Why do some bodybuilders not eat carbs before bed?

**Maximum6** · 09-11-2008, 11:13 PM

I was wondering also how Triathalon Athletes or endurance race athletes "carb up".

Now I know Bodybuilders and marathon athletes are different. However, Marathon athletes sometimes do this ritual of eating a WHOLE LOT of carbs the night before so they would have energy.

For bodybuilders that are trying to lean up OR gain as little fat as possible during the bulk phase, they may cut out carbs near bed time.

There are 3 things I can come up with as to why Carbs may easily be turned to fat.

1. High glycemic foods get absorbed too quickly leaving low blood sugar level which leads to cravings of more food.
2. Glycogen stores in the body is completely full. Anymore carbohydrate intake would be turned to fat.
3. Too many calories overall consumed.

So what is the reason for bodybuilders to cut out carbs near bed time? I believe the body itself can hold up to ALOT of glycogen. Sleeping may slow down the body's process of using up glycogen and thus eating carbs before bed may fill up the body's glycogen stores more than it burns off.

Is this the reason?

**RibosomalRob** · 09-11-2008, 11:24 PM

Well, ideally most carbs should come in immediately around the workout window...I guess if 'bodybuilder X' works out in the morning, and eats the bulk of his carbs around that time, he wouldn't really benefit from eating any substantial amount of carbs before bed. Also, during sleep, you don't burn a ton of carbs because sleeping is a 'low intensity' activity; so you burn mostly fat...Furthermore, if you have sugar present in the blood, growth hormone is unable to be released. Sleep is usually the time when most of your 'daily' Gh is produced...

some people may argue that SOME carbs are still burned ......but not a substantial enough amount to worry about; (nothing that carbs the next morning will not replace)

**lulusmom** · 09-12-2008, 12:11 AM

Well, I can tell you how I carbo-loaded before my last marathon:
Two days before race day, switched from drinking lots of plain water to drinking lots of gatorade. Day before race day, ate lots of light carby snacks like bananas, pretzels, bagels, and had a medium (not huge, as some would think, since eating too much the night before makes for terrible performance) sized pasta dinner around 8pm. Got up around 4am for more gatorade and a bagel with jam and peanut butter, and topped off with gatorade a couple more times before race start at 6am. The theory is that the fuller your glycogen stores are before the race, the more fuel you will have during the race to propel you through. Conversely, many fitness athletes and those wishing to lose fat may want to stay away from carbs before bedtime, since you would be topping off glycogen stores and not using them up, contributing to stored energy, aka fat. When I'm not running, I try and stick with complex carbs and cut out all carbs about three hours before bedtime.

**esoterik** · 09-12-2008, 12:45 AM

I don't consume carbs before 1-2 hours bed for the simple fact that:

1) glycogen stores will not be depleted, since I do eat carbs like 4-5 hours before bed
2) I want to use up the energy so I can have a bigger breakfast in the morning
3) risk of fat gain (water retention, etc)

**markXY128** · 09-12-2008, 08:16 AM

In the IntenseDF diet there is a principle that is called: The night diet principle

This principle says ; The night diet principle implies that we should eat during the day and diet during the night!

When we eat a meal that meals have the capacity to satisfy our hunger for a wile typically 2-3 hours.

When we sleep, we do not feel hungry so we do not need to satisfy hunger.

Bodybuilder need to keep calories at bay if they want to have a body fat of 7-9% or less. That means they have to find any available trick to fight hunger. Unless they are huge beast!

Eating carbo just before going to sleep means wasting the capacity of the meal of satisfying your hunger that means you are eating one meal more than needed.

If you want to get more info on this subject have a look to this article:

http://www.intensedf.com/Content/Hea...eDF_Diet1.aspx

I think it can give you a good answer to your question.

**-Aaron-** · 09-12-2008, 08:19 AM

Originally Posted by esoterik

I don't consume carbs before 1-2 hours bed for the simple fact that:

1) glycogen stores will not be depleted, since I do eat carbs like 4-5 hours before bed
2) I want to use up the energy so I can have a bigger breakfast in the morning
3) risk of fat gain (water retention, etc)

Prove it.

If I eat nothing except 100g of oats before bed, how will I gain fat.

**jujuB** · 09-12-2008, 08:38 AM

i don't really have to worry about carb intake....i play A LOT of basketball, at the same time i'm trying to bulk, so i think it cacels out. just do more cardio?

**Aindreas** · 09-12-2008, 10:19 AM

Originally Posted by esoterik

risk of fat gain (water retention, etc)

wat?

Water retention is fat gain now?

**daYDreAmErX** · 09-12-2008, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by Aindreas

wat?

Water retention is fat gain now?