Timing is everything: if you think the fastest way to a lean body is to eat less and work out more, read on and learn about the surprising new research

Muscle & Fitness/Hers, August, 2004 by Martica Heaner

For many women, this means paying particular attention to breakfast--a meal that's commonly skipped by morning exercisers, some of whom believe it's a way to get the body to dip into its fat stores. "You will burn a higher percentage of fat, but you won't burn more calories, which is what really affects weight," says Benardot.

Some athletes are also under the impression that hunger pangs before practice mean that the body will be able to divert all of its energy to the workout instead of to digestion. But while eating too much too close to intense training can slow down a practice, so can not eating enough. If your stomach is sensitive to more than just the smallest pre-workout snack, try to replenish your calories every 15 to 20 minutes with quick-absorbing carbs, like those found in sports drinks.

As you consider your food timing, keep in mind that one of the most crucial times to eat is right after an intense workout. Within the first 45 minutes or so postexercise--what physiologist Ivy calls the "metabolic window"--the enzymes that replenish glycogen in the muscles are at their highest. Plus, insulin, which rebuilds protein stores, is also at peak levels. So eating a carb-and-protein mix (peanut butter sandwich, yogurt with fruit, or nuts) right after training will increase your muscles' ability to rebuild themselves, replenish your glycogen stores and reduce the amount of fat that your body stores.

Missing this metabolic window can be bad news. "If you delay refueling, you'll slow glycogen replenishment by 50 percent and protein repair by 80 percent," says Ivy.

IV THE APPETITE CONTROL BONUS

Will you eat more if you eat more often? In a word, no. In fact, stabilizing your body with a constant fuel supply will likely help better regulate your appetite. "We found that giving athletes 750 calories' worth of snacks did not increase their overall food intake, because they automatically--and subconsciously--reduced the size of their meals," says Benardot.

Plus, numerous studies have shown that people who eat more often binge less because they aren't as hungry when mealtime comes around. Many athletes agree. "The best thing about eating around six meals and snacks a day is that you never become so famished that you eat enough to go into a 'food coma,'" says Jessi Stensland, a triathlete who's an alternate on the 2004 U.S. Olympic team. "When I eat something every three hours. I feel light and ready for anything."

By MARTICA HEANER, MA, MEd