So why is out post workout meal SO important?
I remember a time where I just simply wouldn't eat post workout..why gain the calories you lost right? HA. old me. OH OLD ME. How you amuse new me. If you want to SHAPE your body, you need to eat, and post workout nutrition..that shit's important.
The body deals with nutrients differently at different times, depending on activity. Therefore, what we consume around our workouts is very important, good post workout nutrition is therefore important in our recovery, and ultimately building our body composition.
Post workout nutrition can be manipulated in a way that it decreases muscle breakdown and increases protein synthesis, it also replenishes our glycogen stores! When we exercise, we are ultimately encouraging the breakdown of old protein, protein breakdown increases greatly when we exercise but we also increase protein synthesis. However, the increase in protein synthesis is rather small in comparison to the breakdown of old proteins. The balance between breakdown and synthesis is vital in muscle growth, when we allow our body to have the correct amount of raw materials for protein synthesis muscle growth and recovery can be achieved. As soon as you finish your workout, the sooner you can get some fuel back in you, the better. The quicker you replenish your muscles, the faster the recovery and protein synthesis.
Cortisol; the human stress hormone contributes to the breakdown of muscle tissue as it stimulates glucogenesis - the breakdown of amino acids in the liver to create more glycogen. BUT goooood news, post workout nutrition can prevent this.
But what should you eat?
Well, there are plenty of things you can eat post workout, it definitely doesn't have to be boring. There are many ways to get those carbs and proteins in, but some are more efficient than others. One way is to go for refined sugars to get that insulin 'spike' this CAN be helpful for endurance athletes who are training or competing with little breaks in between. However, as post workout nutrition, I believe it's far more efficient to provide your body with complex carbs post workout. Mainly because, it replenishes your glycogen stores evenly over a longer period and can lead to a better workout the next day.
Fructose
Put simply, fructose or fruit sugar is not a very efficient post workout carb, it is poor at restoring muscle glycogen post workout and does not raise insulin levels sufficiently. Fruit post workout is not a bad thing, but make sure you're getting in some other carb source.
Proteins are essential in that the body requires a fast release of Amino acids for protein synthesis. According to research, insulin level regulates the balance between protein synthesis and breakdown. A level of 15-30 u/L has been proven to aid protein synthesis and inhibit protein breakdown and this can be easily achieved though a mix of proteins and carbs post workout. Saying this, supplementation (whey protein) Is an awesome post workout protein fix, as it it's a FAST source of protein, it's easily digested and it's easily consumable post gym. There is evidence that those who consume a protein shake post workout rather than just a regular meal have a faster rate of protein synthesis post exercise and a better performance.
As for fats, some believe that the consumption of fats post workout actually inhibit glycogen replenishing. However, this has been proven untrue. It does not reduce the benefits of carbs/protein post training. It may even improve recovery. Fats are an essential part to anyone's diet and should definitely not be avoided. I mainly focus on carbs & protein post workout though!
Taking all this into account..
Post workout nutrition should provide a source of carbs and protein!
As for carbs, I recommend some complex, low releasing carbs such as Oats, sweet potato, wholemeal pasta or rice. As for protein, there is obviously a vast range of proteins you could choose from in meats and fish (my faves being chicken, turkey and tuna) as well as the use of protein shakes.
My perfect post workout meal
PROTEIN EGG WHITE ZOATS!
why zoats? more fibre, more filling, more fluffy, more satisfying, more nutrients.
Ingredients
1/2 cup oats, 1/2 grated zucchini/courgette, a little water, 1 scoop of whey (I used chocolate), 1/2 a banana, 1 egg white.
 |
| so. damn. fluffy. |
Directions
1) Mix the shredded courgette and the oats in a bowl, add a little water (not too much, you want it thick and not watery, watery oats are always a sad sad occasion)
2) Set the microwave for 3 mins, stir every 30s. When your microwave has 1 minute left, add the egg white, and stir thoroughly, put it back in and stir every 20s until you reach the end.
3) Mix in your mashed banana and whey and VOILA. top with anything you fancy, I usually add some cinnamon because I love it.
Macros : calories: 341, carbs 34, fat, 6, Protein 33.
More post workout ideas can be found here
No comments:
Post a Comment