What to eat after a workout

The importance of the post-workout nutrition

A contemporary man typically lives a day that is cramped with obligations. There is usually relatively little free time in such a day, and if a person wishes to take the little free time to work out, it is very useful to pay attention to another thing – we are talking about the post-workout meal. Since little free time means too little time for either proper workout or adequate nutrition, it is easy to see what role will having a proper meal have.

Water – the source if life and muscles

There are three nutritive groups that are important for the body of a person who works out. Here we have fluids, carbs and proteins. Among the three of them, we can freely say that water pays the crucial role – our body needs it most immediately after the workout, and what is more it ensures proper digestion of carbohydrates and proteins. Make sure to drink enough water before and after working out.

Precious carbs

After the session of physical exercise we have carbohydrates as the second most important substance. Why is that? Well, when we work out our bodies use up the stores of glycogen. To put it simply, sugars are the fuel for the body that works out. Where to take those sugars from? Simple sugars, like processed sweets or juices with lots of added sugar could appear to be an option.

However, this is an illusion – since there are no other nutrients in those foods, like vitamins and such, our body will replenish the sugar reserves but not the vitamin reserves. The optimal sources of carbs to be taken in after the workout are fruits, legumes, and whole grain products. Apart from providing lost sugar, those nutrients are rich in fibers, vitamins and minerals.

There are some products specially designed for people who work out and which contain both carbohydrates and proteins. These products are good owing to the fact that they enable the muscles to recover faster after working out compared to products that have only carbs in them. Also, bear in mind that proteins are beneficial since they satisfy hunger very effectively.

Tips and tricks

There are pieces of advice to be followed after the workout to ensure that the body is replenished and that it can fully recover and benefit from the workout. For instance, make up for the lost water through intake of fluids or fluid-rich foods. Also, during the first half hour of exercise take in some 30 60 g of carbs, it is very important.