POST-WORKOUT SNACKS: WHAT TO EAT AND WHY?
If you’re trying to reach your newly set fitness goals for this year, then you’ll need to look further than what exercises/training you are doing. In order to make headway on the gains you’re after, you must assess what you’re eating. A comprehensive diet is entirely important for your fitness journey, but we will look at one part more specifically. Post-workout meals are an essential piece for your recovery. They provide the body with the necessary fuel it takes to replenish from all the work you’ve just completed.
The Metabolism and Food Fuel
Our body’s metabolism functions much like a wood-burning stove or a car engine. By that, I mean they require wood or fuel in order to perform properly. The less fuel that is supplied, the less output it can maintain. A car has a gas tank, which acts as its stored fuel to supply energy. In the human body, we store energy in the form of glycogen. This sugar is stored throughout our muscles and our liver as well. Glycogen is used during exercise to supply our muscles with the energy to perform work. We have a finite amount that can be used during exercise, which means that it must be resupplied when we are finished. In addition to our glycogen stores, our muscles undergo a certain amount of stress when we workout. Part of the soreness you physically feel is individual muscle fibers damaged by exercise. This is a completely normal occurrence that can be easily remedied with proper amounts of post-workout fueling, but how much?
Other Factors and What to Do?
Many factors like size, age, sex, experience, and training type influence the amount necessary for post-workout fueling. For most individuals that are looking to replenish glycogen and protein after a workout, the ideal ratio of carbs to protein is 3:1. Carbohydrates help restore our glycogen stores, and protein helps to rebuild the damaged muscle fibers. The ratio of 3:1 means that you should eat 3 times as much carbs as you do protein. Our bodies can only absorb about 20-30 grams of protein every 2-3 hours. With this in mind, we know that we should eat 60-90 grams of carbs for every 20-30 grams of protein following a workout. Aim to eat this meal 30-60 minutes after you workout so that your body can start recovery right away. If you’re working out in the morning, ensure that you continue to eat regular meals throughout the day after your recovery meal. Our bodies need nutrients every 3 hours or so following hard training sessions to recover effectively.
Omniferous options
Lean Meats - chicken, turkey, fish, red meats
White Rice - jasmine, basmati, wild
Beans - soy, white, kidney, black
Potatoes - yukon gold, sweet, red
Nut butters - peanut, almond, hazelnut
Chocolate Milk or Whey Protein Isolates
Fruits - bananas, apples, oranges, kiwis, peaches, berries, etc.
Cheeses - cottage, blue, swiss (these are particularly high in protein)
Yogurts
Oats & Grains - wheat, barley, quinoa, oatmeal
Vegetarian options
Non-meat sources - eggs, tofu, tempeh
White Rice - jasmine, basmati, wild
Beans - soy, white, kidney, black
Potatoes - yukon gold, sweet, red
Nut butters - peanut, almond, hazelnut
Chocolate Milk or Whey Protein Isolates
Fruits - bananas, apples, oranges, kiwis, peaches, berries, etc.
Cheeses - cottage, blue, swiss (these are particularly high in protein)
Yogurts
Oats & Grains - wheat, barley, quinoa, oatmeal
Vegan options
Non-meat sources - tofu, tempeh, edamame
White Rice - jasmine, basmati, wild
Legumes - soy, white, kidney, black, most other beans, lentils, chickpeas, green peas
Potatoes - yukon gold, sweet, red
Nut butters - peanut, almond, hazelnut
Fruits - bananas, apples, oranges, kiwis, peaches, berries, etc.
Leafy greens - spinach, bok choy, arugula, kale