How to Eat Right:After the Workout
   by Bob Wells, CPT, PES

Maria Sharapova post workout / Co

Do you ever wonder what you should eat and/or drink after a workout? Gatorade? Smoothie? What about chicken or fish? A salad? This uncertainty about post workout nutrition is common among neophytes and experienced athletes/exercisers alike. Many people opt to skip the post workout meal, instead "saving" the calories for another time. To paraphrase NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley, this is a terrible idea.

After reading this article, you will come to understand why skipping post workout meals is antithetical to your fitness goals. You will also learn what types of foods and beverages you should consume to positively influence your body composition and athletic performance.

According to Ryan Andrews of Precision Nutrition, there are three primary ideas to understand when it comes to post workout nutrition:

1. The body deals with nutrients differently at different times, depending on type and intensity of activity.
2. What you consume before, during, and especially after your workout is very important.
3. By consuming particular nutrients after your workouts, you improve your body composition, performance, and overall recovery.

As athletes/exercisers, we need to replenish energy stores, increase muscle quality or size, and repair the damage caused by the workout. The more intense the workout, the greater the tissue damage (at the micro level) and the more fuel that is burned, further necessitating proper post workout nutrition. 

Lolo Jones / Courtesy Detroit Sports Nation

These workouts make us stronger, leaner, and fitter in the long run. However, in the short term our system needs repair and fuel. This process of repair and rebuilding occurs by the breakdown of damaged and old proteins (termed protein breakdown) and the construction of new ones (termed protein synthesis). This process is collectively known as protein turnover.

Muscle protein synthesis is increased slightly or not at all after resistance workouts. However, protein breakdown increases dramatically after an intense workout. There is more destruction than construction taking place. By consuming appropriate nutrients within the "window of opportunity" (up to two hours following training), you stimulate muscle repair, muscle growth, and increase muscle strength. 

If you delay, or skip the post workout meal, you further damage your body since your body will catabolize muscle tissue to "feed" itself. In addition to giving you a higher percentage of body fat, your metabolism will slow down due to the decreased muscle tissue.

Now that we know the "dangers" of skipping the post workout meal, we need to know what to have. The post workout meal should consist of proteins and carbohydrates. Proteins are used to aid in protein synthesis, and carbohydrates are used to replace muscle glycogen and enhance the role of insulin in bringing nutrients into cells.

Liquids, such as smoothies or protein shakes, are often the post workout "meal" of choice since they result in faster digestion and absorption than solid foods. Liquids are also tolerated easier during and after workouts.

My post workout drink of choice is the Protein Knock Out from Juice Generation. It contains 44 grams of protein, 55 grams of carbohydrates, strawberries, bananas, and more. It is also very delicious, and quickly replenishes the energy stores that I have depleted during my training. If you don't have a Juice Generation or the like near you, there is no need to worry. It is easy to make smoothies to have right after your workout.

Equinox's Brian Riley loves his "Green Juice". He takes kale, ginger, carrots, orange, and spinach. He then blends them together for a couple of minutes, for a delicious, energetic post workout meal.

Another cheaper, as well as delicious option is chocolate milk. It is packed with the proteins and carbohydrates that depleted muscles need to recover. Also, the vitamins A and D, along with calcium help strengthen bones and build muscle. So, whatever your drink of choice, don't skip the post workout "meal".

Drink up--to your health!

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