Post Workout Nutrition - What Do I Eat After Intense Exercise?


Good nutrition helps support a strong immune system. The benefits of proper nutrition also include everything from improving your recovery to giving you good skin and producing optimal function of the body. Nutrition is absolutely essential to producing the kind of results you want. In addition, nutrition is a complex ever-expanding science, which we are getting new information almost everyday. I encourage you to eat whole foods and include starchy carbohydrates post workout. Always be sure to reach for whole grains, which are healthier due to their nutritional content and higher levels of fiber, minerals and vitamins.




I think body size, activity levels, other food sources, and specific goals would affect any recommendation provided for post workout nutrition. However, I do believe that eating starchy carbohydrates is beneficial during post workout periods when insulin sensitivity is high and muscle glucose uptake is rapid. I have also found that adding starchy carbs to my post work meals improves my recovery time between sessions.

Carbohydrates are important and required for optimal functioning. The best carbohydrates to ingest are the slow digesting, unprocessed, high fiber carbohydrates. There is, of course, one exception to this rule: After intense, carbohydrate-depleting exercise, rapid digesting carbohydrates can be ingested to help replenish carbohydrate stores.

It's also a good idea to eat starchy foods after intense exercise because they quickly help replenish carbohydrate stores. These foods include potatoes, legumes and beans, cereals, rice, grains, and breads. Remember to choose whole grains, and foods with quality nutritional content and higher levels of fiber, minerals and vitamins.

The window for carbohydrate replenishment is about 20 minutes of finishing training. This window provides a great opportunity to include starchy carbohydrates with your post workout meal. If you're at the gym or find it to challenging to eat a big meal after your workouts, consider including carbohydrate supplements with a protein shake post workout. Many athletes use a carbohydrate supplement with a protein supplement post workout because their bodies need immediate glycogen replacement. This is especially valuable if you follow-up weight training with a session of cardiovascular training.

Why not eat starchy carbohydrates if you've earned them? The reason carbohydrates are so important is that they provide fuel for intense training. Most training takes place in short, intense bursts. These bursts typically outrun the body's ability to supply oxygen to sustain the effort. Intense training creates a demand in the body for glycogen (carbohydrate) replenishment and amino acids. It is important to have enough carbohydrates in your system after training to avoid your body having to use up amino acids.

James continues to study the latest training, supplementation, and nutrition research to help you improve your overall health and wellness. Visit James' Exercise and Nutrition Blog for more details.

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