:BodyFitnessInfo.com BLOG

It’s not just what you eat that’s important, it’s also when you eat certain things that can make a big difference in how effective your diet or nutrition plan is. So here are a few guidelines to help you have effective nutrient timing.

First of all, make sure that you’re eating consistently through the day. You’ve probably heard this before, but I feel it’s important enough to mention again here. Eating 3 times a day is not the optimal eating plan. It is much better to break up your eating into more frequent and smaller meals during the day. Also, make sure you’re eating enough for your goals.

So when we talk about nutrient timing, we’re mainly talking about when certain types of the main nutrients (protein, carbs, fat) are best absorbed by the body. Here are some general guidelines:

- Protein that digests rather quickly is best eaten during and after exercise as well
- Protein that digests rather slowly is best eaten outside the time that you exercise
- Meals with high carbs are best eaten during and after exercise
- Meals that are higher in fat are best eaten outside of the time you exercise

For more information about nutrient timing, check out some of these articles by John Berardi, owner of Precision Nutrition:

The Science of Nutrient Timing Part 1
The Science of Nutrient Timing Part 2

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