Late Night Snacks- Keeping your body anabolic while you sleep.
Spring Break is over for most students and that means that a lot of guys are looking to add some lean muscle before the summer months. This can be tricky, though, because there isn't enough time to worry about trying to cut a significant amount of fat before beach season. That means you're going to want bulk as cleanly as possible over the course of the next 2 1/2 months (easier said than done).To do this you'll be carefully tracking your macronutrient intake throughout the day, but what happens when we go to bed at night?
Experts recommend spreading calories out over four or five meals throughout the day. This means you'll be eating about every four hours. You'll also want to be consuming about 30 grams of protein at each of these meals to reach optimum levels of muscle protein synthesis. This will keep your muscles in an anabolic state during the day, but what about those eight hours you spend asleep each night?
Many guys overlook the fact that their bodies are starving each night in comparison to how often they are eating during the day. That's why everything your mother told you about eating before you go to bed and how it isn't good for you may not be true. In fact, many suggest consuming an addtitional 20-30 grams of protein in the middle of the night. This will keep your muscles fueled while you sleep by providing a steady stream of amino acids. Don't bother going over 30 grams, though. Research shows no benefit to going over this amount, and you'll likely just be overloading your body with unnecessary calories.
For best results try eating something high in protein and healthy fats before bed. I recommend lean turkey or chicken breast, or tuna if that's your thing. Pair this with some almonds, peanut butter or avocado. Then make a shake and set an alarm for about halfway through your sleep cycle. You don't need to go overboard here with calories; you just want enough to keep optimal levels of muscle protein synthesis. Try this for a few weeks and see what kind of difference it makes in your strength and size goals!
http://www.simplyshredded.com/bulking-guide.html
