What to Eat After a Workout?

-

 How much physical activity do adults need?

            The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that adults do 150 minutes of aerobic activity and two days a week of muscle-strengthening every week. Aerobic activity is anything that gets your heart beating faster. Examples include walking your dog or riding your bike. Meeting these recommendations is vital for maintaining a healthy weight, reducing disease, and strengthening your bones and muscles.

            Those that have been working out consistently or are new to the gym may be wondering what to eat after a workout. Optimizing nutrition after training is vital if you put in the time and work to meet your fitness goals. In addition, timing and type of meals pre and post-workout are important to accelerate your fitness gains. In this blog post, we will discuss post-workout meals.


Include A Carbohydrate

            Carbohydrates are made of glucose which is the body's primary fuel source. The stored form of glucose is called glycogen. Your body requires this stored form of carbohydrates for energy to keep you going during a workout. Researchers recommend focusing on getting carbs and protein in after a workout. Milk is a good choice post-workout as 1 cup of milk contains 12 grams of carbohydrate and 8 grams protein (chocolate milk contains 27 gm carbs and 8 grams protein). The carbohydrates will replenish the glycogen stores lost during the workout, and the protein will help repair the tired muscles. It is recommended to eat within 45 minutes to an hour of completing an intense workout. Finally, rehydrate with fluids that you sweat out during exercise. Water is typically the best option for hydration.


Post Workout Meal Recommendations

·      Fruit smoothie with low-fat milk

·      A glass of chocolate milk

·      Yogurt with fruit

·      Protein shake with milk or non-Dairy Milk alternative

 


-       AS

https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/adults/index.htm

https://www.acsm.org/blog-detail/acsm-certified-blog/2018/06/25/what-to-eat-before-and-after-a-workout

https://www.eatright.org/fitness/exercise/exercise-nutrition/timing-your-pre-and-post-workout-nutrition

 

 


Comments

  1. UnknownSeptember 19, 2021 at 9:27 PM

    I love this post! It is so important to make sure you stay nourished following a workout. Great tips!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Are All Sugars Created Equal?

-
Image
Are All Sugars Created Equal?  I think one of the most confusing nutrition topics for people is sugar. With so many conflicting stories out there, it’s difficult to separate the facts from the fiction. Not to mention, the types of sugars are endless. How do we know what’s best for our bodies? White or brown sugar? Cane or raw? Should we just go with Stevia instead? Is it even okay to consume artificial sweeteners? Should we avoid foods with high amounts of natural sugar in them? Each answer only seems to lead to another question!  Let’s start off with distinguishing the purpose of sugar in the first place. Do our bodies even need it? The short answer is yes! Sugars are carbohydrates (what we commonly call “carbs”), one of the three main macronutrients that our bodies need for fuel to function and survive. One of the major ways to categorize sugar is by separating the “natural” sugars from the “added” sugars. Natural sugars are, well, naturally found in foods. They give us the energy th
Read more

Do you struggle with pre and post exercise nutrition?

-
Image
What should i eat before and after a workout? First things first…carbohydrates, proteins and fats are important for the body before  and after exercise. Exercising muscle preferentially uses carbohydrates from stored glycogen, but fats are also an important fuel source for energy production during exercise. Fats and carbohydrates are the two major fuel sources during exercise. Fats must be translocated and broken down from their storage form before they are used. Typically there is enough carbohydrate stored as muscle glycogen for exercise but as muscle glycogen stores decline, the skeletal muscle will then use some amino acids (basic components of all protein). More specifically, the amino acid leucine is used for energy.              It is important to consume an adequate amount of carbohydrates exercise to delay fatigue and minimize gastrointestinal distress. It is also important to consume enough fluids to prevent hypohydration. Now, lets talk about pre-exercise me
Read more