What Is The Best Post-Workout Food?
Wednesday July 7, 2010 | Posted under Nutrition | 21 comments
Today I want to talk about recovery foods — if you’re following along and doing a lot of workouts, then making sure to replenish that energy is important. Here’s how.
It’s All About Speed
Getting nutrients into your body quickly is critical when you’re working out. The faster the better. If you can nourish your body within 30 minutes you’ll be doing yourself a lot of good and this will help you with your weight training results.
These foods are called “recovery foods” and for good reason. You need to be giving your body the right kind of fuel and nutrients to recover from your high intensity workout. Lots of water is an assumption that we’ll make as well.
What to eat
Proteins such as found in meats and eggs are great but they take too long to digest and get used by your body after your workout. This is why a quality whey protein shake is a solid choice for your post workout proteins. It’s the fastest digesting protein that you will find.
Carbs do a couple of things for your body after a workout. They restore muscle glycogen and cause an insulin spike which helps your body get nutrition faster. Normally we like to eat lots of “good carbs” such as whole wheats, brown rice, etc but in this case we need a shot of fast action carbs to replenish our muscle tissue. Dextrose is the carb of choice in this case. ( TIP: This is also a good time to have some kind of candy if you have a sweet tooth and want a small cheat, BUT not too much )
Common practice is to have a shake with a combination of whey protein and dextrose immediately post workout. This will nourish and cause your body to heal and replenish your muscle tissue in the quickest time.
Protein bars or granola cereal can also be valuable. There’s even some recovery specific cereals available to buy. Another option is a fruit smoothie, preferably homemade, including ingredients such as banana, strawberry, mango, fat-free yogurt, etc.
What not to eat
Stay away from fats, both the good and the bad fats during your post workout meal. Fats slow down the digestion of the important stuff, your carbs and proteins. This is the opposite of what you want to take place after your workout.
It’s important to count your carbs, proteins and fats in your recovery foods. If you’re not careful you may end up with too many sugars or fat which will turn into to unwanted pounds.
What Do You Eat After Workouts
Have you found anything that really does the trick for you after a workout? Tell everyone about it by leaving a comment!
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- Posted by Marius
great program! congratz peter!! i will start today - Posted by prasanna
how many reps we have to do for each exercise - Posted by khaled yahya
hi peter great informatioms thanks - Posted by eelco
lets get it started uhu!
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Hi folks!
I do Krav Maga about three to four times a week, which is combination of cardio and bodyweight training (mostly push ups, squats, situps etc.) and do the kettlebell and bodyweight training almost every morning.
Post-workout banana is a great deal! Right now I’m attending Krav Maga instructor course, which means 8-10 hours training a day, straight for 11 days, and our whole group consumes incredible amounts of bananas a day
What really works for me is a banana or a carbs shake after workout and a protein shake one or two hours before I go to bed, I have really great experience with that. This of course combined with a proper nutrition during the day (carbs in the morning, proteins in the afternoon, 5-7 meals a day, you know what I mean…). Especially if you do more like cardio trainings, post workout carbs are essential, so you don’t lose your muscles.
Keep up and stay frosty!
Love
Mike
I can’t do whey, someone suggested apple juice or a fruit smoothie..there are some new products by Gatorade that seem to work, no whey.
The main thing is to try and get a good quality protein and simple carb in ASAP after your workout, not just carbs or an energy drink as they provide no actual nutritional info.
Hi Mike,
Hope you having a good time and that it goes well! Thanks for your feedback!
Hey Peter!
Same to you! Thanks for all that great inspiration and motivation, you’re one of my personal, I very appreciate what you managed and what you’re doing!
One of my heroes living!
Stay frosty!
Mike
Hello everybody!
I usually eat oats with some nuts and dry apricos after workout, but recently I’ve drunk protein shake.
Hi Peter, im wondering since my mom wont let me buy whey protein or the types i want what types of protein should i eat nd carbs at the times of 7 a.m. 9:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m. 2:30 p.m. 5:30 and 7:00 p.m. if its not to much to ask
Just eat good high quality protein in the form of real food! Chicken, egg whites, cottage cheese, turkey, beef etc
can u give any review on saputo whey protein? i am thinking to buy that to take it on daily basis…it at very low cost!
I don’t know that product and I can’t seem to find any info on it online. If you can provide me with all the info I can give you my opinion on it.
i want to buy whey cn u tel is optimum nutrition is worth buyin
Yip Optimum Nutrition has some good products.
I do the Optimum Nutrition Chocolate Whey powder for breakfast and it does perfectly fine for me.
I usally put protein and glutamine in a vitamin water (not the zero one). Should I add a slice of hole wheat bread or just go buy some Dextrose?
Is this for a post-workout meal? Why do you want to add the bread at all? If anything add some simple sugars.
Keep up the good work, I like your writing.
this post is very usefull thx!
Hudrends of people will agree with your opinion whoever many other’s will not agree,but I appreciate your work here.
@ Sally
Gatorade contains aspartame so I would stay away
What about a natural peanut butter shake with two egg whites and some banana?? The peanut butter I buy is all natural no 1g sugar and about 7g protien
Not Penut butter. The Egg whites and banana is ok if used correctly.