Eating before bed time helps you add muscle mass during a critical window. Your body enters a catabolic, or muscle-wasting, state during time spent sleeping. To prevent catabolism, make sure to eat plenty of protein before you rest for the night. Protein contains amino acids, nutrients which serve as building blocks for muscle. Before adjusting your diet to gain lean muscle mass, consult a physician.
Cottage Cheese and Natural Peanut Butter
Cottage cheese contains casein, a slow-absorbing amino acid. Eating foods high in casein before bed time feeds your muscles a slow and steady stream of muscle-building amino acids. Natural peanut butter, high in healthy fats, forms a slow-digesting meal when mixed with protein. Slow-digesting food combinations work well before fasting for eight to 10 hours during sleep. You can simply mix the foods together or eat separately.
Chicken Salad Roll Up
Bodybuilding.com notes a chicken salad roll-up contains a whopping 30 g of protein with only 16 g of carbohydrates per serving. Mix together diced chicken breast with yogurt, celery, fruit bits and sunflower seeds. Spread the mixture on a lettuce leaf and roll up. The sunflower seeds are a healthy fat source, helping slow digestion.
Protein Shake
Using supplementation provides you with a quick way to bump up your protein intake, increasing muscle mass. Sometimes you won't feel like a full, solid meal before bed. A low-carbohydrate protein shake before bed time conveniently feeds your body nutrients needed to build muscle. Use a casein shake, or a mix of casein and whey, for a slow-absorbing meal.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates provide your body with energy to power through your muscle-building workouts. Since you won't be working out for at least eight to 10 hours after going to bed, limit your carbohydrate intake before going to sleep. Avoid foods like oatmeal, whole-wheat bread and pasta late at night
Tips
Take in more calories than you burn to gain weight. Cut back on aerobic activity, doing 30 minutes of cardio two to three days a week to maintain heart health. Perform heavy, compound movements like bench presses, squats and dead lifts to pack on muscle mass. Compound movements recruit multiple muscle groups, helping you gain optimal muscle with a minimum number of exercises. Do three sets of 10 repetitions for each exercise with a heavy weight.
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