kvl1027 said:Ric_Stern: I'm not doubting your expert opinion obviously you know what you are talking about, what Im trying to say is that if you are trying to lose weight it is probably not a good idea to eat a plate full of pasta right before you go to bed.
Likewise, my current lifestyle is very hectic while juggling a full course load and working full-time as a bartender. With the late hours that I work, I tend to be very hungry when I get home from work, and my late night snack is a can of tuna with a squeeze lemon. I dont think substituting a potato in the place of a can of tuna would be a good idea, would you agree?
Any nutrionalist would agree, as do I, that nothing is more healthy than just eating balanced meals while watching your portion sizes. And the healthiest way to lose weight is to eat healthy, and burn more calories than you consume.
not yet got time to answer your previous question in detail (hence the extremely brief response before)... what i am currently working on will be very exciting for cyclists in general and those at cyclingforums.
however, this question, is considerably quicker to respond to as it requires less searching through the myriad of papers in my office!
In terms of weight loss it makes no difference what you eat prior to bed, assuming the same total energy intake. in fact you clearly make this point in your last sentence, i.e., to lose weight you burn more than you consume.
in fact, i would suggest that it is essential if you are training hard to have a carbohydrate meal prior to bed to help maintain glycogen levels. indeed, a high carb meal for breakfast -- helps to maintain and elevate muscle and liver glycogen. the same applies prior to bed, especially if you haven't eaten for a while.
i do not agree, with your tuna v's potato issue.
If you are struggling with fitting in cycling and work and 'normal' life, it's possible that you are glycogen depleted and don't consume enough carbohydrates, which are essential. Work by Nieman and others has clearly demonstrated that you are more susceptible to infections and a reduced immune function when glycogen depleted.
The amount of protein that we as athletes (i can only assume you are an active person if you visit cyclingforums.com) require is in fact very small and not much larger than the general population requires. In fact most people considerably overeat in terms of protein requirements which in well trained elite athletes they need ~ 1.5 - 1.8g/kg body mass compared with ~ 8 - 10 g/kg body mass of carbs.
ric
