I wrote an article not long ago about consuming carbs late at night and what it could do to your body well not long after that I read scientific research that contradicted what I wrote which happens to any fitness expert or fitness writer from time to time. The best way to learn is to make mistakes and there is no fitness expert that knows everything but if you have the ability to be open to learning new things and open to new research that comes about, then you have the ability to be a better teacher and a better fitness expert that will hopefully help people obtain their fitness goals. With that being said here is an article below that I am writing about the consumption of carbs for fat loss that contradicts some stuff I wrote not long ago based on research that was brought to my attention by  a good friend of mine Kelechi Opara and based on conversations I had with Dr Jim Stoppani and also further research I did on this topic. Dr Jim Stoppani holds a doctorate in exercise physiology with a minor in biochemistry from the University of Connecticut. He has been the personal nutrionist and health consultnat for a numerous amount of celebrity clients. If you google him you will see that he is a world renowned fitnes expert and a great wealth and resource of knowledge on nutrition and training.

Photo Credit: John Dorton; Top Fitness Personality: Obi Obadike

 

Carbohydrates are one of the important macronutrients and many people are clueless on when is the best time to really consume carbs for your respective fitness and fat loss goals. Carbs is the body’s primary chief energy source which should be used for burning fuel but if you over consume them as well as fats, proteins or just overall daily calories it will lead to weight gain and fat gain.

Carbohydrates are essential for giving you energy throughout the day although there is no research study that proves that there is a certain time of the day to consume carbs for fat loss. At the same time for energy level purposes it doesn’t make sense to wait until the end of the day to consume carbs because it will affect your energy levels and your brain functionality throughout day. There are some people that are unique where they can function relatively well with very little carbs throughout the day from an energy level perspective.  I spoke to Dr. Jim Stoppani about this when I was at the Arnold fitness Expo back in March of 2012 and he said why would you make yourself a zombie through-out the day because you want to wait to consume your carbs during some specific latter part of the day.

Per Dr. Jim Stoppani it doesn’t make sense to not have carbs in the morning time because you limit your energy levels by waiting to consume them during the latter part of the day. His words to me was why make yourself suffer if you don’t have to.  Restricting your carbs late at night will not help you lose any more fat unless you are decreasing your overall daily caloric intake. This seems to be a myth out there and in fact I even believed that because I read this in many fitness magazines.

If you have a goal of improving your fat loss you should focus on how many daily calories you are consuming as opposed to what time of the day to consume carbs and you should focus on having a healthy good balance of carbs, fats and proteins in your diet. There was a research study on obese police officers who shifted their consumption of carbs during their last meal as opposed to spreading their carbs throughout the day and they actually had better fat loss consuming carbs late at night which was quite interesting. The research study was done for a 6 month period can be found at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=21475137

I spoke to Dr Jim Stoppani about this study in great detail and he said just because that study worked on obese individuals doesn’t mean the result of this study would work on a highly conditioned fitness enthusiast or highly conditioned athlete because the biochemistry of an obese person and someone that is in great shape are totally different. The obese individual and highly conditioned athlete processes things in your body differently.  Per Dr. Stoppani’s words just because a research study has been administered doesn’t mean the end result is the bible or gospel but nonetheless this research study is a great reference information tool in the understanding of the consumption of carbs late at night.

It is also important to know the difference between good carbs and bad carbs so at least you know what are the best carbs to consume for fat loss.  Good carbs are full of fiber, minerals, vitamins which consist of brown Rice, wild rice, millet barley, whole grain cereal, whole wheat pasta, vegetables, fresh fruits and oatmeal which are all great carbs options.  Bad carbs on the other hand are full of sugar and white flour which can send your blood sugar levels skyrocketing upwards and they are honey, molasses, fruit juices, soda, white bread and white pasta.  Eating a diet that is full of bad carbohydrates can lead to an array of medical problems. These issues include weight gain, an increase in the risk of diabetes and an increase chance of heart disease.

The minimal recommended daily intake for carbohydrate consumption is 130 grams per day per the American Dietetic Association. However the individual’s needs vary based on the person’s activity levels, body size and respective fitness goals. But some individuals that are really trying to aggressively lose body fat have been known to do fairly well on 50 grams of carbs per day or less.

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