Post-workout diet isn’t as important as you might think

Getting enough carbs and protein after training A great way to fuel yourself and support your goals, whether you are training for strength, endurance, or both. But what if you don’t have the perfect post-workout meal ready?

You Can’t “Waste” Your Workout

Before considering whether the “anabolic window” is real or not, we need to address the following prevalent myth. People will tell you with a straight face that you’re “wasting” your workout if you don’t fuel properly before and after your workout.

there is No training is wastedI literally can’t imagine a way to offset the effects of my workout.exercise trigger Many adaptations in our body: build muscle, regulate cellular sensitivity to insulin, management our mental health and more. Not eating properly and exercising is like the Grinch spending Christmas. Stall A few present—memaybe not all can But important things still happen.

But is skipping a post-workout meal (or even eating something that’s classified as junk food rather than “optimal”) really bad?

what happens in the post-workout window

The 30 minutes (or 15 minutes or 2 hours, depending on who you ask) after your workout are sometimes called the “anabolic window” or “metabolic window.” Also, are you talking to lifters (who are most interested in eating protein and building muscle) or endurance athletes (who are most interested in eating carbs to replenish muscle glycogen)? However, the two ideas are related and for most people it is best to eat a meal or snack that contains both protein and carbohydrates. .

The “Assimilation Window” Is Probably A Myth

It’s not a crazy idea to think that eating protein after exercise will help you build more muscle. Stacking these two events, we can think of even bigger It signals your body to build muscle.

There are some studies that seem to To support this idea, however, research in the last few decades has failed to prove that an anabolic window exists. Strange as it may seem. Ask people to drink certain shakes without eating anything else, and researchers look for signs of MPS at specific times. This is very different from the real-world question, “If he’s constantly shaking after working out, will he be jacked more in a year than if he weren’t?”

and 2018 Evidence Review, exercise physiologist Brad Schoenfeld writes: Total daily protein intake is the most important factor in promoting exercise-induced muscle development. ” He said, as long as you eat within 3-4 hours, Previous It doesn’t matter when you eat after training.

If you need a specific prescription, I’ll give you some numbers.Often Your pre-workout and post-workout meals each contain 0.4-0.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (30 grams for a 130-pound person and 45 grams for a 200-pound person).Make sure those meals are no more than 6 hours away. In other words, You can have lunch at noon, work out in the afternoon, and have dinner at 6. No special shake required.

The ‘Glycogen Window’ Is Real, But Most People Can Ignore It

So what about carbs for endurance athletes? There’s a slight timing effect here, but unless you plan on doing your second workout in less time, it’s nothing to worry about. 24 hours or more. There are a few other factors as well, which I will discuss.

The problem here is glycogen, where our bodies store carbohydrates. Glucose is used as a fuel during high-intensity training to supplement fat burning during low-intensity training.when you eat Previous For example, when you exercise, such as eating breakfast before going for a run, your body uses glucose supplied by your gut through your blood. In other words, blood sugar is your fuel.

However, our muscles have their own stores of glycogen, a storage form of carbohydrates.we don’t have many Glycogen can be depleted in one very long workout, or in a series of workouts that don’t replenish in between. when glycogen is depleted When Low blood sugar can make you feel tired. This is why the marathoner eats a snack or sports his drink (and sucks up a little packet of jelly) while running. That’s why powerlifters bring candy to the gym. Well, that and the fact that you can’t have a bad day while eating Sour Patch Kids.

Right after a workout, our muscles are starving for glycogen, so a post-workout snack can quickly replenish glycogen.

But what happens if you don’t replenish your glycogen quickly?Eating regular meals throughout the day will replenish anyway.

So, do you need to replenish glycogen after training? Yes. If I plan to do another workout soon (e.g. later in the day), and If unable to eat immediately before or during another workout, If I care a lot about my performance and fatigue level during my next workout. If he’s an athlete who works out twice a day on a regular basis, he’ll want to get into the habit of eating carbs with every workout. Others don’t need to worry too much.

If you don’t have healthy options, is it better to eat junk food or nothing at all?

So post-workout meals may be helpful for endurance sports and slightly helpful for strength training, but in any case, as long as you’re eating well throughout the day, they’re not critical to your gains. But there is another question that I have asked several times.if i I want You eat post-workout, and there’s no perfect meal. Is it better to eat things like cookies, fast food, or nothing at all?

In that case I say: EAnything convenient, as long as it doesn’t ruin your nutrition for the day. Hamburgers provide plenty of protein (from the meat) and carbohydrates (from the bun).

If you only have cookies or candy available, they will replenish your glycogen well, but you should be aware that they are doing nothing for your protein needs. It has a reputation as a recovery drink because it is a convenient source of both.

What ultimately matters is whether you’re getting enough protein throughout the day, and whether you’re getting carbs when you need them.worldYou should still eat your vegetables, but they can wait until another meal.