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** GETTING THE MOST OUT OF POST-WORKOUT MEALS **
The recommendation has traditionally been "eat 1/2 your weight in grams of carbs and 1/4 your weight in grams of protein" right after a workout.
Recent studies show the body maxes out its usage at about 60g of protein in a sitting, so that part has a cap if you're of the larger variety. The carb part has a few notes to it too.
Of course, eating carbs before a workout (and even during if you're feeling sluggish after an hour) is known to give you energy. After a workout, carbs serve a very different function. Before getting into the recovery meal, let's talk about glycogen for a sec here.
Glycogen:
Glycogen is your primary fuel for exercises of all types. Before the body stores sugars within the fat cells, it fills up these glycogen tanks. It's stored within the muscles and the liver. For whatever the reason, fructose only gets converted to glycogen in the liver (which can be used when the individual muscles run outta steam). The muscles' "tanks" prefer sucrose which is easier to convert into ATP/glucose and blah blah blah........ anyhow...
A runner draws glycogen at a slower pace than a weight lifter because of the amount of energy exerted within the timeframe, but we all use it.
All that to say that after a workout, you've drained your glycogen and need to fill the tanks back up. Carbs. Sugars. Simple carbohydrates. Complex carbs will work, but they take a lot longer to act and we want to slow the tear-down of muscle fibers quickly at this point.
This is why us lifters can eat all those sweet treats and not get fat; the body prioritizes the replenishment over conservation.
Why carbs though?:
In addition to refueling the glycogen stores, carbs stop catabolism (muscle deterioration) by offering an alternate fuel source while the protein affects the anabolism (muscle growth). They go hand in hand right after a workout!
Pre-workout meal:
If you've got an hour or two to eat before your exercise, eat some carbs and a little protein to get it circulating in your system in the form of "real food" (oatmeal, eggs, peanut butter on toast, etc.).
When pressed for time, I've been known to slam a shake made of coffee, maltodextrin, and whey powder, but a glass of juice or sweet coffee and a candy bar will work in a pinch. You just want something that will kick in quickly to give you energy.
The whole foods will be a slower release and prevent the mid-exercise crash. I've found plain coffee works great in the middle of a workout, so I'll dip into Starbucks and just have a straight double shot of espresso in a little cup next to my water bottle for emergencies on my "I don't wanna" days.
Post-workout meal:
So, back to the first paragraph... a 2:1 ratio of carbs to protein is the basis for this meal. I go higher on the carbs only because most days I'm exhausted and head straight to work, so I'll need the lasting energy.
100g of maltodextrin (cheap and effective powdered, not-too-sweet natural sugar that is easily metabolized - a 12lb bag on Amazon is like $25 and lasts me months) with 70g of whey protein is what I do if I can't get home to eat.
A sandwich, a bowl of cereal... your choice! As long as you're hitting your 2:1 based on your specific weight, you'll be golden! My favorite lately is a glass of chocolate milk and a foot-long Subway meatball sub for my 2:1 at my weight.
Just remember, fruit (fructose) heads straight to the liver for storage and will not work to replenish the individual muscle groups directly.
I'll write up another post one day regarding my years of experience, learning, and how to work out while on a keto plan.
But for now, that's why carbs. After that painful workout, reward your efforts with a sweet treat and your body will thank you! 💪🏻
Diet Calendar Entries for 29 June 2019:
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1772 kcal
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Fat: 24.00g | Prot: 155.87g | Carb: 239.24g.
Breakfast: Winco Foods 1% Lowfat Chocolate Milk, Publix Quick Cooking Oats. Second Breakfast: V8 Low Sugar Carrot Mango Juice, Nature's Best Perfect Zero Carb Isopure Whey Protein Isolate - Mango Peach. Elevenses: Nature's Best Isopure Low Carb Dutch Chocolate, Coffee (Brewed From Grounds), Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder, Winco Foods 1% Low-Fat Chocolate Milk, Now Sports Carbo Gain. Lunch: Fiber One 90 Calorie Lemon Bar. Dinner: Isopure Zero Carb Whey Protein Isolate (Strawberries & Cream), Nestle Toll House Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich, Ocean Spray Diet Cranberry Juice, Smucker's Sugar Free Strawberry Preserves, Daisy Low Fat 2% Small Curd Cottage Cheese. Supper: Extra Strength Melatonin Gummies, Dr. Tobias Triple Strength Omega 3 Fish Oil, Vitafusion MultiVites Gummy Vitamins. more...
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3161 kcal
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Activities & Exercise:
Resting - 30 minutes, Weight Training (Bodybuilding) - 1 hour and 15 minutes, Watching TV/Computer - 5 hours, Sleeping - 7 hours and 30 minutes, Showering - 30 minutes, Bus Driving - 7 hours and 30 minutes, Driving - 1 hour and 15 minutes, Cooking - 30 minutes. more...
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