Proper Post-Workout Nutrition Will Assist In Sculpting A Better Body

As you’ve doubtless heard before, your post-workout meal may very well be your most important meal of the day. The basis is that when you’re done with an intense workout, you’re entering a catabolic state where your muscle glycogen is exhausted and enlarged cortisol levels start to excessively break down muscle tissue. These conditions are not good and the only way to quash this catabolic state (and promote an anabolic state) is to consume a rapidly digestible post-workout meal as abruptly as you can after working out.

The goal is to take a meal with clearly digestible abrupt carbs to reload muscle glycogen as well as rapidly digestible protein to give the amino acids required to jump start muscle repair. The flow of carbohydrates and amino acids from this rapidly digested meal promotes an insulin spike from the pancreas, which shuttles nutrients into the muscle cells.

The post-workout meal should normally include between 300-500 calories to get the best response. For example, a 120-lb female may only need a 300-calorie meal, while a 200-lb male may need a 500-calorie post-workout meal. Your post-workout meal should also include from a 2:1 ratio of carbs:protein to a 4:1 ratio of carbs:protein. While most of your other daily meals should include a trace of healthy fats, keep the fat content of your post-workout meal to a bare minimum, while fat slows the absorption of the meal, which is the reverse of what you want after a workout.

When choosing what to make for your post-workout meal, the first thing to attain is that you DON’T need any of these costly post-workout supplement formulations that all of the complex ads you see everywhere will tell you that you absolutely need! As with any nutritional strategies, natural is always better. Plus you'll get a elevated nutrient density by focusing on natural ingredients as I clarify here vs. the maltodextrin and refined sugar that are typically included in the fancy post workout supplement shakes.

A good source of rapidly digestible natural carbs such as frozen bananas, pineapples, honey, or organic maple syrup are ideal to acquire an insulin answer that will promote muscle glycogen replenishment and a common anabolic (muscle building) effect. The best source of rapidly digestible protein is a quality non-denatured whey protein isolate and/or some fat-free or low-fat yogurt. Here are a couple ideass for delicious post-workout smoothies that will kick start your recovery method:

Chocolate Banana - blend together 1 cup water, ½ cup skim milk, one and a half frozen bananas, 2 tbsp organic maple syrup, and 30 grams chocolate whey protein powder - 38 g prot, 72 g carb, 0.5 g fat, 440 calories.

Pineapple Vanilla - blend together 1 cup water, ½ cup vanilla yogurt, one cup frozen pineapples, 2 tbsp honey (preferably raw), and 30 grams vanilla whey protein powder - 35 g prot, 71 g carb, 0.5 g fat, 425 calories.

When looking to reduce body fat, keep in mind that post-workout meals should have the reverse characteristics of all of your other meals throughout each day. While post-workout meals should have swift high glycemic index carbs and rapidly digested proteins, all of your other meals throughout the day should be comprised of low glycemic index, gradually digested carbs and slow release proteins.

These are powerful strategies towards developing a lean muscular body with reduced body fat percentages. Another great thing about post-workout meals is that you can satisfy even the worst sweet tooth, since this is the one time of the day where you can get away with eating extra sugars without adding to your waistline. Instead, it all goes straight to the muscles! Enjoy!

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