Post Workout Nutrition - You've Been Lied To!
Within 30 - 60 minutes of a workout, you should consume a balance of carbs and proteins to replenish glycogen stores and for muscle adaptation and recovery. Some good options are blah blah blah.
Have you read or heard something like that?
I have. Over and over again. It seems to make sense and I believed it! I would come home from a run or a workout and make a protein smoothie ASAP! We don't want to miss the anabolic window, do we? If something slowed me down, I was SURE that my muscles were literally eating themselves.
Okay, so it's not a complete lie that carbs and proteins replenish your glycogen (aka stored energy) and aid in muscle growth and recovery. The lie is that this is an urgent matter.
There's a good chance that you've already eaten that day so you are most likely not completely depleted. Also, unless you are doing another workout within the next 8 hours, your body can recover even if you eat a meal several hours after your workout. In fact, I've heard speculation that it may be detrimental to eat directly after a workout due to you the inflammation that naturally occurs during a workout.
Takeaway? Don't sweat it! If you want a post workout meal, go for it but you won't immediately lose your gains if you don't eat for a few hours. A post workout meal may be beneficial for someone who worked out fasted or will be working out again within 8 hours.
So what is your preference? Do you drink a post workout shake, bar or meal? Sometimes I come home hungry and eat whatever I find in the fridge!
Have you read or heard something like that?
I have. Over and over again. It seems to make sense and I believed it! I would come home from a run or a workout and make a protein smoothie ASAP! We don't want to miss the anabolic window, do we? If something slowed me down, I was SURE that my muscles were literally eating themselves.
Okay, so it's not a complete lie that carbs and proteins replenish your glycogen (aka stored energy) and aid in muscle growth and recovery. The lie is that this is an urgent matter.
There's a good chance that you've already eaten that day so you are most likely not completely depleted. Also, unless you are doing another workout within the next 8 hours, your body can recover even if you eat a meal several hours after your workout. In fact, I've heard speculation that it may be detrimental to eat directly after a workout due to you the inflammation that naturally occurs during a workout.
Takeaway? Don't sweat it! If you want a post workout meal, go for it but you won't immediately lose your gains if you don't eat for a few hours. A post workout meal may be beneficial for someone who worked out fasted or will be working out again within 8 hours.
So what is your preference? Do you drink a post workout shake, bar or meal? Sometimes I come home hungry and eat whatever I find in the fridge!
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