Bedtime Snacks with Protein Do NOT Cause Fat Gain
How many times have you heard that eating after 6pm, or 8pm, or simply late at night (in general) that you’re going to put on body fat? I’ve heard it and I’m sure you have too. Magazines plastered it on their pages and books have deemed it a no-no. Well, not so fast. I love a good snack! Bedtime snacks don’t necessarily need to be looked at as a negative. In fact, new research is showing that your bedtime snacks won’t affect the rate at which you gain body fat at all. Here’s what you need to know.
Related Article: Is Late-Night Snacking the Cause for Your Weight & Health Issues?
Late Bedtime Snacks Aren’t Bad As Long As…
Listen, if you like bedtime snacks, stop worrying about watching the clock so you don’t eat past a certain time. Research is now showing that if you consume late-night snacks that are high in protein, you have nothing to worry about.
The research, however, has some caveats. For starters, the research I’m speaking of was conducted by Florida State University (this isn’t the caveat) and used only women who were actively involved in weightlifting (the caveat). One of the researchers mentioned, “For far too long, people have been led to believe that eating before bed causes metabolic disturbances and will make them gain fat. However, the data simply does not support this when the food we choose to eat before bed is protein-based and small in size.”
Related Article: Add These Post-Workout Snacks to Pack on Muscle
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to treat or diagnose any condition. It is recommended that you speak with your doctor before starting any exercise program, changing your daily nutrition, or adding any supplements to your regimen.
This research is interesting because in the past the most commonly reported studies on this topic surrounded men.
For this particular study, researchers used casein protein (a slow-digesting protein) as well as a non-protein placebo that matched the flavor of the casein protein shake that was given. One group was asked to drink one shake (the placebo which was unknown to the participants) post-workout and then the casein protein shake (again, unknown which is which to the participants) right before bed. Due to the flavor profiles, the women did not know that they were given two completely different “protein sources” – even though one wasn’t even a protein at all. The second group was asked to drink the shakes in the opposite order (casein protein shake post-workout and the placebo as bedtime snacks).
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How the researchers gauged and measured the results came from looking at lipolysis to establish fat metabolism from each participant as well as looking at fat oxidation using a breath test.
What Did the Researchers Actually Observe?
Following the study, one researcher said, “In women who weight train, there are no differences in overnight local belly fat metabolism or whole-body fat burn whether you eat protein in the form of a protein shake during the day post-workout or at night presleep. So, essentially, you can eat protein before bed and not disturb fat metabolism. There are such bad misconceptions about eating at night, that it will ‘make me gain weight’ or ‘slow my metabolism.’ The research suggests that really only holds true if you’re eating a ton of calories and they are carbohydrate- and/or fat-laden. There are so many potential beneficial effects of eating protein at night, and it will be extremely important to take all of this science to the community to try to change the outlook of these dietary habits.”
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