“Nutrient Timing” sounds impressively scientific; sports and exercise professionals frequently mention its significance. But isn’t there something else more vital?

But does when we eat really matter for health, body composition or performance reasons?

Let’s take a closer look and discover.

Nutrient Timing–define
Nutrient timing involves eating certain nutrients (protein or carbs) at specific times (such as before, during, or after exercise).

Over the last several decades, researchers have explored this practice from various angles and their findings have generated tremendous excitement.

Beginning in the early 2000s with Drs. John Ivy and Robert Portman’s publication of Nutrient Timing: The Future of Sports Nutrition, the concept of nutrient timing was seen as the next big thing in sports nutrition.

Every sports nutritionist worth their branched chain amino acids owned one. I was no exception – even writing several papers on it myself!

Dr. John Berardi — or JB as he’s more often known around here — was one of the pioneering researchers in this area.

At both Masters and PhD levels, he researched how nutrient timing could impact recovery from intense exercise. In fact, he contributed to an excellent book on this subject!

Precision Nutrition’s general recommendations have long included the concept of nutrient timing. Our meals have been classified either postworkout (PW) or anytime (AT), signifying when each one should be eaten throughout the day.