The idea that eating a morsel of food after a given time means bad news for your waistline is nothing new, so you may find yourself wondering: What time should you stop eating at night? Dieters add this “don’t” to their list of rules when trying to keep an eye on their weight. But before you consider closing up the kitchen when the clock strikes 7 p.m., let’s take a look at the facts, and what they mean for endurance athletes.
The Claim:
If you want to maintain or lose weight, then you shouldn’t eat after 7 p.m.
There are myriad reasons why people might not want to eat after a certain time in the evening, especially if it’s close to when they go to sleep, says Cara Harbstreet, M.S., R.D., L.D., owner of Street Smart Nutrition.. There’s an idea that people might have a harder time falling or staying asleep if they’re too full, or that their metabolism will ramp up and burn more fat overnight, for example.
The Evidence:
When it comes to fueling your body for performance and recovery, it’s more about consuming enough calories in the form of high-quality, nutrient-dense foods, Harbstreet says, than about the exact timing. And, she says, there is no blanket recommendation for people’s individual nutritional needs, especially for athletes.
“For us to say with any broad sweeping generalization that no one should be eating after a certain time, that’s where we go wrong with nutrition,” she says.
And when it comes to the research, there isn’t much to convince us that when you consume your calories matters too much.
A 2013 study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition did not find a relationship between eating after 5 p.m.—which, we know, is the early bird special—and weight gain. An older study published in the International Journal of Obesity came to the same conclusion.
But for those people who eat dinner after 5 p.m.—most of us!—the results were similar: A study of children and teens published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that eating after 8 p.m. also did not lead to weight gain.
For athletes, Harbstreet says, it might even be advantageous to have a small snack or meal before bed, especially during periods of intense training.
When it comes to protein, for example, it’s beneficial to meet your needs throughout the day, but, Harbstreet says, there is some evidence that shows consuming a little bit of casein protein—the kind found in dairy—can support optimal muscle recovery overnight. Harbstreet recommends a piece of string cheese or a small glass of chocolate milk.
The Verdict:
It’s by far more important to consider what you eat and how much of it than when you eat it. “Our bodies are efficient and intelligent, but they don’t run on a 24-hour clock,” Harbstreet says. “There’s no reset button at midnight. Your body doesn’t care or know.”
That said, yes, there is some research that suggests circadian rhythm might play a role in how individuals respond to hunger cues, but if you’re disrupting your sleep cycle and eating at all hours of the night, that’s not the same thing as having a small dessert at 7:05 p.m.
If you’re hungry before bed, it could mean you’re not fueling your body enough during the day, for example. “If we stick to the ‘rules,’ it pulls us away from the intuitive mindset, which is listening to our bodies and learning what those signals and cues really mean,” Harbstreet says.
Athletes need a well-balanced diet for optimal performance and recovery, but that doesn’t mean you have to forgo family s’mores night leading up to a race or tough workout. “Even with intense endurance athletes, it’s okay to not be so tied to a training plan if it takes away the ability to enjoy others things in life,” Harbstreet adds.
At the end of the day—no pun intended—overeating consistently will lead to weight gain, Harbstreet says. It won’t matter when you consumed those excess calories. Sure, the evening tends to be the time when people kick back with a bowl of chips and eat mindlessly while watching television, but correlation does not imply causation.
On the flip side, for those who maintain a healthy diet, eating dinner after 7 p.m. or having a small snack before bed because you’re hungry won’t tip the scale—it may even help you recover better.
“We have to be mindful of our energy intake and how it relates to training and recovery,” she says.
Heather Mayer Irvine
Freelance Writer
Heather is the former food and nutrition editor for Runner's World, the author of The Runner's World Vegetarian Cookbook, and a seven-time marathoner with a best of 3:31—but she is most proud of her 1:32 half, 19:40 5K, and 5:33 mile.
