What to Eat After Your Workout…
I’m often asked what should be eaten after working out so in this video I share what I eat afterwards.
It’s important to remember that everyone may be in a slightly different place in their fitness journey. If you’re starting to train intensely, then you’ll want to maximize your results when you have a ‘post workout’ meal.
Intense training stimulates a para-sympathetic nervous system response which means that cortisol is stimulated. Cortisol is the ‘fight or flight’ hormone that allows your body to pump energy to your muscles.
If we have a constant drip of cortisol (from stress and lack of sleep), our body tends to store belly fat ➡ not good!
But cortisol production during an intense workout can be advantageous to provide energy.
It’s important when the workout is over, to stop cortisol release and start the recovery process. This is where an insulin response comes in handy.
Whenever you ingest carbohydrate, your body responds by producing insulin (and this immediately stops the cortisol drip). Typically, I suggest that we control insulin spikes since fat loss is less likely to occur in the presence of insulin. However, a spike in insulin is desired after a workout. Cell membranes are permeable and insulin can carry much needed energy and building blocks for recovery and repair/rebuilding of muscle.I’m just starting to add liquid carbs to my post workout shake and I’ve noticed an increase in recovery/energy. The average person should have about a 1:1 ratio of carbs/protein. An athlete should have about a 2:1 ratio of carbs/protein and a games athlete or athlete doing insanely intense workouts can have as much as 4:1 ratio of carbs/protein.
My preference is to EAT my carbs instead of drinking them, but I’m actually just adding these carbs on top of my usual carb intake for the day. As I discover how my body reacts, I will likely increase the liquid carbs into that shake.
Fats are not desirable directly after a workout. They are slow to digest and slow down insulin production which in this case is desired.
My post-post workout meal will likely have some fat, more carbs and moderate protein. For example, I may have oatmeal, blackberries, a scoop of Greek yogurt and a bit of almond butter.
If all of this is WAY too much for you, consider just having a small protein shake or snack after you workout. Although my best advice is to have a whey isolate protein shake because it digests the fastest. It will start the recovery process and it will keep you from severe hunger so that you’ll avoid making unhealthy choices.
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