Post-workout nutrition is essential for recovery and overall athletic performance. From replacing lost electrolytes and replenishing depleted energy stores to boosting muscle repair and recovery, what you eat and drink after a workout can make or break your results. This guide will teach you everything you need to know about post-workout nutrition —from why it’s important to what you should be eating— to maximize your gains and get the most out of your workouts. Eating carbs after you exercise helps restore glycogen levels in your muscles, which is essential for exercise performance. Carbs also trigger the release of insulin, which moves glucose and amino acids into muscle cells to support recovery. Pairing carbs with protein can restore muscle glycogen more efficiently than carbs on their own.
When should I eat a post-workout meal after a workout?
There’s a supercompensation of glycogen stores when carbohydrate is consumed shortly post-exercise. And delaying their consumption by just 2 hours reduces the rate of muscle glycogen re-synthesis by as much as 50%. In a 2022 review, researchers suggest eating 15 g of carbs in the first 3 hours after intense strength training.
The Best Post Workout Meal: Examples
Research shows that muscle protein breakdown is most inhibited and muscle protein synthesis happens best when insulin is at mU/L. While carbohydrates will provide most of the fuel for your workout, protein will help jumpstart muscle repair afterward. Eating protein helps improve muscle protein synthesis, prevent muscle damage, and promote recovery. To maximize the results of your training, consider eating a complete meal of carbs, protein, and fat within 2 to 3 hours of exercising, or a smaller meal focusing on carbs and protein 1 to 1.5 hours before exercise. Enright also pointed out that, if you lost a lot of sweat during your workout, it's imperative to choose "a beverage that contains electrolytes, [which] will also help rehydrate the body", in addition to eating carbs and protein.
Athletes have special needs
We can discuss some of the suggested macronutrients for pre- and post-workout meals with that out of the way. We say suggested because, again, it’s going to come down to a variety of factors that you and your nutritionist should sort out. Just as you wouldn’t put low-quality gasoline in a luxury car, you need to make sure the fuel (aka food) you’re putting in your body can help it perform at optimal levels.
Post-Workout Meal Example 3
In addition to macronutrients, micronutrients, encompassing vitamins and minerals, are paramount for energy metabolism and immune function. Promoting a diverse, nutrient-dense diet is crucial to ensuring athletes receive adequate micronutrients, thereby reducing the risk of nutritional deficiencies that might contribute to disordered eating (199). In a separate study, significant improvements in a similar performance task were observed when recreationally trained individuals ingested either 1.1 or 2.2 g/kg of carbohydrates 1 h before exercise, in contrast to a placebo. Interestingly, no significant distinctions were noted between the two CHO doses (167) (33).
8. Nutrient timing
That said, nutrient timing can be important for those who participate in intensive exercise and elite athletes. Consuming protein and carbs after intense training can optimize recovery and support muscle building. It stimulates muscle protein synthesis, improves recovery, and enhances performance during your next workout. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, you should drink 23 ounces of fluid for every pound of weight lost when you exercise between the time of your first workout and 1 to 2 hours before you start your next workout. Options include a sports drink, coconut water, or an electrolyte supplement available in a pill, powder, or capsule form.
- And be sure you’re getting ample sleep (at least seven to nine hours per night).
- When you’re working out, your muscles use up their glycogen — the body’s preferred fuel source, especially during high-intensity workouts.
- Just as you wouldn’t put low-quality gasoline in a luxury car, you need to make sure the fuel (aka food) you’re putting in your body can help it perform at optimal levels.
- But it’s not just the amount of protein that makes yogurt a smart post-workout choice—it’s the quality, too.
- New research shows why post-show recovery is often harder than prep for physique athletes.
- Consuming carbohydrates as part of a post-workout snack also helps to replenish glycogen stores.
If soreness and fatigue persist beyond 72 hours, your mays need to give your body more time to recover. During these periods, proper nutrition and hydration are essential because they allow you to rebuild your glycogen stores and help your muscles become stronger and more resilient in preparation for the next workouts. Neglecting this step can lead to increased muscle soreness, reduced performance, and a higher risk of injury. Conversely, supporting the recovery process through nutrition, hydration, and rest may help improve muscle function and reduce muscle soreness, ultimately enhancing your overall performance and recovery routine.
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While the faster absorption of whey is advantageous immediately after training, the overall 24-h impact on muscle growth appears comparable to other high-quality protein sources. Athletes can strategically incorporate whey protein into their post-exercise nutrition, recognizing its advantages while ensuring a balanced overall protein intake. Following resistance training, incorporating whey supplements may contribute to enhanced muscle building. In a study, participants who consumed a 20 g whey supplement before and after resistance exercise exhibited greater gains in muscle mass and strength over a 10-week period compared to those who took a placebo (137).
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The athlete nutrition guidelines under scrutiny in this manuscript play a pivotal role in guiding individuals to arrange their diet according https://www.uwhealth.org/news/eating-for-peak-athletic-performance to established recommendations. These guidelines not only serve the athletes themselves but also provide invaluable assistance to sports nutrition specialists in their work. The primary goal is to prevent disordered eating and eating disorders, which have become increasingly prevalent among the active population. As such, this manuscript seeks to comprehensively review current guidelines, offering a clear and updated overview. By doing so, it aims to empower athletes and active individuals to enhance their dietary practices, mitigating the risk of potential disordered eating.
Macronutrients for post-workout recovery
Omega-3, a type of PUFA, acts as a structural component within cell membranes of phospholipids. Omega-3 plays a crucial role in the inflammatory response of the body (78). It is recommended to take omega-3 after or with a reddit.com high-fat meal for optimal absorption (79). The safe recommended dose for omega-3 is 450–900 mg/day, with a maximum recommended dose of up to 3 g per day (80). Endurance activities of moderate to high levels of intensity, along with resistance-based workouts, heavily depend on carbohydrates as a primary fuel source. Therefore, maintaining essential glycogen stores, around 80–100 g in the liver and 300–400 g in the muscles of the skeletal system, is crucial.
Supplements can also be useful before exercise
Each macronutrient plays an important role before a workout, but the ratio in which to consume them may depend on several factors, such as the duration, intensity, and type of exercise. "Generally speaking, the recommendation is to consume a post-recovery drink within 15 to 30 minutes of completing a workout", said Mandy Enright, MS, RDN, RYT. A current TikTok trend has some people swapping their protein bars for a chunk of parmesan cheese. If you usually eat processed protein bars, switching them out for cheese may be a good idea, though this depends on your overall health.
"However, if a workout primarily focuses on resistance training, such as weightlifting or bodyweight exercises, it is especially important to prioritise protein intake", Miller said. Refuelling with nutritious foods and beverages after sweating out key electrolytes enables the body "to experience a boost in muscle growth and strength, while also reducing the risk of delayed onset muscle soreness", Miller explained. According to Fitness First coach Vikas Sharma, choosing natural, nutrient-rich drinks can prevent fatigue and muscle cramps while keeping hydration levels steady.