# How To Make The Most Of Your Body's Natural 24 Hour Cycles



## meera (Feb 13, 2006)

I have recently become interested in what is called the "Meridian Body Clock" and its usefulness in helping us bodybuilders get the maximum benefit out of it. What is the "Meridian Body Clock"? I shall use a quote (http://tuberose.com/meridians.html) which I feel describes it perfectly: "According to Chinese theory, the cycles of ch'i energy moving through the organs follow a daily clock-like pattern. The flow of energy is said to follow oscillating energy cycles with respect to time of day. Each of the main meridians has two, two-hour periods, during which, energy flow is first at a maximum and then later at a minimum intensity of circulation. The time at which energy flow is the greatest through a particular meridian may define the time of day at which it is best to treat a disease in the associated organ system. This internal timepiece which governs many bodily functions, including cyclic enzymatic activity within the brain, also seems to have an effect on the expression of drug toxicity."

Your nutritional habits will have either a positive or negative effect on your bodybuilding progress. Here is how to make the most of your body's natural 24 hour cycles

The body, like other things in nature, has its own cycles. This has been known and documented in India and China for thousands of years. To know how our body cycles operate, helps us better take advantage of optimum times for nutrition, training and sleep all in conjunction towards getting the most out of the hard effort we put into our bodybuilding. Let's look at how the body "behaves" internally through the 24 hour clock:

*3am - 4am -The Biophysical Growth cycle - Nutrition is important at this time to gain more muscle*

This takes place once every 24 hours at the time of maximum production of growth hormone, testosterone and new protein. This is an excellent time to drink a high protein shake as your body will use those proteins 100%. It would be best to prepare your shake at bedtime so when your alarm goes off you can take your shake whilst in bed.



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5am - 7am - The Low Gastrointestinal Hydration cycle - Detoxing*

The large intestines receives the signal to absorb water from the system, increasing the size and weight of waste matter in preparation for the body to expel the toxins (ie bowel movements). This not only cleanses the system but also prepares the body to receive new nutrients. Bodybuilders who constipate/miss this cycle (perhaps due to low fibre, lack of water, drugs etc) put their system under additional stress, as small amounts of toxins can leak into their circulation, which can eventually cause a down-regulation of activity in the thymus and liver. 

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7am - 9am - The Peak of Digestion cycle - Eat up your protein!*

Hydrochloric acid, pepsin, pepsinogen - all gastric juices are at their peak at this time. That means that absorption of proteins and minerals, which predominantly take place in the stomach will be most efficient now. Breakfast is the most crucial meal of the day, particularly for those building muscle. If at this time you eat mainly carbohydrates and little to no protein, you will be failing to take advantage of a window of opportunity to optimise your protein assimilation. If you overcarb at this time, protein enzymes are not released thereby reducing the body's ability to process protein later in the day.



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9am - 11am - Spleen and Pancreas cycle - Watch the acids!*

The stomach is sending its contents through the intestinal tract. The spleen and pancreas secrete digestive enzymes to break down the carbs. These enzymes work at their best in an alkaline environment. If acidic food such as pineapple, ginger, oranges etc are eaten at this stage, the pancreas and spleen have to work twice as hard to secrete more enzymes. If there is too much acidity in the body, this can create a weak alkaline cycle, resulting in demineralisation which means that our skeletal system/bones lose calcium and magnesium. If you wish, this would also be a great time to take digestive enzymes to maximize the liberation of energy from the carbs eaten.



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11am - 1pm - Nutrient Transport cycle - The Heart is at its highest rate at this stage in order to send nutrients around your body*

During the phase the heart is busy pumping nutrients throughout the body. What bodybuilders should know is that if you missed breakfast, your blood sugar level will be lowering fast because your body has not received the nutrients needed to stabilise it. Since your heart rate is at its highest rate at this time, it is the most efficient time to send nutrients to all part of the body. A lack of nutrients in your system means a wasted opportunity at this time of day for nutrient assimilation and risk low blood sugar, which would no doubt undermine your progress.



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1pm - 3pm - Blood is busy elsewhere - So don't train your legs*

Foods requiring longer digestion are absorbed now. This process requires a good supply of blood to the small intestine. This is therefore not a good time to train your legs, due to the blood flow impact.



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3pm - 5pm - Waste Fluids expelled - Did you drink enough water earlier?*

Waste fluids from digestion and processing of nutrients in the morning are expelled after being filtered through the kidneys. Failing to take in enough water in the morning slows down this process. Therefore, try to drink plenty of water during the first half of the day.



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5pm - 7pm - Kidneys busy filtrating - good time to train!*

The kidneys busily filter good from bad to maintain a healthy chemical balance of the body. This is a good time to train as exercise at this time of the day will also improve kidney function. It would equally be a bad time to sleep as this will only slow down the efficiency of kidney function.



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7pm - 9pm - Nutrients superhighway!*

The most important nutrients eaten during the day are being whizzed around the body quicker than at other times of the day. The lymphatic fluids are on a higher level and the liver secretes key biochemicals. This is also another good time to train but not a good time to eat a large amount of food since that would reduce metabolic efficiency.



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9pm - 11pm - Body prepares itself for sleep*

Digestion is at its lowest point and strength levels begin to fall as the body prepares itself for sleep. The neuromuscular connection become less efficient and so this is not the time time to train heavily. 

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11pm - 1am - The cleaners are in*

The beginning of internal cleaning as the gall bladder gets busy. This is the time the body processes fats and cholesterol that boost brain function, repair myelin sheaths, stabilize neurotransmitters and promote deep sleep. This is not a good time to have a meal as digestion is at its lowest efficiency.



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1am - 3am - Liver cleansing*

Liver is at its busiest clearing out wastes. If you wish to gain muscle mass, you can optimise this process by taking antioxidants at lunchtime which will then be metabolised at this time of the day, thereby making those antioxidants more efficient.



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3am - 5am - Oxygenation at its highest*

Waste gas is eliminated from the body.

In conclusion, eat your protein early in the day when the body is saturated with hydrocholric acid, enzymes and quimotrypsin to enable the body long to digest it. Do not overcarb at this time otherwise this will hinder protein enzymes thereby reducing the body's ability to process protein later in the day. By afternoon, the protein consumed from breakfast has been sufficiently digested for the body to use this protein. The lymphatic system is also busy transporting the proteins for the body's construction cycle which lasts until about midnight. However, if the only proteins available at this stage in the day were eaten late, they are metabolised while the body is sleeping and cleansing. These proteins inevitably interfere with sleep, are not available for tissue construction and become toxic waste.

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## meera (Feb 13, 2006)

Managed to locate the illustration with regards to the above.


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