You give your absolute best in the gym. Your muscles are pumped, your nerves are popping out and you can barely stand up. Your muscles have been put through hell. Yet, it isn’t enough. Your workout will be complete only after you consume your post workout meal. It is the most important meal of the day.
Now, the question is – what exactly must you eat?
We’ll break it down for you:
1. Protein: Protein, as we all know, is the building block of muscle. It is absolutely essential for muscular and nervous recovery. The types of protein are just as crucial as the amounts regarding benefits and effectiveness. As we need quick absorption of amino acids, we need a fast acting protein. Whey protein powder has the distinct advantage of being absorbed rapidly by the body and flushing your muscles with aminos. An addition of a slow protein such as Casein also prolongs the muscle-building period. If you do not have Casein protein, have a bit of cottage cheese or milk as well.
2. Carbs: This is the only time of the day we actually want to consume sugar. Ingesting carbs in the form of simple sugars raise insulin levels in the body which will help shuttle nutrients (namely protein) into muscle cells to start the recovery and growth processes. This is also the best time for your glycogen stores, which were severely depleted during training, to be replenished. Start with some simple carbs, and consume a complex carb meal later on.
3. Creatine: This is one of the best times to consume creatine. Creatine powder has been shown to not only help with strength and mass gains, but also with fat loss and recovery between and during workouts. It is stored in your body for a better workout the next time as well.
So, in summary:
20-35 grams of a fast acting protein + 10-15g of a slow protein + about 40-80g of carbs + 3-8g creatine = Quickest, most effective recovery.
Hope you learnt something from this article.
Until next time, train hard, eat right and get strong!
