Post workout nutrition is probably one of the most important aspects of your entire diet plan. People hear that breakfast is the most important, and that is true, but what you eat right after a workout is just as important.
Both breakfast and post workout are times to eat to help your body take in essential vitamins and minerals for growing, repairing, and providing energy.
Think back to the last time you did an intense workout. How did you feel? Probably tired, lethargic, your muscles were probably weak…
This is all the effects of training. During this period after a workout, the muscles are in a catabolic phase. This means that they are breaking down. Though that might sound scary for those of you looking to tone up and increase your muscle mass, this is the perfect chance for you to consume nutrients to help fuel those muscles and keep them from breaking down further.
Post workout meals and supplements are used to aid in the recovery of the muscles. Once you break down those muscle tissues, consuming post workout supplements and foods are what prevent any further breakdown and start the repair process. During repair is when our muscles grow. We break them down to build them up.
Without rest, recovery, and repair, we wouldn’t experience the gains we want. This is why feeding our muscles the proper nutrients after a workout is so important. So what should you be consuming after a workout? What is the best post workout supplement? Are post workout supplements for women? Follow this post workout supplement guide to aid in your weight loss and muscle building program to achieve the best possible results!
Post Workout Supplement #1: Simple Glucose.
This isn’t necessarily a “supplement” but consuming simple glucose (sugar) after your workout is important for replenishing to lose glycogen stores. This means you should consume some kind of simple carbohydrate that is going to get into your bloodstream at a pretty fast paced to keep your energy levels up. Replenishing muscle glycogen and blood sugar stores helps with muscle recovery. Consume anywhere from 40-80 grams of simple carbs immediately following your workout.
Post Workout Supplement #2: Whey Protein
Protein shakes are extremely popular in the fitness world. Protein is the building block of our muscles and our bodies. Without protein, your muscles wouldn’t be able to grow and our bodies wouldn’t be able to lose fat. Whey protein is important for post-workout consumption because when we workout, our bodies use up the protein that was in our muscles and just like glycogen, we must replenish our protein stores. Consume 20-40 grams of whey protein immediately following your workout.
Post Workout Supplement #3: L-Glutamine
L-glutamine plays a major role in immune system function. When we perform an intense workout, whether it is weight lifting or cardio, our immune system takes a major hit. It is under a lot of pressure to keep our bodies running smoothly and efficiently. After our workout, we must re-feed our immune system. L-glutamine does just that. It helps to increase our white blood cell count and decrease the number of lymphocytes found in our bodies.
Keeping a healthy immune system is important for weight loss and muscle gains because the last thing you need is to be taken away from your routine because of sickness. Keep your immune system healthy and your muscles recover by supplementing with l-glutamine. Consume 10-15 grams of L-glutamine post workout.
Post Workout Supplement # 4: BCAAs
BCAA – Branched Chain Amino Acids. There are three important BCAAs that should be incorporated into your post workout supplement program – isoleucine, leucine, and valine. Most BCAA powders and pills incorporate all three into their formula so you don’t have to worry about purchasing them separately. Branched-chain amino acids should be incorporated into post workout supplements for women and for men. They don’t discriminate against gender!
They help with reducing catabolism which is the breaking down of muscle tissue that occurs during our workout. They also help to stimulate protein synthesis to help keep our protein levels up and our muscles growing. Consume 1200 mg leucine, 600 mg isoleucine, and 600 mg valine post workout.
Post workout supplementation is extremely important for gaining optimal results from your training program. Consuming these four post workout supplements: simple glucose, whey protein, l-glutamine, and BCAAs will help lose weight, burn fat, and build muscle. Each provides different benefits such as preventing further catabolism of muscle, aiding in muscle recovery, replenishing glycogen stores, and supporting our immune system. These are all extremely important for our health and our fitness goals.
Are you taking any of these supplements after your workouts? If not, do you plan to start? Let us know all about your post-workout supplement plan!
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