What is a post-workout meal? After the body consumes a lot of its energy exercising, post-workout meals help replenish the lost nutrients in your body.
You also tend to tear muscle tissues or sweat off electrolytes and diminish your glycogen storage while working out. (1) Hence, you need a protein-filled meal after a workout to support and fuel your body to recover faster.
What to Eat Post Workout?
Putting your body through an intense workout increases your need for replenishment of energy. Protein after a workout is a primary but not the only requirement for recovery and muscle growth there are several other factors. A workout diet should include:
Protein
While working out muscle is broken down, and your body needs dietary protein to help rebuild itself. Exercise triggers extra muscle growth which is why weightlifting makes you stronger. It also creates a greater need for proteins and replenishing it should be your priority post-workout.
A study suggested that increasing the protein intake for several months by 0.1kg per day in a dose-dependent manner over the range of doses from 0.5 to 3.5g/kg per day may increase or maintain lean body mass. (5)
Protein intake varies depending on your size and the amount of protein consumed throughout the day. For a smaller build, 20 grams of protein is ideal while someone with a larger build needs around 40 grams of protein post-workout.
Carbohydrates
Carbs are required for replenishing expended energy, as the glycogen depletes after the first hour of exercising. The longer and harder you push yourself in a workout the more glycogen is consumed. Hence, carbs are the only way to replenish it.
Several studies conducted over the course of 40 to 50 years have consistently pointed out carbs as the primary macronutrient for sustaining and improving physical performance. (6)
Eating carbs before a workout maximizes the potential of the routine and helps fuel a long, difficult workout. Post-workout carbs help refuel glycogen and help regain energy.
Hydration
Water is an essential part of your body to keep you functioning well. While exercising you tend to lose water through sweat and hydration is of utmost importance.
Drink plenty of water during your workout. The body tends to lose around three liters of fluid per hour through sweat. The post-workout goal should be replenishing lost fluid or compensating for not hydrating during the workout.
You may also end up losing sodium through sweat, you can replace that post-workout through food. If the workout duration runs longer, replacing these essential minerals during the exercise is important. Sports drinks contain sodium for this reason.
Eat as per your need
The quantity of meals post-workout depends solely on you as an individual. Hence, it was suggested by research to have more than just a glass of chocolate milk. As every individual body requires something more or something less.
Your protein requirement is determined by your body size, and carbs by how many calories you consume per day, along with what you ate before a workout and during your workout. However, water should be consumed throughout the workout.
When to Eat In Your Post-Workout Meal?
Just as it is important to fuel up before a workout it is essential that you eat after exercising. Firstly, because you will likely be hungry, and secondly your body uses up a bunch of calories and needs to be refueled as well. Working out also breaks down the muscles; you need to consume protein to rebuild them. It is also essential to have a post-workout meal for muscle gain.
While being hungry post-workout isn’t the only reason for you to eat, science explains that it is essential to eat after exercise for various other reasons.
A study conducted found that following an exhausting ride, trained cyclists showed significantly more power and rode faster when they were given low-fat chocolate milk in their post-workout recovery meal. (4)
“Nutrient timing” refers to the window you have after a workout to eat to maximize the benefits. Some early research has suggested the best time frame for eating post-workout meals would be either immediately after exercising, 15 minutes after, or 30 minutes after.
While recent studies have expanded on the early studies, and researchers have tested eating one hour or two hours after exercise. They examined the difference between fasted exercisers compared to those who have had a pre-workout meal, and the results indicated that one should eat within 30 minutes post-workout.
The results also showed that post-workout supplements are important in certain situations. If you have begun your workout fasting or with only a small meal, it’s essential to use post-workout supplements.
If you are on a weight loss diet, the post-workout meal is critical, and the calories should be appropriately rationed for before and after a workout.
Balancing with Training and Nutrient Foods:
We have learned that exercise and diet are the primary pillars of a healthy lifestyle but coordinating eating and workout schedules can also improve fitness results.
Finding a balance between a top-notch diet and stimulating exercise can be challenging. Unhealthy eating habits such as eating at odd times, unhealthy food, skipping meals, overeating, and binge snacking in between, with no workout schedules and suffering from injuries can lead to a very unhealthy lifestyle, hence flexibility is necessary to keep a diet and exercise schedule remarkable.
Eating regularly throughout the day and maintaining proper blood sugar and energy levels, along with regular exercise and consistently burning consumed calories, can help achieve maximum physical results.
Having a diet plan is crucial for maximizing daily workouts and recovery, especially if you are training for an athletic event, race, or a big game.
The big day can be affected by eating the wrong food, drinking too much, either consuming too little, or not timing a meal more efficiently. You must eat more carefully pre-event to help ensure that all the training pays off.
Maintaining an appropriate sports nutrition plan helps create perfect opportunities for better results.
