Why Morning Metabolism ≠ Night Metabolism

G'day Legend,

Over the weekend I was in Oxford, Mississippi — and yes, a few people wondered what an Aussie was doing there. But if you’ve ever been to Ole Miss on a Saturday, you know the whole place beats like a drum. People fuel up early, the energy ramps, and the day follows a perfect rhythm. Walking through The Grove, I kept thinking: this is exactly how your metabolism works. It runs on its own internal clock, and when you move in sync with it, everything flows. But what happens when you don’t? Let’s dive in.

In this week’s newsletter (4 min read):
⏰Why when you eat might matter more than what you eat
🍳 How to time your meals for energy, focus, and recovery
⚡ The simple daily shifts that improve sleep and performance

If you’ve got a mate who’s always asking how to have more energy (without another coffee), send them THIS link and make sure they accept, so you score referral rewards.

Your Metabolism Has a Clock

Every cell — from your gut to your muscles — runs on a circadian rhythm that dictates when it’s primed to digest, repair, and recover.

I’ve touched on this before, but a new study out of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that people who ate most of their calories before 3 p.m. had:
✅ Better blood-sugar control
✅ Lower evening cortisol
✅ Deeper sleep and improved HRV overnight

Same calories. Same food. Totally different outcomes. It’s not always realistic, but it shows why front-loading meals matters.

A few weeks ago I trained with BPN athlete Mitch Ammons in Austin — he doesn’t eat past 4:30 p.m. He also runs a 2:16 marathon… motivation enough.

Action for you to consider… Look at eating earlier (if you eat at 7:30… try 6:30…etc)

What Science Says About Meal Timing

My friend you are going to want to read this. Circadian nutrition research has exploded in the last five years, and it’s proven one simple truth: When you eat is just as important as what you eat.

1️⃣ Morning metabolism > Night metabolism
Your insulin sensitivity — your ability to process carbs efficiently — peaks in the morning. You metabolize glucose up to 30% faster than you do at night.
By evening, your body naturally slows digestion, which can cause late-night glucose spikes that last into sleep.

2️⃣ Late meals mess with sleep
Eating within two hours of bedtime suppresses melatonin — the hormone that helps you wind down. That means delayed sleep, less deep rest, and poorer recovery.

3️⃣ Front-loading fuels focus
Studies on both athletes and shift workers show that eating earlier improves mitochondrial efficiency — the body’s ability to convert food into usable energy.
Energy consistency comes from rhythm, not willpower.

How to Apply It — For Training and Life

Here’s how to turn the science into action:

For athletes:
🏋️‍♂️ Finish your last full meal at least 2½ hours before bed — your body needs to digest before recovery kicks in.

🥣 After training, refuel light and smart: Greek yogurt with honey, a smoothie, or eggs on toast. Enough to repair, not overload.

🍳 Make lunch your anchor meal.
Your metabolism runs hottest mid-day — that’s why my biggest meal lands around my workouts.

For everyone else:
☀️Shift your calorie window forward — about 70% of your intake before 3 p.m. means steadier energy and fewer late-night cravings. Realistically, that just means one smaller meal after 3 — the earlier, the better.

🧠 Treat breakfast like performance prep.
Protein and fiber (eggs, oats, fruit) set your metabolic rhythm early so your body isn’t playing catch-up later. That’s why I smash the power bowl — but Greek yogurt or eggs and fruit do the same job.

If there’s one lesson I’ve learned, it’s this: most people underfuel early and overfuel late — reversing their natural rhythm. Flip that, and you’ll feel the difference within a week.

Review: 3 Rules for Circadian Eating

1️⃣ Eat with the sun — more during daylight, less after sunset.
2️⃣ Stop eating ~3 hours before bed — your body can’t rebuild if it’s still digesting.
3️⃣ Anchor your first meal — balanced carbs and protein: oats, eggs, fruit, yogurt, or a smoothie.

Bonus: A 10-minute walk after meals can lower glucose spikes by up to 25%.

RECIPE: Legendary Breakfast Burrito

If you’re looking for a real-world example of “front-loading fuel,” this is it.
My go-to breakfast burrito hits the trifecta — slow carbs, quality protein, and healthy fats.

Nutrition Breakdown:
cals: 747 • fat: 30g • protein: 30g • carbs: 47g

Quick Notes

🏃🏻‍♂️ Episode 2 of my HYROX World Championships training is live. Eric Hinman and I go head-to-head in a full HYROX sim to see who’s strongest on which stations before we pair up in Dallas. WATCH IT HERE.

🎁 We have one week left on the November referral challenge where you can win a BPN or AG1 prize pack worth $100! You’ve got until November 18th to rack them up. 1 referral = 1 entry. Click the link below:

#EatGoodFeelGood

— DC