Does Nutrient Timing Still Matter?
Filed under: General Health, Nutrition
A few months ago I wrote a controversial article for PN called Is nutrient timing dead?: And does “when” you eat really matter?
It generated some buzz, to say the least. The answer to the question is of course both yes and no. It all depends on the context.
Some people loved it, as they felt it provided some newfound freedom into their diet. No longer did they have to worry so much about meal timing. Now they could just focus on how much they are eating, and the quality of that food, and not stress about exactly when they are eating it.
Other people were furious, as they felt that the PW/AT distinction had come to define PN, and that we were just sweeping that away. This actually was not true. We were just adding more flexibility.
If the PW/AT distinction and framework works for you, then by all means please continue with it. YOUR results are ultimately what matters, not my theoretical meanderings. To me, that is what defines PN – that it is all about what works for YOU, not what we think will work for you. It is only the outcome that matters to us.
However, if you were someone who felt constrained by the PW/AT framework (as I did), then we offered a new set up for you (our hand-sized portion guidelines) that was equally as effective physiologically, and that many found to be much easier to implement and manage.
Neither approach is definitely right or wrong. It all depends on what works best for you.
And the exact importance of timing your meals also depends on the context, as I alluded to earlier. This is especially true in respect to timing your intake around your training (which I covered here). This is a great visual depiction of what I am talking about:
As you can see, the need to worry about timing around activity all depends the conditions of that activity, and your goals. For most of us, it is not terribly important. For others, it is far more so.
This is true even for having a protein shake post-workout. You could, as it is not going to hurt, but it isn’t really necessary in most cases. You are ok to wait until you drive home to have something. It could be a Super Shake, or it could be a whole food meal. The choice there is yours.
That was one of the most research-heavy articles I have ever written for PN, and I worked on it for weeks to get it all right. In a similar vein, Examine.com has just released an incredible new resource for people, called their Stack Guides.
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Posted on July 1st, 2014 by Brian St. Pierre
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