There's a lot that goes into preparing a workout to help you attain your goals. Similarly, what you eat before you workout is equally as important as what you consume afterward.
It's crucial to understand how physical activity impacts your body before learning how to eat the correct foods afterward.
Your muscles eat up their glycogen stores while you exercise, which is the body's main fuel source, especially during high-intensity workouts. Your muscles will be somewhat drained of glycogen as a result of this. If you begin your workout depleted, some of the proteins in your muscles may be broken down and destroyed.
Your body works to replace glycogen stores, as well as repair and regrow muscle protein, after a workout. After you exercise, eating the correct nutrients can help your body do this more efficiently. This is where post-workout carbohydrates and protein sources come in handy.
This benefits your body in the following ways:
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Reduce the breakdown of muscular protein
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Muscle protein synthesis stimulation (growth)
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Replenishing glycogen stores
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Improve recovery
Protein, carbohydrates, and lipids all play a role in your body's post-workout recovery.
Protein aids in muscle repair and growth
Muscle protein is broken down during exercise. The rate at which this occurs varies depending on the exercise and your level of training, although even well-trained athletes lose muscle protein.
After an exercise, consuming enough protein provides your body with the amino acids it requires to repair and rebuild these proteins. It also provides the necessary building blocks for the development of new muscular tissue.
It's best to consume 0.3–0.5 grams/kg of protein right after a workout. However, some studies suggest that ingesting protein before and after an exercise has a similar impact on muscle strength, hypertrophy, and body composition changes.
Ingesting 20-40 grammes of protein boosts the body's ability to recuperate after exercise, according to studies.
Carbohydrates for recovery
During exercise, your body's glycogen stores are depleted, and eating carbohydrates afterward helps to refill them.
The rate at which your glycogen stores are depleted is determined by your exercise level. Endurance activities, for example, lead your body to burn more glycogen than resistance training. As a result, if you participate in endurance training, you may need to ingest more carbohydrates than if you lift weights.
Within 30 minutes after training, 1–1.5 grams/kg of body weight is regarded ideal for glycogen resynthesis.
Furthermore, when carbs and protein are ingested together, insulin production, which stimulates glycogen formation, is boosted more effectively. Try eating these in a 3:1 ratio (carbs:protein). For example, 40 grammes of protein and 120 grammes of carbohydrates.
For those who train twice in an 8-hour period, eating sufficient of carbs to replenish glycogen stores is critical. This becomes less crucial if you have one or two days off between workouts.
Fat does not have to be completely avoided
Many individuals believe that eating fat after an exercise causes digestion to slow down. While fat may decrease the absorption of your post-workout meal, it has no effect on its nutritional value.
Muscle glycogen production was not influenced by eating a high fat meal (45 percent energy from fat) after working exercise, according to one study.
While it's a good idea to minimise your fat intake after exercise, having some fat in your post-workout meal shouldn't hinder your recovery.
The main purpose of your post-exercise meal is to provide your body with the nutrition it needs to recover properly and reap the full advantages of your workout. Faster nutrient absorption can be achieved by eating meals that are easily digestible.
Combinations of the foods listed below can create great meals that provide you with all the nutrients you need post-exercise:
Carbs
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Sweet potato
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Quinoa
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Fruits (eg pineapple, berries, banana, kiwi)
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Rice cakes
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Rice
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Potatoes
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Pasta
Protein
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Whey / Plant-based protein powder
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Eggs
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Greek yoghurt
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Cottage cheese
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Salmon
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Chicken/Beef
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Cod
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Tuna
Fats
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Avocado
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Nuts
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Nut butter
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Seeds
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Trail mix