By: Ben Sizemore, Dietetic InternThere is nothing better than wrapping up at the gym and rewarding yourself with that slice of pizza you’ve been craving all day, right? Before you dig in to that pizza, have you ever considered how what you eat after exercise affects your body? The only food you need after a workout is protein, and lots of it, right? Wrong! Post workout nutrition is a highly studied field clouded with many misconceptions. Below are some answers to the most commonly disputed questions concerning eating after exercise. When to eat? Think of your muscles likes batteries; they store energy which is used to power your body during workouts. Adequate nutrition is important to ensure that your body’s “batteries” stay charged and keep your body running. It has been suggested that eating 15-30 minutes after exercise is the best for promoting muscle anabolism. If it is not possible to eat within this time frame following exercise, try to eat within 2-3 hours. Pre-workout nutrition may be beneficial in slowing post exercise muscle breakdown, especially if the post workout nutrition will be delayed beyond 2-3 hours. What to eat? One of the most important nutrients to eat after a workout is protein. Protein aids the body in chemical processes, helps transport compounds through the body, assists with immune system functioning, maintains fluid balance, and, most importantly for athletes, stimulates muscle protein synthesis. Although muscle protein synthesis is vital in sports, protein tends to be the only nutrient of focus for many athletes. What many athletes do not realize is that carbohydrates are just as important as protein, especially when recovering from exercise. Carbohydrates are the building blocks of glycogen, the stored form of energy found in muscles. Consuming carbohydrates causes insulin to be released in the body. Insulin stimulates amino acid uptake into muscles and slows muscle degradation. To put it simply, both carbohydrates and protein are needed to make the most out of your workout. How much to eat?
Dietary intake of nutrients should be individualized depending on the person. In general, guidelines recommend up to 25g of protein be consumed after a workout. It has been shown that this is the optimal amount of protein to maximally stimulate muscle synthesis. It has been suggested that a protein intake over 25g in one sitting can lead to the excess amino acids being metabolized for energy. Plant proteins have a lower digestibility than animal proteins; because of this, vegetarians/vegans should consume 10% more protein than what is recommended for non-vegetarian athletes. Carbohydrate guidelines recommend 1.5g/kg bodyweight within the first hour immediately after exercise to replenish glycogen stores. For some, these recommendations would result in a large amount of carbohydrates which may cause discomfort or GI distress. Some recommendations suggest that 0.8g/kg carbohydrate in addition to protein may enable the same amount of glycogen synthesis as a higher carbohydrate intake while providing a more tolerable intake.
1 Comment
9/9/2017 12:17:26 am
For a fitness freak like me this is really good post, only work out cannot make you fit, healthy diet is also a key, thanks for sharing this post with us
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