Post-Workout Nutrition:
Refuel Your Body After You Train

Tempted to reward yourself with loads of bacon and pancakes after a good day at the gym? Think again. You’ve put a lot of effort into training and are always on the lookout for more challenges to help you reach your goals. Chances are you’ve given more thought into what you eat before you work out rather than what you eat after. However, following the best nutrition will help you enhance performance in the gym and achieve optimal results. Here’s how to optimize your post-workout nutrition and refuel your body after you train.


Understand the Value of Post-Workout Nutrition

Your post-workout nutrition plays a strong role in the overall recovery and result of your workout. According to the Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, athletes will gain the most nutritional benefits if they consume their post-meal within an hour after exercise. Fitness enthusiasts will want to replenish their energy storage, repair damage, and increase muscle mass. By doing so, you will receive all the benefits of a proper post-workout nutrition, such as:

  • Improved recovery
  • Increased ability to build muscle
  • Less muscle soreness
  • Improved bone mass and immune function
  • Ability to burn body fat

How you prepare your meals should match your fitness goals. That means it is important to pay attention to what you eat before and after a session. The key is to focus on building energy before you train and restore lost glycogen after your routine.


Eat to Refuel, Repair, and Replenish

During exercise, your body utilizes glycogen, known as the fuel stores in your muscles for energy. Once you’ve finished your routine, your muscles are depleted of the glycogen and broken down.  According to the Journal of the International Society of Sports Medicine, consuming a quality protein will help speed up recovery, maximum exercise benefits, and help maintain lean muscle to burn fat. However, the amount of protein you consume should not be a one-size-fits-all standard. To help your body reach complete recovery after a workout, your meal should contain one-part protein and two-part carbohydrates.

Aim for 20-25 grams of high-quality protein to active muscle growth after training. Opt for high-quality protein such as eggs, lean chicken, Greek yogurt, Red meats, protein powder, and fish. For complex carbs, switch between fruit, whole-grain pasta, oatmeal, barley, amaranth, and quinoa. You can combine whole food ingredients with a variety of options, such as:

  • Protein shake
  • Salmon and roasted veggies
  • Tuna salad sandwich
  • Berries and Greek yogurt
  • Scrambled eggs with chicken breast

A number of studies found that consuming 40g of protein after your workout would help you achieve the anabolic response from the muscles. You can also tailor estimate your protein intake by calculating 0.14-0.23 g of protein per lb. For optimal recover, consume at least 1 g of carbs per kg of body weight to promote insulin secretion without draining your body of energy.

A post-workout routine is not complete without the proper carbohydrates to refuel, protein to repair, and fluids to hydrate the body. Thus, it is best to follow your regime with sources with at provide all three.

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