Best Post Workout Nutrition

Post workout nutrition refers to the foods or dietary supplements taken right after physical workouts, in order to repair the damaged muscle tissue and to stimulate the growth of lean mass.

While pre workout meals are important especially for boosting energy levels and sustaining longer and more intense training sessions, post workout ones have to restore your body’s internal balance and fuel reserves in order to keep you active during the day and to provide you the needed energy for your tasks. In addition, they have to maintain the weight-loss results obtained through hard fitness and cardio trainings.

Achieving all these goals is easier with a properly designed and personalized post workout nutrition plan, indicating the nutrients your body needs, the sources from which they are taken, the best time for having the post workout meal and the recommended amount of nutrients per serving.

Why post workout supplements are absolutely necessary

During intense workouts, your muscles use metabolic fuels coming from foods, supplements, or internal deposits at accelerated rates, in order to produce the fatty acids, amino acids, and glucose needed for continuous physical work. The process through which these substances are turned into extra energy is called oxidation and it cannot take place simultaneous to protein synthesis or glycogen formation.

This means that during physical exercises, your body does not really build up muscles: it only prepares them for growth and absorption of key constituents, using all the resources it has. So in order to repair the damaged tissue, to restore the hormonal equilibrium and replenish fuel reserves you have to feed your muscles with the nutrients they need.

Therefore, the main purposes of post workout nutrition are:

• To jumpstart the recovery of your muscles

• To encourage and sustain lean mass growth and development

• To maintain your metabolic rate high and to optimize your hormonal environment for continued fat breakdown during the day

As said before, all these goals can be achieved by using a highly qualitative dietary supplement, such as a natural protein shake or a post workout drink containing carefully selected carbs and proteins in liquid forms. For maximum results, the meal should be served within 30 minutes to 1 hour after the training.

The best formula for an efficient post workout nutrition plan

Of course you can take all the nutrients your body needs for recovery from regular foods, but solid products digest slowly so instead of helping your muscles grow and supplying your tissues with the needed substances, you’ll only force your stomach digest rough foods for hours.

This is why nutritionists and bodybuilders recommend using a liquid supplement right after an intense workout. Liquid meals digest faster and nutrients are easier absorbed into the blood flow and directed towards tissues.

Nevertheless, what type of drink is the best for optimum results? The rule is quite simple: a blend obtained from proteins, carbs, and water. If you cannot find liquid protein or carbohydrates shakes you can use professional powders and mix them with water in order to obtain the beverages.

Proteins are critical nutrients post-exercise, as they provide:

• the highest amount of amino acids used by the organism to rebuild the damaged tissues and grow stronger muscles

• enzymes and carriers that help the body adapt to workout routines

Protein synthesis reaches its peak after physical activity when your body utilizes up to 50% more nutrients than normally. This is why the recommended intake for building mass is 0.15-0.25 grams per pound of body weight. Glutamine (amino acid), whey protein rich in BCAAs (branched chain amino acids), and Arginine alpha-ketoglutarate (AAKG) are the most used ingredients in professional protein shakes.

Carbohydrates are also essential in a post workout nutrition plan as they:

• restore the levels of glycogen stored in muscles

• create an insulin spike which stimulates your organism to move nutrients into tissues quicker

• increase energy levels, diminishing fatigue

For most people, the recommended amount of carbs to be consumed after intense workouts ranges between 0.25 g and 0.4 g per pound of body weight. Dextrose and Maltodextrin are the most common carbohydrates found in post-exercise powders and beverages.

Water, vitamins, and minerals should also be included in a post workout meal, as they strengthen the tired muscles and repair them by speeding up nutrients absorption and bonding harmful free radicals.