What to eat before sleeping to gain muscle mass?

Eating before sleeping to gain muscle mass is a frequently asked question among people; we analyze how to choose the right nutrients.

✎ Autor:  Saúl Sánchez

Knowing precisely what to eat before sleeping to gain muscle mass can be decisive.

It is clear that the overall plan needs to be optimized, but good choices just before a long period of nighttime fasting will make a difference. It is essential to ensure that the body has enough elements and nutrients to initiate the adaptations that occur during sleep.

Before starting, it should be noted that the context of the plan must be hypercaloric. If more calories are not consumed than expended, it will be impossible to build new tissue.

In this regard, achieving progressive overload from the perspective of physical exercise will also be fundamental. The mechanical stimulus must be sufficient to achieve more connections and cross-section.

What to eat before sleeping to gain muscle mass?

There should not be a large number of hours from the last intake to the time when sleep begins. Otherwise, one could enter a catabolic state that goes against the established goals.

To avoid this, there are two alternatives. The first is to go to bed shortly after dinner, making it a substantial meal with essential nutrients in sufficient quantities. On the other hand, if a lot of time will pass, an extra snack can be added to provide important elements.

Below we show you what to eat before sleeping to gain muscle mass.

fish protein

From a nutritional point of view, it is good for the last meal of the day to contain high biological value proteins. The timing of the intake of these substances is not particularly relevant, but it is important to meet daily requirements and ensure an intake into the body every 3 or 4 hours.

This will maximize endogenous protein synthesis. As for the total, if we are talking about athletes who intend to gain muscle mass, an intake of 2 g per kilo of weight per day can be considered (1).

However, it is good to keep in mind that if we want to efficiently answer this question: what to eat before sleeping to gain muscle mass, we will be interested in administering a protein that has a medium or slow absorption rate.

This stimulates muscle protein synthesis for a longer time. One of the best representatives for this is casein, characteristic of dairy products (2). It has been shown that its intake before sleep helps improve body composition and recovery in athletes.

There is also the option of including casein in supplement form just before going to bed. There are several products on the market that can provide about 30 or 40 grams of this protein per dose, administered in the form of a shake. It is an efficient alternative for when some time passes from dinner to the start of sleep.

Carbohydrates before sleeping are decisive

We cannot talk about what to eat before sleeping to gain muscle mass without emphasizing the intake of carbohydrates. Above all, high-quality ones should be prioritized here, with a low glycemic index, but they are very important.

In fact, a daily intake of at least about 4 g per kilo of weight is proposed to maximize the anabolic pathways of metabolism.

The mTor pathway depends greatly on glucose and insulin (3), so restricting or limiting the presence of sugars in the plan will not be a good idea.

lamb is low in calories and has many proteins

However, in general terms, it is advisable to give more presence to complex carbohydrates. Especially if we are looking for what to eat before sleeping to gain muscle mass. This ensures that the metabolism does not suffer and that the pancreas does not become inflamed.

It is a rare situation in sports contexts, but there is no specific reason to prioritize simple sugars at this time. Moreover, foods with complex carbohydrates have another positive aspect, the fiber content.

We are talking about a substance that is not digestible and plays a fundamental role in improving the function of the digestive tract (4). It even manages to delay the rate of gastric emptying.

This can be important in extending the duration of muscle protein synthesis. Therefore, a higher amount of proteins could be provided, knowing that the entry of amino acids into the blood will be gradual, allowing for greater utilization and for a longer time.

ℹ To be specific, when it comes to what to eat before sleeping to gain muscle mass, we should prioritize products like rice, legumes, tubers, or oats. Pasta and bread could also be considered, although in general terms they have lower quality.

Examples of meals to know what to eat before sleeping to gain muscle mass

Below we show you practical examples of meals to know what to eat before sleeping to gain muscle mass.

Based on what we have discussed, it will be crucial to ensure the preparation of a complete meal that meets the protein and carbohydrate requirements.

The amounts of food will depend on each person, as different variables will determine them. But we must not forget about fats either.

An insufficient intake of saturated fats would cause problems in testosterone synthesis in men (5). This goes completely against the anabolic goal.

Examples of dinner menus to know what to eat before sleeping to gain muscle mass:

  • Chicken with rice and salad.
  • Stir-fried turkey and vegetables with quinoa.
  • Stir-fried legumes with spinach and pork.
  • Pasta salad with tuna.
  • Guacamole and smoked salmon toasts.
  • Quinoa with chicken and vegetables.
  • Paella.
  • Three delights rice.
  • Shrimp and asparagus scramble with toasts.

As you can see, all options include plant-based foods. These contain phytochemicals with antioxidant capacity. They will help reduce muscle damage and optimize recovery processes, improving performance in subsequent events.

Learn what to eat before sleeping to gain muscle mass

ℹ As you have seen, knowing what to eat before sleeping to gain muscle mass is crucial to gaining muscle mass and optimizing hypertrophy processes. Most adaptations occur at night, so it will be crucial to ensure that the body has everything it needs to carry them out.

Finally, do not neglect rest. At least 8 hours of good quality nighttime sleep are necessary to maximize lean tissue gain. It would even be beneficial to consider a 20-minute daytime nap to improve the hormonal environment and achieve good results.

pre-workout meal can determine performance

Healthy eating game

Do you want to test your knowledge about nutrition? We propose a super quick game that you will love and will allow you to test how much you know about healthy eating. Go for it!

Bibliographic references

  1. Jäger R, Kerksick CM, Campbell BI, et al. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 14:20. Published 2017 Jun 20.
  2. Kim J. (2020). Pre-sleep casein protein ingestion: new paradigm in post-exercise recovery nutrition. Phys Act Nutr. 24(2):6-10.
  3. Huang K, Fingar DC. Growing knowledge of the mTOR signaling network. Semin Cell Dev Biol. 2014;36:79-90.
  4. Gill SK, Rossi M, Bajka B, Whelan K. (2021). Dietary fibre in gastrointestinal health and disease. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 18(2):101-116. what to eat before sleeping to gain muscle mass.
  5. Kao CC, Yang ZY, Cheng YW, Chen WL. (2021). Examining the association between serum free fatty acids and blood levels of testosterone. J Hum Nutr Diet. 34(2):334-344.

 

Autor: Saúl Sánchez

imagen del autor del artículo

BIO: Graduate in Human Nutrition and Dietetics with specialization in Nutrigenomics and Sports Nutrition. Currently working as a nutritionist for R.C. Deportivo de la Coruña.

Directrices Editoriales | Redactor Mundo Entrenamiento SL | Linkedin | Twitter

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