Carbohydrates

**Should I not eat carbs late at night?** Eating carbohydrates at night can, under certain circumstances, cause you to store the calories as fat. Another reason to avoid or lower your carbohydrate intake late at night, when trying to get cut, is to harness the body's output of growth hormone (GH), which is released at night within the first 90 minutes of deep sleep. GH is beneficial if you wish to shed fat and hold muscle, because it initiates a moderate shifting of fuel sources so the body burns more fatty acids at rest at the expense of burning less glycogen and body protein. Taking advantage of your body's GH output results in additional fat loss without a loss in muscle. Carbs consumed before you head off to bed can blunt the body's natural release of growth hormone, since GH is released more readily when blood-sugar levels are low. That's why some bodybuilders try to avoid carbohydrates later in the day. From http://www.jimmythomas.com/training/members/carbohydrates.htm