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I
have one question for you. What is your post-workout
nutritional regimen?
If
you answered "nothing," you are cheating
yourself out of results that are rightfully yours.
You may be wasting as much as 50% of your effort
in the gym by not maximizing your post-workout
nutrition!
When
you exercise, your body burns carbohydrates for
energy and breaks down your muscle tissue (especially
if you are weight training). Immediately after
a workout, the body has an enhanced ability to
utilize nutrients such as glucose (sugar) and
protein (your body's main building blocks) in
order to rebuild and recover from your exercise.
What
this essentially means is that your body is turbocharged
and ready to grow! This period of power lasts
for approximately four hours after a workout,
hence the name "Four-Hour Window of Opportunity."
Taking
in nutrients immediately after exercise helps
you to recover faster and feel better after a
workout. This can help you to not only gain muscle
faster, but also keep your metabolism fueled so
that you lose fat at a faster rate too!
But
what happens if you don't eat immediately following
a workout? Let me put it this way: it's definitely
a situation you want to avoid.
First,
your body starts breaking down muscle tissue in
undamaged areas of your body in order to get raw
materials to help repair the areas you just worked.
Over time, this will result in a loss of muscle
from your whole body.
Stress
hormones in the body (primarily a hormone called
cortisol) speed this process along. The stress
hormones are produced because working out is a
stress on the body - it's a totally natural but
results-stopping reaction. How do you control
the effects of cortisol? You eat as soon as you
can.
But
what do you eat after a workout to maximize your
results? Both protein and carbohydrates are important
for fast recovery.
Protein
Immediately
following a workout (within a few minutes of completion)
take in some protein. The easiest and best way
to do this is in the form of a protein powder
(whey is an excellent choice), though a food source
such as milk will do.
Taking
protein gives your body something to rebuild with
instead of tearing down its own muscle tissue
for raw materials. Do not take protein right before
a workout as it will just sit in your gut and
possibly cause bloating. Try to get about 30 to
40 grams of protein in as soon as you can after
you're done.
Carbohydrates
Take
in about 60 to 100 grams of carbohydrates to help
the body refuel. Your body is most efficient at
rebuilding its carbohydrate stores immediately
after a workout. It's important to take advantage
of this period.
A few
common examples of healthy carbs to take after
a workout include juices, fruits, and sports drinks.
Examples of protein foods include milk, eggs,
poultry, fish, meat, or soy products. Flavored
yogurt is an excellent example of a post-workout
snack. It contains carbs, protein and calcium
all in one.
Post-Workout Meal
About
one hour after your workout, take in a high quality
source of protein (as in the examples above) and
a good supply of carbohydrates such as grains,
potatoes, cereals, etc. At this time, the body
has settled down from the stress of the workout
and is looking to rebuild.
If
you're looking to get as much from your workouts
as you possibly can, you can see that post-workout
nutrition is critical. By supplying an ample amount
of raw materials right after you're done, you
will be preventing the body from breaking itself
down in order to recover. This means more results
from the effort you put into your workouts!
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