play, much more than that and you’re in trouble.

Utilize the graphic from above to determine what you should consume during exercise based on your body type. If you’re recommended to have a protein + carb intra workout, my suggestion for you is to drink EAA (essential amino acids) and UCAN.

• UCAN is a complex carbohydrate that doesn’t spike blood sugar, delivering a slow and steady release of glucose into the bloodstream. SuperStarch® does not cause a significant rise in blood insulin levels, which permits greater use of fat for fuel relative to other carbohydrate sources.

ANDREW: What tips do you have for the general public when it comes to making a positive change in their dietary choices?

US:

1. Start with one habit change at a time. You’ll likely be more successful if you focus on one habit change rather than five.

2. Plan your meals ahead of time. I know, you’ve heard “meal prep, meal prep, meal prep” a hundred times now, but if you don’t do some form of organization/planning to your nutrition you’re setting yourself up for many other variables to get in the way of your goals.

3. Eat balanced meals throughout the day, that is going to keep you fuller for longer and reduce the likelihood of over snacking + mindless eating.

4. Don’t overthink it. Determine your caloric needs, and eat them.

~The Coaching Team at Evexia KC

Resources:

https://www.strongerbyscience.com/athlete-protein-intake/

https://www.precisionnutrition.com/nutrient-timing

https://www.precisionnutrition.com/workout-nutrition-explained

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5596471/

https://www.precisionnutrition.com/about-post-workout-nutrition

https://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-body-type-eating