What is nutrient timing?

Nutrient timing is a critical aspect for strength athletes and bodybuilders who want to maximise performance, optimise muscle gain and improve recovery. This approach focuses on strategically planning the intake of macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates and fats) in order to achieve the desired goals more efficiently. Basically, we talk about pre-workout, intra-workout and post-workout. At these critical times, you want to provide your body with the right nutrients and minerals to optimise your performance and recovery.

In addition, you should of course also ensure that you optimise all other parameters such as sleep, recovery and nutrition.

 

Understanding the big picture

Nutrient timing is an important point to optimise if you want to achieve 100%. However, before you start thinking about the exact distribution of proteins and carbohydrates, you need to get the basics right. This includes a healthy and active lifestyle, calorie balance and the necessary macronutrients. Once these basics are in place, you can start to think about nutrient timing.

The following graphic provides an overview for a better understanding:

Source: Adapted from Dr Eric Helms (2019), Muscle and Strength Pyramid: Nutrition

Important: Nutritional supplements are only ever a supplement to a balanced and healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle.

 

Calorie balance and training experience

 

Source: Dr Eric Helms (2019), Muscle and Strength Pyramid: Nutrition

So if you're a beginner (or just starting out), you should focus on the bigger components of your training and nutrition plan before you get into all the little details.

Here I recommend this article: ESN Protein Spikes

The importance of nutrient timing increases with training experience. Your calorie balance also plays an important role. In a calorie deficit, you should pay more attention to consuming the right nutrients around your training.

 

The importance of pre-workout nutrition

Food consumed before training provides the necessary energy and nutrients to support the intensity and duration of training. They also help to minimise muscle breakdown and promote post-workout recovery. The main components of the pre-workout diet should be carbohydrates, proteins and, to a lesser extent, fats.

 

Carbohydrates: the energy source

Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy for intensive training. They are converted into glucose and stored in the muscles and liver as glycogen. During training, this glycogen is used as energy. It is therefore important to top up glycogen stores before training to ensure an adequate energy supply. Especially during hard and intense workouts, such as a leg workout, some carbohydrates can make a difference.

A typical recommendation is around 0.5 to 1 gram of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight.

 

Recommended carbohydrate sources:

• ESN Rice Pudding
• Oatmeal: Rich in complex carbohydrates and fibre, which ensures a steady release of energy.
• Rice
• Bananas: They contain fast carbohydrates and are easy to digest, making them an ideal choice just before training.
• Fruit in general

 

Proteins: Building blocks for muscles

Proteins are essential for muscle building and repair. Proteins consumed before training can help minimise muscle breakdown during exercise and promote protein synthesis. It is important to choose a source of high quality protein that is easily digestible.

 

Recommended protein sources:

• Chicken breast: It is low in fat and provides high quality protein.
• ESN Designer Whey: Whey protein in particular is a readily available source of protein that is well suited for pre-workout meals.
• IsoClear Whey Isolate: Whey isolate is very suitable as it is quickly digested and contains almost no fat.
• Dairy products (provided they are well digested): Low-fat cottage cheese

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Fats: Long-term energy

Although fats are digested more slowly and are used less directly for training, they can still play a role in pre-workout nutrition. They provide long-term energy and support the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. If you consume your pre-workout meal 2-3 hours before training, it can make sense to include some fats. It also makes sense if you burn through carbohydrates and proteins too quickly during training, then it would make sense to include more fats in your pre-workout meal. Otherwise, I would work with as little fat as possible.

 

Recommended fat sources:

• Nuts and nut butters: they are rich in healthy fats.
• Avocado: It contains monounsaturated fatty acids and is easy to digest.
• My insider tip: Black chocolate (75-85%): Black chocolate is rich in flavonoids, which have powerful antioxidant properties. Antioxidants can help protect cells from free radical damage that occurs during intense workouts. The flavonoids contained in dark chocolate can increase the production of nitric oxide, which dilates blood vessels and supports blood flow. Good blood circulation can support the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles during training.
• Olive oil or coconut oil: It can be added in small amounts over a meal to provide healthy fats.

 

Timing of the meal

The timing of the pre-workout meal is crucial. Ideally, the meal should be consumed 1-2 hours before training to allow sufficient time for digestion. If time is short, a smaller, more easily digestible meal or snack can be eaten around 30-60 minutes before training. It all depends on the size of the meal. Digestion is a slow process. The larger and greasier the meal, the longer it takes to digest. And you don't want to go into training with a big belly.

Example of a meal 1-2 hours before training - data for a male athlete weighing around 90kg (the quantities vary depending on height, age, gender etc.):

• 30g-60g ESN Designer Whey in combination with 50g-100g ESN Rice Pudding plus some fruit (e.g. a banana)
• 50g-100g oatmeal, plus 30-60g ESN Designer Whey and some fruit (e.g. berries or an apple)
• 200g low-fat cottage cheese with 100g berries and 50g-75g oat flakes
• 50g-100g rice or corn waffle with jam, a protein shake and/or 150g chicken breast cold cuts

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Example of a snack 30-60 minutes before training:

• 30g-60g IsoClear and 100-200g fruit of your choice
• 30g-60g ESN Designer Whey
• ESN protein bar
• Rice cakes or corn cakes

A little tip: Ideally, you should add 1-2g of salt to your pre-workout meal. Here to the background.