Effective Eating Before a Workout:
Eating effectively before a workout requires following two rules:
- Paying attention: It is not unusual for people to overlook the importance of basic nutrition. The lack of minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients can compromise health and performance. Eating plenty of healthy foods such as vegetables and fruits, consuming lean proteins, and healthy fats, and hydrating helps retain energy and nutrients during the workout.
- No skipping meals: Even if your workout is aimed at losing weight it is essential that you fuel up your body with nutrition to avoid a reduction in muscle mass, low bone density, and fatigue. Skipping on meals could also risk injuries and illnesses, reduces your recovery time, and could cause hormonal problems for women. (2)
Why to Eat before a Workout?
There have been studies that suggest eating or drinking carbs before working out can improve performance and allow you to work out for a longer duration with a higher intensity. Skimming on meals might lead you to feel lightheaded and sluggish while working out.
If you work out in the morning, it would be a good choice to do so within the first hour of breakfast and eat a light breakfast such as
- Oatmeal
- Low-fat milk
- Fresh Fruit Juice
- Banana
- Yogurt
Consuming caffeine before workouts can be okay, however, it is best to avoid any new foods as it might risk you having an upset stomach.
When to Eat Before a Workout?
For people that work out within one or two hours in the morning after breakfast or usually before lunch or dinner, it is essential that you consume at least 15-25 grams of carbs to help you train longer as well as intensely. It also helps preserve muscle.
If your workouts have longer gaps between your meals then it is important to have a more diverse meal that includes fat and protein along with carbs. The general guideline dictates that you eat a full meal three to four hours before working out, along with a high-carb snack two hours before, or a smaller easily digestible carb right before you start.
Some mini snacks you can consume pre-workout
- Bananas
- Boiled eggs
- Dry Fruits
- Hummus
- Peanut butter
- Yogurt
- Upma/Poha
The snacks should be low in fat and fiber so that your body can quickly digest them.
What to Eat Before a Workout?
Some foods that are perfectly balanced in nutrients to consume before a workout
- Oatmeal: excellent choice before morning workouts, as it digests well and is a great source of energy. Topping it with some fruits may prove beneficial.
- Brown rice and chicken: While some people enjoy working out in the morning, some with a schedule of work or college may require to workout after fulfilling their engagements in the evening, brown rice is an excellent choice of meal for them as it is absorbed slowly and is a good source of carbs and fiber. Chicken is an ideal form of lean meat and protein, and a bowl of brown rice provides around 200-300 calories, hence making it a great pre-workout meal.
- Protein shakes- Protein shakes are a gym enthusiast’s best friend. It is extremely important for the overall development of muscles, bones, and skin. It is a good substitute if you do not receive an adequate amount from natural sources.
- Bananas: contains starch and sugar that gives the body the necessary energy, they are also rich in carbs, and having one medium-sized banana can keep you energized through a 45-minute workout routine. (Results may vary from body to body)
- Peanut butter sandwich: peanut butter is a nutrient-dense food that can be a great addition to muscle building diet and workout along with whole wheat bread
- Energy bars: pre-workout bars are reserves of energy during exercise, as they are high in carbs and contain fat, proteins, and fiber they can help aid as an energy booster during the workout.
- Yoghurt: Greek yogurt or dahi contains protein and calcium along with a small amount of natural sugar. It is easy to digest and can be combined with whole-grain cereals, honey, and fruits for a quick energy boost. (3)
Should you Eat During a Workout?
Yes!! Eating during a workout can help avoid burnout. Burnout occurs when the stored glycogen depletes. Once that happens it is impossible to continue working out the routine as your body and mind aren’t willing.
The higher the intensity of a workout the greater the depletion of glycogen. Sprinting is known to deplete it the most. To avoid these mid-workout burnouts consuming carbs (from an energy bar) can do the trick. Intake of carbs during a workout helps build stamina and endurance.
Post-workout it is essential to intake protein and carbs to help replenish and rebuild muscles and recover.
Does Intermittent Fasting Work for Weight Loss?
Intermittent fasting unlike other diets is focused on ‘when’ you eat rather than ‘what’ you eat.
The idea of intermittent fasting is based on that you only eat during a specific time of the day. For instance, you might eat only eight hours each day and fast for the remainder. Or you might choose to eat only one meal a day for a couple of days or a week. There are various intermittent fasting schedules.
After hours of going without food, the body exhausts its sugar stores and starts burning fat, which is referred to as metabolic switching.
The metabolic switch has the potential to improve the body’s composition within overweight individuals. Moreover, intermittent fasting also helps optimize physiological function, enhance performance, and even slow aging and disease processes. (7)
Intermittent fasting may have different effects on different people, so it is best to consult with your primary healthcare physician if you experience headaches, unusual anxiety, nausea, or other symptoms after beginning intermittent fasting.
1 Comment
Very informative