Meal timing to minimise muscle loss when in calorie deficit

Question

I want to improve my body composition by losing fat with minimal muscle loss. I also want to maintain my current level of fitness.

I do resistance training some mornings and cardio other mornings (bike or rowing machine). I am relatively sedentary the rest of the day apart from a brief walk or bike ride to and from work. The times I exercise are largely dictated by external commitments but I do have some control over when I eat.

In order to minimise the impact of a calorie deficit on muscle mass and general fitness:

• does it matter when I eat, relative to strength training?
• does it matter when I eat, relative to cardio?
• can I/should I eat immediately before sleeping?

Answer 1

You should definitely eat after exercise.

Depending on the approach you are taking to your nutrition plan this meal should contain protein for sure... and carbs or fat.

Hairs can be split over liquid meals post workout... whey protein vs other proteins and hydroxylated whey vs whey isolates and concentrates... yes it will matter but NOT as much as most people think.

Total calories consumed is the most important thing.

Outside of the post workout nutrition it really is not going to matter when the calories come in.

Protein should be part of every meal and you should consume 1 gram per pound of total bodyweight if not slightly more.

Yes, you can eat after dinner, after 8pm and right before bed.

As long as you are at a deficit for the day it will not matter.

We have put plenty of competitors on the bodybuilding/physique stage have had a meal right before bed with out compromising fat loss or maintenance of lean tissue.