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Intra-workout drink

Intra-workout nutrition for strength athletes and bodybuilders is a crucial aspect of maximising performance during training and aiding recovery. In endurance sports, it has been common practice for decades to boost performance during training with the help of supplements. During training, the body needs a continuous supply of nutrients to provide energy, minimise muscle breakdown and maintain hydration. The most important macronutrients and electrolytes to look out for are explained below.

An intra-workout drink should have the following characteristics:

• Be easy and quick to digest
• Provide quickly available energy
• Boost protein biosynthesis
• provide electrolytes

 

Sources of carbohydrates during training

You don't want to burden your body with additional digestion during training. This is why liquid carbohydrates are ideal. Cluster dextrin has proven to be particularly effective.

These highly branched cyclic dextrins have a low osmolality, which means that they pass quickly from the stomach into the small intestine and are rapidly absorbed into the blood. This results in a fast and constant supply of energy without the risk of stomach problems. Depending on the length and intensity of the workout, 20 to 50g of cluster dextrin can provide the desired effect.

 

Example of an intra-workout drink

A simple and effective intra-workout drink could be composed as follows:

• 500-1000 ml water
• 20 grams of ESN Cylic Dextrin
• 10-15 grams of ESN Aminos
• 1 gram of salt (sodium)
• 3 grams of creatine (if not already taken at another time)

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This drink provides a balanced blend of easily digestible carbohydrates, amino acids and electrolytes to optimally support the body during exercise. Electrolytes such as sodium are crucial for maintaining hydration and muscle function. During intense exercise, the body loses electrolytes through sweat, which need to be replaced to prevent cramping and fatigue. A small amount of salt in the intra-workout drink helps to balance electrolyte levels, improve fluid absorption and support muscle function. The essential amino acids in ESN Aminos are already broken down and therefore very quickly available to the body. This means that they can be used directly for muscle protein synthesis, which is particularly important for muscle building, the immune system and general regeneration after training.

 

Post workout

Post-workout describes the period immediately after training. During this time, you want to provide your body with the nutrients that support recovery. This naturally includes carbohydrates, proteins and, to a certain extent, fats.

Let's get this out of the way: You don't have to sprint for your protein shake as soon as your workout is over. The increased absorption capacity for nutrients remains for several hours after training.

 

Proteins

Depending on when you eat your next big meal, it can be beneficial for everyone to consume a protein shake after training.

Ideally, you should use a readily available protein. The ESN Designer Whey or the

IsoClear Whey Isolate . These proteins can enter the bloodstream very quickly and are very easy to digest for almost everyone.

Much more important than the acute protein intake after training is the general intake of protein throughout the day. If you consume a portion of protein every 3-4 hours, you will be well supplied.

To boost protein biosynthesis after training, it is advisable to reach the leucine threshold. Stuart Phillips, a leading expert in the field of protein intake, recommends consuming at least 0.3g of protein per kilogramme of body weight with each meal, with each meal having a complete amino acid profile. Protein sources with a high leucine content, such as egg protein and dairy products, may only require 0.24 g/kg.

 

Example for a 90kg athlete:

• a protein shake with 22g protein in the form of an ESN Designer Whey

 

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates after training can provide several benefits. After training, the intake of carbohydrates helps to quickly replenish these glycogen stores, which supports recovery and performance in future training sessions. The amount of carbohydrate consumed after exercise depends on the intensity, duration and your available calories. Another important factor is the release of insulin. Whilst protein can also cause an insulin spike, carbohydrates in combination with protein have been shown to be the most effective. Insulin is an anabolic hormone that promotes the uptake of amino acids into the muscle cells and thus supports protein synthesis and muscle repair. The intake of carbohydrates often also leads to a reduction in cortisol levels.

A frequently recommended amount is around 0.5 to 1.0 gram of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight within the first 30 minutes to 2 hours after training. This amount helps to effectively replenish glycogen stores.

Good sources of carbohydrates are rice, ESN Rice Pudding, oatmeal, potatoes, fruit or starchy foods.

 

Fats

In principle, fats are not a bad thing and should play just as important a role in a balanced diet as proteins and carbohydrates. After training, you should (if possible) avoid eating a lot of fats, as these slow down digestion. Instead, I would plan fats further away from training.

 

Conclusion

Nutrient timing is an essential aspect for strength athletes and bodybuilders who want to maximise their performance, optimise muscle building and improve recovery. This approach focuses on strategically planning the intake of macronutrients at specific times - before, during and after training.

Pre-workout nutrition is critical to provide the necessary energy and nutrients. Carbohydrates replenish glycogen stores, while proteins minimise muscle breakdown. Fats can also play a role, depending on timing and individual tolerance.

Intra-workout nutrition supports continuous energy supply and hydration. Liquid carbohydrates and amino acids are particularly effective here.

Post-workout nutrition aims to quickly replenish glycogen stores and maximise protein synthesis. A combination of readily available proteins and carbohydrates is ideal, while fats should be avoided due to slower digestion.

Overall, nutrient timing is a useful addition to a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. However, it should only be considered after optimising basic nutrition and training principles. For beginners, it is important to focus on the larger components of their training and nutrition plan first.