How to Master Post-Workout Nutrition!

By Mairead Rodgers Russell, Registered Dietitian

What you eat after a workout can have a big impact on how you recover. For those putting in the time in the gym, you want to make sure your diet is supporting your efforts!

After a workout, most people think about protein. Protein is key to help promote muscle recovery! After a tough workout, your muscles have taken a beating. By getting some protein in, you can make sure your body has what it needs to start the repairing process as soon as possible, so you can build back stronger and be ready to go for your next workout.

The other key component for post-workout fueling is carbs. Carbs are often overlooked because we’re so focused on protein! During a workout, you burn through your glycogen stores, leaving your body without a lot of easy energy to pull from. Making sure you’re having some carbs to replenish those stores means that the protein can go to muscle recovery instead of energy stores, and means you’ll actually have energy for whatever you need to accomplish after a workout.

To make the most of your post-workout nutrition, try to have something to eat within an hour or so of your workout. If you have a meal planned in that window (maybe dinner for the evening crew and breakfast for the morning crew), you can cover your protein and carb bases easily. Make sure to include a good source of protein (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, legumes, soy, etc.) and a source of carbs!

If it will be longer before you’re going to have a meal, try to have a snack to start that recovery process. This could look like a protein shake and a banana, some yogurt with fruit, or half a turkey sandwich – whatever is going to be convenient for you. Protein shakes in general aren’t better for muscle recovery, they’re just super convenient, especially for those who are very busy or on the go!

Remember, to make the most of your workouts, you need to fuel back up afterwards! This will help you maintain build muscle and recover to you’re ready to go next time!

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