The metabolic window

Have you ever stared out of your living room window in quiet reflection, pondering the nature of your exercise regimen, wondering what modifications might enable you to reach your ultimate goals quicker and more efficiently?

While protein is indeed essential, it appears we’ve been overdoing it a little, encouraged in no small part by supplement manufacturers- Matthew Muscat Inglott

OK, maybe this is an activity solely reserved for the hardcore fitness fanatic; however, on the off chance your answer is yes, you may not have been looking too far from a solution. The window itself may hold the key, although today we shall discuss a different type of window altogether, namely the ‘metabolic’ window.

Most of us will have heard about the famous ‘metabolism’; but what exactly does it mean? Metabolism basically refers to all the chemical processes that occur inside the cells of living organisms.

In exercise terms, the metabolic processes we are most concerned with are the transformation of the food we eat into energy to fuel our workouts, and the subsequent adaptive changes that occur inside our bodies as a result of those same workouts.

The metabolic window in particular refers to a popular phenomenon in the exercise and fitness world we are only just beginning to understand in greater depth.

It is one of those phenomena of which bodybuilders and athletes have been instinctively aware since well before the dawn of the modern lycra-clad fitness industry. The metabolic window is that special period of time immediately following a workout when our bodies are particularly sensitive to the nutrients we ingest.

It is believed the muscles are particularly receptive during this time to certain hormones that promote the absorption of protein and carbohydrates. Proteins are made up of amino acids and constitute the building blocks of all tissue, including muscle, while carbohydrates ultimately fuel all chemical processes, including muscle contractions, allowing us to move and be physically active.

The window is traditionally believed to open about 15 minutes after cessation of exercise, and close about 45 minutes after that.

As a general rule, the sooner you get the required nutrients into your system, ideally within one hour of training, the more effective that workout will prove to be.

Keep in mind that exercise is ultimately a process intended to break down muscle tissue. It is precisely this process of breaking down that represents a stress to which the body must then adapt.

This indeed is what exercise is all about. The muscles will rebuild themselves stronger than before enabling them to handle the same stress more easily if it is applied again.

If we don’t eat anything at all after this breaking-down process has been instigated, then the required healing process cannot begin, recovery is delayed, and the immune system suffers, putting us at risk of sickness and injury. It is believed two hours after exercise ends, the muscles actually become resistant towards absorbing nutrients.

So if you are going to work hard in the gym, why throw it all away with a faulty nutritional regimen? Eating the right foods at the right time is like making a smart financial investment and cashing it in at precisely the optimum moment. So what exactly are the right foods we should be throwing through the proverbial metabolic window for optimum results?

According to gym legend, it’s protein, protein and more protein. While protein is indeed essential, it appears we’ve been overdoing it a little, encouraged in no small part by supplement manufacturers.

Studies have shown that amino acid supplements alone made no significant differences to recovery when consumed at various times during the three-hour period immediately after training. The nutrient we seem to have been overlooking is the infamous carbohydrate.

Carbohydrates are the fuel muscles burn to produce energy. Carbohydrates are stored as a substance called glycogen inside the liver and muscles themselves, readily available for use during intense exercise. Keeping these stores full before, during and after exercise is the primary objective of effective sports nutrition.

Rapidly replenishing glycogen stores enhances recovery which over the long run theoretically means more intense training, more often. Imagine if you were able to train effectively and with the same amount of perceived effort four times per week instead of two; your results would come literally twice as fast.

Just to put things in perspective; that means potentially obtaining your coveted beach body in three months instead of six. So does this mean we should ditch the protein altogether?

Certainly not. Protein will always be the great building block of muscle; however, it is most effective in lethal combination with its big brother carbohydrate.

Some research has suggested that protein may actually increase insulin sensitivity, helping to drive both types of nutrient even faster into the muscles that need it.

Since it is recommended to consume both proteins and carbohydrates at least once every three hours, both types of nutrient should be ingested both before and after your workout. Ingesting protein before a workout means that since blood flow around the body is increased during the subsequent workout, it is more likely to reach its intended destination: the muscles.

Let’s lay down the cardinal rule to basic workout nutritional planning, taking full advantage of the mythical metabolic window; eat a carbohydrate-rich snack that includes protein about half an hour before your workout, and again as quickly as possible afterwards.

This is where supplements really come into their own. However, don’t settle for a plain old protein shake; mix a little sugar or fruit in there, or go for a pre-mixed meal replacement or lean weight gain shake instead.

The rest of the day, eat balanced meals every two to three hours regardless of where your workout falls into your daily routine. And finally, stay hydrated by drinking water before, during and after your workout.

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