March 29, 2018, 9:10 am | Read time: 3 minutes

In “Ask Farsan,” you have the opportunity to ask all your questions about training, nutrition, and recovery and get answers from a real personal trainer. Tell us what you’ve always wanted to know–and we’ll take care of it! One of the first questions you asked is about training and nutrition for shift workers.

To understand nutrition for shift work, you need to know when you’re most productive–and when it’s worth training. 

The Biological Rhythm

Human and other mammals’ performance is determined by the biological rhythm (also known as the circadian rhythm, sleep-wake cycle, or internal clock). Upon closer examination, two phases of high performance readiness (once in the morning and once in the afternoon/see video) can be identified throughout the day. Around 3 p.m., a midday slump is noticeable. In the evening, a phase of low performance readiness sets in, reaching its lowest point during the night hours.

Also interesting: The most important questions about the sleep hormone melatonin

Training for Shift Workers

If you work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., you’re flexible and can train before or after work. For shift workers, it’s quite different, as you’re time-constrained and must align your training with the type of shift (early shift, late shift) and your sleep schedule. On early shift days, it’s advisable to train after work when performance readiness is higher. For late or night shifts, you should ideally train before work and avoid sessions during the night hours when performance readiness is very low.

Nutrition for Shift Workers

There are a few specific rules for nutrition during shift work. It’s especially important to have your main meals at the usual times. Breakfast should be between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Lunch is typically eaten between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m., and dinner is between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Also interesting: Is breakfast really healthy?

No Large Meal Before Sleeping

For the early shift, this means having breakfast at work. After the early shift, you can prepare lunch at home. Dinner should be planned a bit earlier and take place by 6 p.m. at the latest, so you don’t go to bed with a full stomach. For the early shift, a sleep schedule from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. is typical.

It’s a bit different for late or night shifts. Here, it can quickly happen that dinner isn’t consumed at work but rather at home during the night hours. This leads to increased fat storage and decreased sleep quality over time. The solution to this problem is called “meal prep,” meaning you prepare dinner at home and eat it at work. Ideally, you have the opportunity to warm or even prepare the meal during the shift.

Control Coffee Consumption

Especially during the night shift, coffee consumption can quickly increase. The body fights against fatigue, and caffeine helps to stay awake. A quantity of 1 to 2 cups is completely harmless. However, if you tend to consume more coffee, pay attention to when you have your last cup. The caffeine in coffee works for several hours and can negatively affect your sleep quality. Despite the night shift, you should ideally aim for eight hours of sleep to recover from work and, of course, fitness training adequately.

Also interesting: Coffee can do much more than just keep you awake

About the Author: Dipl.-Sportwissenschaftler Farsan Maheronnaghch works as a freelance author for FITBOOK and is a certified personal trainer with various trainer licenses.