Timing the first meal of the day, if you're training in the evenings

[Seabird]

So I recently read this article:

 

http://www.leangains.com/2012/06/why-does-breakfast-make-me-hungry.html

 

Tl;dr, the author posits that hunger pangs post breakfast are a serious issue for low bodyfat people, and that eating breakfast at the peak of your cortisol levels (30-45 minutes post waking) leads to significant hunger pangs. For the average joe (meaning the truly average, overweight, out of shape etc person), breakfast can be a good thing because at their body fat levels, the "cortisol awakening response" pushes their insulin sensitivity higher in the mornings (to levels of ~20 nmol, as opposed to 2-5 nmol later in the day and evening).

 

 

 

Although the feeding-induced insulin peak comes much faster and is much higher, due to the meal coinciding with the circadian cortisol peak, the net effect should be that average insulin secretion and blood glucose in the post-prandial period post-breakfast is lower than later in the day, under a low-cortisol fed condition. In a way, Average Joe’s sluggish pancreas might actually benefit from the augmented insulin response in the morning.

 

Eating (higher glycemic index things more than low GI things obviously, which is what many of us do eat with breakfast, including milk, toast etc) during this period causes you to have a more pronounced effect to the extent of hypoglycemia, which causes significant hunger pangs. These become more pronounced when you're leaner.

 

I do notice the effect as being real, and as it stands, Ive been having most of my nutrition in/around/after the time of my workout. Anyone care to share any thoughts on the authors analysis, or personal experiences?

[Jason Dupree]

What do you eat for breakfast? I have never had this problem. I only get hunger pains at the end of the day, if I haven't eaten enough that day

[Seabird]

Typically a green smoothie with some spinach, berries, protein powder, milk, oatmeal, a banana and sometimes if Im in the mood for it, peanut butter (I do realize the fat in the PB would slow digestion, but thats not a normal ingredient, and the majority of the other ingredients are fairly high GI).

[Matthew Proulx]

First I am starving when I wake up and work 10 hour days so breakfast is uno numero. When I used to eat oatmeal/cereals and breads I used to get hungry an hour later. Now that I have cut all grains(besides brownrice) out of my diet my breakfast is always 3-4 eggs scrambled with a spinach coleslaw rice mix I make that I eat for breakfast and sometimes lunch. I don't get hungry as often eating eggs. The reason I am hungry in the morning is probably because I cut down the carbs after my night workout. But this helps me stay under 10%BF I find.   I find high fat foods curb my hunger throughout the day, nuts, eggs, cheese, etc. Eat these for breakfast if you can.

[Frankincensed]

Pesonally I workout in the evening, I am good with carbs in the morning, and never experience a let down in energy.  During the mid day I can crash if I overeat, and moderate intake then. However around workouts I am also fine with them.

 

Personally I also feel you are looking at one chemical response in the body, when there are literally dozens going on. Might a high cortisol level combined with a large glucose intake lead to a hyperglyemic state and then a high subsequent insulin response and a hypoglycemic let down? I suppose it might but I'm not going to take a blood test before eating to check my "status"!  Might people who go though this have more hunger pangs? Perhaps, but so what... get busy and  ignore them or have a bite to eat. As long as you are not eating more or less than your body requires it won't matter to any noticeable level.

[WitnessTheFitness]

I've never experienced this, but I'm not a big breakfast person. Usually just eat a chocolate protein bar, make a small smoothie, or have some granola.