Ask the Doctors | July 2005

Ask the Doctors
By Drs. Jeff, Craig and Marissa

Question: I heard something about drinking a protein drink just before you go to bed to improve weight loss. I'm confused because every diet book I read says NOT to eat past 6:00pm. What should I do?

Answer: We understand the confusion here. There has not been a lot of research in this particular area, but the theory behind it makes perfect sense to us. The overnight period is your longest period without food (6-8 hours). It is no surprise that after an overnight fast your muscle glycogen and muscle protein will have been depleted somewhat.

Some researchers call this sleep period "Post-Absorptive Muscle Catabolism", which in essence means that the muscle protein breakdown exceeds muscle protein synthesis (muscle building). Have you ever heard that "sleep time is repair and building time"? This is the time in which the body is able to work on repairing and building new and healthy tissue. But, about halfway through the night your body runs out of muscle-building fuel and leaves you in a catabolic state. You may be thinking to yourself "Great! If I'm losing muscle, then I'm losing weight!" We hope you are not thinking this way because we've stated time and time again how important muscle is in helping you lose weight. Muscle plays a major role in dictating your metabolic level, as one pound of muscle has the potential to burn up to 50 calories at rest. So, to maximize your weight loss potential, why not try having a protein drink just before bed time. More specifically, we recommend taking approximately 1 ounce of protein just before you go to bed.

Don't be fooled by all the expensive products now available that state they are "nighttime anti-catabolic protein formulas." We recommend saving your money and buying the Curves shake or a blended protein drink found at any health food store. But, if you are going to buy a protein powder at the store, be very careful that the product is not packed full of sugar or aspartame.

In regards to your concern about eating after 6:00pm, I wouldn't be concerned about the protein drink, but do be aware of eating simple sugars and carbohydrates at night because they get converted to fat very easily. Remember...insulin is the #1 fat storing hormone in the body.