Why eating after your workout matters to maximize your results.
After class, we always tell our clients to go home and eat!! Why are people afraid to eat???? You need to maximize your results!
Eating helps you rebuild, repair and replenish. So EAT!! The right foods of course.
To put it simply and not to over complicate things, your body needs protein. You need to rebuild what you broke down to get that lean muscle. Protein provides amino acids that the muscle fibers need after your workout. It is imperative! We tell our clients at least 25-30 grams.
We want to replenish energy with healthy carbs. These glycogen stores were depleted during your workout session.
Pairing a protein with carbs, will help with transport of nutrients to muscles faster, boosting recovery and decreasing fatigue.
You workout to become stronger and better. So to maximize your results, proper nutrition is vital for your body to recover.
Some clients do state they are on a fat loss journey and stay away from the “dreaded carbs”. Although we encourage clients not to deleted any food group completely, your post work out fuel, eating carbs should be used as tool to help meet your needs. I do encourage my clients to try to mix it up and assess how they feel over time. Keep track to see and feel the difference in their recovery. This is very important!
Here are a few examples of post recovery snacks/meals. They consist of 30 grams of protein and carbs. This will help the body recover and keep it low in carbs for those watching – .
Maximize Workouts with these meals…
Greek Yogurt and Berries
1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt (20g protein, 6g carbs)
½ cup mixed berries (8g carbs)
1 tbsp honey (16g carbs)
Total: 30g protein, 30g carbs
Protein Shake with Banana
1 scoop whey protein isolate (25g protein, 2g carbs)
1 medium banana (27g carbs)
Mix with water or unsweetened almond milk.
Total: 30g protein, 30g carbs
Cottage Cheese and Rice Cakes
¾ cup low-fat cottage cheese (20g protein, 6g carbs)
2 plain rice cakes (24g carbs)
Optional: Add a sprinkle of cinnamon for flavor.
Total: 30g protein, 30g carbs
We all have different goals. But fueling post workout is something we should all be doing. Talk to your Coach, Trainer, Nutritionist, Doctor and see what your needs are. But no matter how you break it down, eating after a workout is crucial. Keep moving!
Enjoy!
Tammy Stocker RN, CPT, Owner JHF
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