Post-workout recovery
As a
personal
trainer, I receive a lot of questions from my clients in regards
to post-workout recovery. After all, the workout is just a stimulus for the body
to change, the recovery and the subsequent meals and rest are what allows your
body to adapt recover and change. So what is the most ideal nutrition
post-workout to speed up that recovery process? And is there such a thing as the
anabolic window?
When we perform a workout, especially a resistance training workout, we break
down our muscles and cause little micro-tears within the muscles. In order for
those muscle tears to recover regroup and strengthen, it's very important to get
the proper nutrition to speed up the process. So what is the most ideal
post-workout recovery meal? After working out, our bodies are craving protein
and carbohydrate for a couple reasons. The protein is going to help to build,
maintain, and repair the broken down muscle tissue from the subsequent exercise.
The carbohydrate is going to replenish glycogen supplies within the muscle and
thus aide in recuperation as well. That is all well and dandy so what do we do
have a steak and some potato chips or something? Absolutely not and here's the
reason.
When you are working out, blood is being sent to the working muscles in order to
perform the exercise. However when your body is trying to digest, blood is also
needed in the digestive system in order to break down the solid food into a
liquid form that can be absorbed. Additionally, the goal of the post-workout
recovery meal is to get protein and carbohydrate to the muscles as fast as
humanly possible. In order to do this, the best option in my opinion and many
others, is to consume a post workout meal in liquid form. It has been well
documented that the best protein shake to have in liquid form is whey protein.
Whey protein has the best ratio of amino acids and contains the most leucine
isoleucine and valine which are the branched chain amino acids.
Additionally we need to make sure we add some carbohydrate. You could do this in
many forms. You could use a dextrose solution or some sort of carbohydrate
solution PowerAde Gatorade Etc. or whatever you feel is best. It is my belief
that there is such thing as the anabolic window which by definition means that
your body post-workout is in an anabolic state in which it can incorporate those
nutrients at a quicker rate.
So in summation, the post workout meal is very important in that we are needing
to deliver protein and carbohydrate to those working muscles. Also, it should be
of consideration that the post workout meal should be in a liquid form rather
than a solid.
I hope this article is helpful and if you have any questions always feel free to
reach out to us at Every body's personal trainer